Three Points to Save Money on Precsion Molding Project

Three Points to Save Money on Precsion Molding Project

1, Identifying your precision requirements from the get-go.

If you donot want to waste moeny, you have to identify your precision requirements before the get-go of the precision molding. As you may know if you checked before, the precision molding is more expensive than ordinary molding.So it is surely that you have to determine which mold areas will require precision before precision molding. For example, a surgical handle may only require precision for the piece that will connect with a pin, not the entire handle.

2, Selecting a plastic material with low shrinkage.

Selecting the proper plastic material is very important before you do precision injection molding. For example, polypropylene has a shrinkage range of +/- .014″ to +/- .022″, with an average of +/- .018″. This is a wide range for shrinkage, which makes hitting a specific tolerance extremely difficult. If you’re molding a toothbrush (which commonly uses polypropylene), dealing with shrinkage isn’t a big concern, as the toothbrush will function appropriately regardless of whether it’s slightly bigger or smaller than its counterparts. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)—another common thermoplastic polymer—has a much narrower shrinkage average of +/- .006″. That gives you a much better chance of hitting a tighter tolerance, but it still won’t reach the +/- .001″ or +/- .002″ tolerance needed for a precision part. One way to hit high tolerances with your plastic material is to add glass or another filler resin (like carbon fiber or mica) into the material. This can minimize shrinkage and warp by providing more structure in the material. For example, if you include long glass fibers in a polymer material, the part will shrink more perpendicular to those fibers.

3, Can your mold manufacturer tool with high precision?

The process of creating plastic parts with tight tolerances begins with a high-precision mold. If each plastic part you create is not identical, you won’t have a precise product—and a precise mold ensures there’s no variation for each part. Because of this, it’s extremely important to select a mold manufacturer who understands the slow, steady process of building a high-precision tool. Never be a good option to select a mold manufacturer which specializes in rapid tooling, because the goal of rapid tooling is to finish the mold quickly—but not necessarily precisely.

LET’S GET YOUR PRECISION MOLDING PROJECT STARTED.

Kayou precision mold have over 20 years of experience in precision mold making and molding, and would love to answer any and all of your questions. You can either contact us with those questions, or, if you’re ready to get your project started now, simply request a free quote. Once you submit the short form, one of our representatives will be in touch with you shortly to get the ball rolling.