Manufacturer of Injection Molds, Compression Molds, Silicone Molds, Casting Molds, Stamping Die, and Fixtures.
Automation in injection molding projects minimizes hands on involvement, resulting in improved consistency, repeatability, product quality and ultimately the best value for the customer.
Robotics can be used throughout the injection molding process during the insert molding or over molding process, helping to assist in secondary operations and quality inspections. Using automation processes can eliminate waste, produce consistent quality components and at a faster cycle time.
Below is a list of frequently used terms in the injection molding and mold building industry to help when discussing your injection molding project.
EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) which cuts metal from a work piece with a series of electrical sparks that precisely shapes the material into simple or complex geometrics.
High Speed Machining is cutting metal by using recent speed technology that allows machining centers to do more work.
Swiss Screw Machining utilizes a lathe type metalworking machine using multiple spindles in the manufacturing of small precision parts; these are CNC controlled for one time setup with very minimal operator assistance.
Mold Simulation is the ability to simulate the mold fill process that accounts for multiple injection molding variables. The data produced provides a basis for setting the actual process variables for use in the injection molding process.
The concept of generating ideas within a group environment
is nothing new to product development. Alex Osborn popularized the process and
contributed a set of highly influential rules in 1953. Since then, a wide range
of techniques have been developed to help product development teams develop
novel ideas effectively and efficiently. Unfortunately, few design
professionals are aware of these methods, and even fewer understand the
elements of creativity to help make ideation sessions more productive.
A few months back, MIT Sloan, in collaboration with Boston
Consulting Group (BCG), recently published the verbosely titled Sustainability
& Innovation Global Executive Study and Research Project. It’s a
well-researched study—which is to say that it’s a long read—and definitely
worth reading.
In March 2010, IEC 62366:2007, “Medical Devices–Application
of Usability Engineering to Medical Devices,” went into effect, and compliance
to this standard is now required by the European regulatory bodies. Compliance
to the standard’s predecessor, ANSI/AAMI HE74:2001, “Human Factors Design
Process for Medical Devices,” has been required by the FDA for more than ten
years. Both documents state that medical device manufacturers must demonstrate
that all potential use-related hazards in their devices have been identified,
tested, and mitigated.
Little attention has been given to the way in which
usability results— the actual categorization and measurement of the problems
discovered through an array of usability evaluations— are communicated. Common
practice indicates that most usability practitioners organize the usability
results they identify by (1) category or attribute of a problem and (2)
severity. Unfortunately, there is little agreement among practitioners on which
list of categories is the most comprehensive and which severity scale is the
most appropriate. The most common response, of course, remains “it depends.”
As designers envision more complex, functional products, and
manufacturers increase production speeds, the engineers in charge of the next
step—assembly—need to step up their game, as well. Part of any continuous
improvement initiative involving assembly should take a look at continuous
motion technology.
Your company is about to invest in an injection mold to manufacture a plastic part. That is, you’re ready to write the purchase order once you decide which molder has quoted you the best value for your dollar. You want the lowest price, the lowest injection mold maintenance, AND the highest product quality. Right? Yet, how can you tell what you’re really buying when one supplier quoted $3000 and another quoted $13,000? They both saw the same blueprint! It’s probably true that both molds could produce good quality plastic parts.
Buyers should consider two scenarios: quick machining steel/low production quantity versus slower machining steel/high production-high quality. Quoting molds is often an “assumption game.” The more the customer can define what they want, the fewer variables enter into the quote. The customer’s goal is to get apples-to-apples quotes from each supplier, and this isn’t always easy.
One variable in quoting the injection mold is the quality of steel to be used. Total Solution Plastic typically quotes high quality tool steel unless the customer specifies otherwise. We do, however, build tooling from all grades of material such as prehard steel (P-20), hardened tool steel (S-7,H-13,O-1,A-2,etc.), aluminum, or stainless steel.
P-20 is the most popular and versatile injection mold steel. It is used for all sizes of machine-cut injection mold, and does not require post machining heat treatment. No heat treatment eliminates the finish machining and grinding operations which are necessary because of the dimensional changes which occur in heat treatment.
Prehard can be chrome-plated or nickel-plated for wear and corrosion resistance, if needed. However, we typically do not recommend P-20 steel if the production quantity is high (+500,000) or reinforced plastics are to be used. The trade-off is usually less moldmaker labor ($) versus longevity of the injection mold (time).
This steel renders a fine combination of toughness and strength. The steel is mostly furnished in the annealed condition and must then be heat treated after the mold is finished. The steel hardens to about Rockwell C 46 – C 54. Hardened tool steel is used when a steel is needed for molding reinforced plastics, or when a large production quantity is anticipated. Hardened steel also takes an excellent polish, therefore it is used for clear parts such as lenses.
Stainless steel is frequently used when corrosion or rusting may be a problem. Rusting of waterlines or the mold due to condensation can be very costly because of the extra maintenance and frequent polishing. Stainless 420 must be heat treated. It has outstanding dimensional stability in heat treatment and therefore, the mold needs very little finishing and correcting after heat treatment. This steel also takes a high luster polish.
Three variables enter into the calculation of a mold’s price: the material to be used, the estimate of mold maker hours, and the labor/overhead rate.
The steel quoted will determine the material price and moldmaker hours required. Although the steel or material cost typically amount to only 10% of the injection mold price, the amount of time required to machine the steel is a major part of the cost. The prehard steel may be a very cost effective route if for example, the plastic to be injection mold is polyethylene, the quality of the plastic part is not “gold-plated”, and the life of the injection mold is small, such as 20,000 pieces.
If, on the other hand, the plastic part is 30% glass-filled nylon, specifies no parting line flash, and will run one million parts, Total Solution Plasticl will quote tool steel. The steel cost is marginally more expensive then prehard, however the mold maker hours required will be substantially higher.
The challenge for all buyers is to define which steel is being quoted and whether that steel will be satisfactory for the project’s objectives. As a service to our customers, we deliver an ASSAY report with each mold showing the mold steel used.
To learn more about Injection Mold from Total Solution Plastic visit our website, or use our Contact Form to email us.
Franklin Spears
Total Solution Plastic
7613 Pats Branch Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-900-8801
In an age that demands high productivity in manufacturing, there is no substitute for high quality injection mold in your injection molding process. Given the wide variety of injection mold steels available today, proper selection must take into account not only price and traditional practice but why they are used. In order to make the proper selection, one must understand the multiple demands that are placed upon injection mold steels, depending on the specific application. There are two major categories of demands which, together, highlight 12 desirable qualities.
To learn more about Injection Mold from Total Solution Plastic visit our website, or use our Contact Form to email us.
Franklin Spears
Total Solution Plastic
7613 Pats Branch Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-900-8801
The following is a partial list of Abbreviations for Chemical, Marketing and Scientific injection mold related technology terms. Due to the changing standards of chemical nomenclature, some of the injection mold nomenclature may no longer be used, has been changed, or a variant is used.
P
Plastic injection mold acronymns are used in the business of injection molding. These terms appear in articles, blog posts, contracts, letters and specifications. This blog post is intended to list the most commonly used acronymns in the plastic injection mold business.
To learn more about Injection Mold from Total Solution Plastic visit our website, or use our Contact Form to email us.
Franklin Spears
Total Solution Plastic
7613 Pats Branch Drive
Raleigh, NC 27612
919-900-8801
