How to Build a Mold for Your Custom Plastic Products

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The Rodon Group, Hatfield, PA

Posted on Jan 4, 2024

Manufacturers use a wide range of different molding techniques to create different components and products, including blow molding, compression molding, extrusion molding, and rotational molding. Injection molding is a popular, versatile, and cost-effective method for producing plastic goods. A heated liquid resin is injected into a mold at high speeds so it fills the entirety of the mold (including any crevices or complex shapes). Once there, it cools and cures into a hardened plastic form before being ejected for finishing, packaging, and shipping. This process can be used with high-volume and low-volume orders of goods varying in size and complexity.

 

Design and Build Considerations for Custom Molds

Before injection molding can commence, manufacturers need to create a custom mold for the product, addressing the fundamental question of how to make plastic molds. This process focuses on four main considerations:

• The part design: Mold manufacturers will need to consider the size, dimensionality, and complexity of the product.
• Production quantity: How many parts you anticipate making is important. Molds can feature multiple cavities of basic products to produce many products at once. Molds also can be made from lighter and cheaper materials for low-volume orders and more durable and potentially pricier materials for high-volume production.
• Part material: The mold will need particular design features based on the chosen plastic or resin for the products.
• Budget: Consider the total budget available for tooling, which will dictate the quality of the mold material and whether it will be a mold for single parts or multiple units.

 

There are multiple different resins available for use in injection molded products, and each formula will have unique characteristics that affect both the production process and the finished product. There are two broad categories of production materials:

• Thermosets: After heating, curing, and cooling these materials into a set shape, their physical composition is permanently chemically altered. They cannot be reused or returned to their original form. There are multiple polymer materials that fall under the umbrella of thermoset. Popular options include epoxy, polyamide, polyester, polyurethane, silicone, and also vinyl ester.
• Thermoplastics: These materials can be reheated and melted. One key advantage of thermoplastics is that excess material can be repurposed for future production orders. Thermoplastics are also easier to use because the injection molding process starts by heating small pellets of resin or powdered resin into a fluid.

 

Resin Selection Guide

Manufacturers can select their preferred material based on the individual properties of the material once it's cured, the ease of use during the manufacturing process, and the price. Other considerations can include regulatory compliance. For example, plastic goods used in tangent with consumable or cosmetic goods will need to be food-grade, while other plastic goods are less tightly regulated.

Another common consideration, especially in today's market, is the availability of the product. Having multiple sources for your preferred type of resin will make your supply chain more secure during peak seasons or global disruptions.

Injection molding is a versatile manufacturing process that can accommodate a wide range of designs, materials, and production constraints to create high-quality products. At The Rodon Group, we specialize in injection molding and a host of support services built to create your products at scale. Reach out today to learn more or to request a quote to start your order.

 

 

 

Source Destination: https://www.rodongroup.com/blog/how-to-build-a-mold-for-your-custom-plastic-products

 

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