Injection molds are one of the reasons why mass production has become so popular, and why so many manufacturers rely on custom mold makers to produce the perfect mold. Here are seven things that you may not know (but that your boss wants to understand) about injection molds.
- Injection mold makers can actually use aluminum in the products. It is not a common material, but can be used alongside the more common plastic injection molds. This addition will help when a higher heat tolerance is required.
- Among one of the greatest benefits of injection molding is that it can be a fully automated process once the production mold has been verified.
- Custom mold makers have perfected the process well enough that final products can have fine details and incredibly intricate designs to meet very strict requirements.
- Custom injection molds are often cheaper and more durable than 3D printed molds because the amount of time required to make a complete part is usually in the cooling process.
- It is rare that a mold is perfect the first time, even with a production mold. Experts are required to ensure that the final product meets your needs. They can test and measure the mold and first round of injections to see if there is a problem and determine the best way to fix it.
- Mold inserts can be used to make new parts so that you do not have to recreate a similar insert for different projects. It is a matter of changing the internal cavity instead of redesigning and machining the mold.
- Prototype molds are not meant to be final products. You don’t have to use the best material when working with a prototype mold because it is meant to be adjusted on the fly.
Topics: Injection Mold Technology