A Detailed Comparison of Injection Molding and 3D Printing for an Injection Mold Manufacturer

Plastic injection molding and 3D printing both are highly addictive processes that create incredibly complex parts with the help of near-identical runs. While the injection mold manufacturer can choose a broad collection of thermoplastic and plastic materials from both of these processes, there are a few special applications where they prefer 3D printing or plastic injection molding.

So, if you also want to know which method is best for which application, we have prepared a comprehensive guide for your convenience. It will help you understand all the differences between the two methods. In the end, you’ll decide by yourself which method to go for.

So, let’s get started!

Introduction to Plastic Injection Molding 

Plastic injection molding is the method that the injection mold manufacturer joins two plastic materials into one shape. This can incorporate the materials that have various properties, two unique materials of various tones, or two hard and delicate blend materials.

The compound holding of the 2 sections happens because they join into one another or because the fundamental fragment is grown so the resulting portion securities definitely. Sometimes, it is useful that the two materials don’t hold quickly to each other. In this manner, parts can be “molded” in the structure.

Advantages of Plastic Injection Molding

There are many different advantages of plastic injection molding that you should know. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

1.      Low Unit Cost

One of the primary advantages of this is method is the lower unit cost that it offers to the manufacturers. That’s because replicating the prototype is extremely simple after building the mold. All you need to do is injecting the molten build material at high pressure into the mold. After this, you can cast the product and finish it as you require. Since this method uses raw resources efficiently as compared to the other processes, it doesn’t produce a large amount of wasted material. This is what makes it a relatively cost-effective method as compared to the other methods out there.

2.      Product Quality

Plastic Injection molding has good precision. Each millimeter of the shape is completely filled to forestall air pockets, division, or other plan blemishes. An item made with injection molding will be finished without creases or gathering, so the surfaces will be smooth and have utilitarian respectability. This produces all the more outwardly engaging and dependable parts contrasted with those that are made with 3D printing.

3.      Speed and Accuracy

While the speed and accuracy of this method depend upon the type of plastic that you use, it is a relatively faster process as compared to 3D printing. You can set the products in just a matter of seconds. Also, since a lot of plastics do not require finishing, this further cuts down the production time.

Disadvantages of Plastic Injection Molding

There are some disadvantages of plastic injection molding as well that an injection mould manufacturer should be aware of. Want to know some of them? Keep reading then.

1.      Upfront Investment in the Mold

A major disadvantage of this method is that it requires a significant portion of cost towards the creation of mold. So, if the plastic product has a low demand or a shorter life, it can be more expensive than using a 3D printer.

2.      Modification Limits

You cannot modify the mold once it is created without recasting it or editing its product design. So, if you are in the testing phase, we’d suggest that you use a different method until you finalize the design.

What Is 3D Printing?

3D printing is a process that manufactures plastic projects in layers. You can even watch the entire process during the manufacturing of the product. 3D printing utilizes computer-aided design records to fabricate three-dimensional parts layer by layer. The 3D printer utilizes a fiber to make vertical layers that stack on top of one another; it makes each item in turn. It can help you a lot when you are testing a new design.

Advantages of 3D Printing

3D printing offers many different advantages to the injection mould manufacturer. Some of them are mentioned below for you to check out.

1.      Lower Initial Cost

One of the greatest attractions of 3D printing is that it has a lower initial cost as compared to plastic injection molding. That’s because this method does not use specialized dyes. Once the design file is complete, you can take the assistance of the printer to create either one or hundreds of the products at a lower cost per unit.

2.      Flexibility

Flexibility is another prominent advantage of this method that a manufacturer gets to enjoy. Since it uses a computer file and not a mold, the printers can easily accommodate any changes that you want in the product design. This is what makes it suitable for prototyping when you are testing different stages and designs.

3.      Supports Multiple Complicated Designs

Since this process works by adding layers on top of each other, you can create multiple complex designs and intricate infrastructure of the object.

Disadvantages of 3D Printing

Just like every coin has two sides, there are some disadvantages of 3D printing as well. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

1.      Technical Issues

Since 3D printing is still in a developing phase, the software and hardware might occasionally malfunction. This can lead to low structural integrity and errors. So, you must identify them in the process of quality assurance.

2.      Slow Speed

As we know that 3D printing works by building layer by layer, it slows down the entire process of manufacturing. So, you will have to be extremely patient while working with this technology. This is what makes it suitable for orders of only a few hundred units.

Final Words on Injection Mould Manufacturer Preferences 

As an injection mold manufacturer, you must know all the ins and outs of plastic injection molding and 3D printing. This is important so that you can decide which method to pick under different circumstances. We hope the above guide helped you in differentiating between the two methods. However, if you still have any questions, please feel free to contact us!

 

The Introduction of 2-Step Plastic Injection Molding Vs Over Molding Process

The 2-step plastic injection molding is an important subcategory of injection molding. Almost every object that we see around arrives from the direct result of injection molding. In recent years’ injection molding has entirely replaced older forms of manufacturing molds with the process of subtraction. Injecting mold focuses on the quality of the plastic molded parts. With the help of heavy machinery, this type of molding has made it possible to create mass products. Plastics appear the most common among injection molding with all kinds of materials.

Furthermore, 2 step injection molding involves the integration of various parts. Look at this the way you would see a cake being made. Each layer adds to the spirit of the final product. The molding machine carefully joins each significant layer to perfection. 3D printing and minor modules further aid the molding procedure. While you can create miniature molds at home, the larger scale requires some base to work with. Once the engineers realize how to make the product, they will first create a prototype. The entire molding process is intricate however fun to explore.

Moreover, each step unravels a new revelation. You will probably get surprised to know how much time and energy goes into making a simple product. Over molding and two-shot molding both ideally work for the creation of solid products. The durability and strength of each mold depend on the manufacturing method. The machines and methodologies for each process may differ however the result bears little difference.

Deconstructing the 2-step plastic injection molding process

As the name suggests, the 2-step plastic injection molding process revolves around two vital ideas. Injection molding splits the manufacturing process in half. The genius idea to inject molten material in large molds changed the industry for the better. Now, we can produce the same massive parts that would have taken ages to make before.

This form of molding is proper for those who wish to create massive products. Of course, the mold must be big enough to handle the injection process. Most companies have pre-set molds that you can choose from. Choose the mold that you like and make minor adjustments through 3D printing. The first batch deserves evaluation through sampling only.

2-step injection molding involves molding around a single substrate. Taking the example of a cake gain, first, you make the sponge cake and then you add the decorations. Similarly, you begin with creating a substrate or a model.

The layers that you add must revolve around this singular model. The substrate reserves the name for the first shot injection while others come up as two-shot. The process takes lesser time than molding altogether. Organizing the specific parts along the substrate remove chances of error ad increase efficiency.

In addition. The deliverance may depend upon the time it takes to shift the initial substrate. Naturally, it will take longer to shift substrates of a larger size. Moreover, larger substrates require delicate handling and immense care. Without the substrate, all the peripherals become useless.

This shows how vital the substrate becomes during two-step injection molding. The entire process takes roughly less than a few hours. This form of molding proves cost-effective in the longer run. The final molded products get transferred to the quality check department to determine if there is any discrepancy.

Looking at the benefits of 2-step injection plastic molded products

Once we have the final plastic product in our hands, it hardly matters where it comes from, right? Of course not. The method of manufacturing has a huge impact on how long the product life is. People who are willing to invest in giant plastic molding machines should have that guarantee.

With the 2-step injection molding process, everything is transparent. You get to see the visual change in normally molded products versus the new ones. Cost-effective manufacturing was never so efficient. With massive orders and low delivery times, this injection method can become your main choice.

Furthermore, each part lowers in cost after bulk orders. You get to diversify all your products in case of copyrights issues. Making durable products is not the only concern for modern manufacturers. People incline to buy those products which they find aesthetically pleasing. Molding your products with attractive colors and geometric shapes is also common today. Creating unseen looks without harming the actual purpose of the product is good as well. Molding is like freelancing your way into manufacturing. Everything is possible when you have the right mindset. Each idea can get explored with smaller drafts.

What makes Over Molding so different from 2-step injection molding

Over molding is another well-known category apart from 2-step plastic injection molding in injection molding. Injection molding itself composes the idea of cooling liquid molten in solid molds. The wider term has many umbrella operations such as over-molding. Over molding and 2 step injection molding have many similarities. Both of these molding techniques ultimately offer aesthetically pleasing and sturdy products. Over molding combines two or more thermoplastics in multiple shots.

This, the end product combines itself with strong adhesives and chemicals. Overall these products are slightly stronger than those formed with 2 step injection molding. Over molding focuses on the strength of the material more than its actual look. Both of these methods have gained popularity in the manufacturing industry. However, over molding receives attention for larger orders while 2-step injection molding works well for precise models.

Take Away

2-step injection plastic injection molds give us highly durable and precise products. You can replicate the molding procedure at a smaller scale at home however getting the same results is impossible. Manufacturers use highly specialized equipment for this task. The surface of the molded product undergoes many chemical balances before reaching the end consumer. It becomes hard to immediately identify the changes in both over-molding and two-step molded products. In each case, injection molding has made its mark in manufacturing.

Moreover, the cost efficiency makes this method approachable for small-scale manufacturers swell. They cannot afford to purchase the actual molding machine however the production rates do not cause a burden.

To know more about two-step plastic injection molding and its uses, welcome to visit our website!

Guide On NEW Auto-Unscrewing Mold for Internally Threaded Parts

We commonly find internal threads on plastic products that fit together, like drink-ware lids, plastic hardware, and bottle caps. Threads are delicate in nature, so molding these products need a touch different technique than the average plastic component. The tool must incorporate the unscrewing core for ejecting them out of the mold with no harm to the threads. Earlier, there was no other way than unscrewing components manually out of the core through hands to avoid threads stripping. And this results in extra time and labor, which means increased lead time and price. While some injection molding professionals still using this practice, there is a much better way called auto-unscrewing mold.

Now, we can easily mold internally threaded components in the tools that work automatically. It means that you can now get your products much faster and without any error. In this guide, we will show you how this new approach works and how it is benefiting us.

How Auto-Unscrewing Mold Works?

The process of the auto-unscrewing mold is simple and straightforward. It makes the entire process faster and helps us minimize extra labor costs. For a better understanding, we have broken down the working of automatic unscrewing mold technology into four different steps. Here is how the automatic unscrewing mold approach works:

1. First of all, we inject plastic into a tool. When the plastic cools down, the threaded core begins to unscrew. The hydraulic cylinder powers the mechanism of unscrewing through a pinion and rack.
2. In the second step, the rack works three gear sets after which it draws back the core into an ejector box.
3. The mold opens after the complete unscrewing of a threaded core and an ejector system drives the stripper plate frontward for part ejection.
4. Once the part ejects completely, the hydraulic cylinder converses and screw-threaded core again into the position of molding, and the procedure repeats.

This is how the auto-unscrewing mold process completes.

Threaded Plastic Parts

Threads in the plastic part permit fastening plastic parts to other plastic components/non-plastic components with the help of common fasteners. A plastic part may have threads both internally and externally. We can modify external threads to mold them without using any distinctive mold action. However, we require the help of the rotating core that unscrews the part when it comes to internal threads. We use unscrewing molds for plastic components with ridges or threads that we cannot inject easily with the conventional knockout method.

In such molds, we unscrew parts from molds for avoiding any thread damage. Molds unscrewing is still a highly complex injection mold method and requires high-speed movement and previously molded components efficiently for beginning the new cycle. They need exceptional technical savvy for building and maintaining. A manual or auto-unscrewing mold has a special design to ensure production for many years. This is why these molds are known as a great investment in the long run when producing parts in high volumes.

Injection Molding Undercuts

Undercuts means the features of a plastic component that we cannot remove from a mold in the mold’s opening direction. These features act as a barrier in the core’s direct removal. Consequently, necessitate an extra mold part like an internal core or side core lifter for forming the shape. We do not require these devices to remove smaller undercuts if the component can stretch or it can wrap around the plastic mold. If this is the case, the part’s wall opposite to the undercut needs to clear the core or mold before attempting ejection.

Whenever we have undercuts, we can use mold devices, like actions. The action device is a mold-traveling that goes in one direction vertical to the mold’s opening direction. The molding of the part’s undercut portion is possible by using the action. When the plastic mold opens, it will take a distance from the component. We can also use some other molding devices on components with undercuts. These include collapsing tooling and lifters. Use the lifter device when the undercut requirement is the segmented plastic.

Lifters are the mold’s components actuated by and attached to the ejector. It moves in an angular motion for freeing up the details of internal molding. Typically, they are attached between an ejector plate and an ejector retainer using a mechanism. It helps the fixed side to pivot or slide for compensating the lifter’s position movement as it reaches the needed angle. There are two reasons for which this angle holds immense importance.

Reason 1:

The first reason is that the ejector’s forward motion will put high pressure on the body of the lifter when the angle’s too exceptional. This pressure will create lifter binding and result in extreme wear or even a premature failure.

Reason 2:

Second, the travel of the ejector plate will be extreme when the angle’s too shallow. So, we must engage good expertise and careful engineering to avoid such issues.

We can save the lifters and actions use to save money by considering a few minor redesigns. It is especially true when we talk about catches and clips. Engineers often use them for assembling plastic components. Sometimes, design modifications, such as a part’ hole, helps in forming a catch without using lifters or actions. Experienced engineers with their vast knowledge in injection molding can produce high-quality mold designs and part designs with this technique.

Summary

So, we have learned about the working of auto-unscrewing mold and also talked about its aspects. The automatic unscrewing mold process is simple and straightforward. It is a highly economical and faster alternative to its manual unscrewing mold counterpart. Although many people still use the manual method, the automatic method is the approach that you should select to save time and extra labor costs. We also discussed injection molding undercuts and threaded plastic components that are relevant to our subject.

If you have more questions or queries regarding manual or automatic unscrewing mold, we are willing to help with our experts. Get in touch with us by clicking here. We always feel happy to provide our assistance.