One of the most important aspects of the injection molding process starts at the beginning with the design phase. Too many times, the experts at GAIM Plastics have seen what can happen when designs are even just a little off.
A strong way to ensure accuracy in your parts is by utilizing injection mold engineering services. Led by an experienced team, engineering services often lead to successful manufacturing, one component at a time.
Learn more from GAIM Plastics on how to ensure accuracy by utilizing injection mold engineering services.
Design for Accuracy
Manufacturers and clients should work together when crafting designs for both molds and the products themselves. Key design aspects to lock in on and stay on the same page include dimensional tolerances and DFM capabilities.
Proper considerations for wall thickness, uniform sections, radii, and draft angles should be made as well to reduce defects that can impact part accuracy, such as warpage, sink, and ejection distortion.
Engineering teams should account for material shrinkage that occurs during the injection molding process and thermal expansion. Designing with these two aspects in mind can lead to a much more accurate finished product.
Mold Tooling and Build
From the beginning, manufacturers should specify mold machining tolerances during injection mold engineering services. Typically, machine tolerances need to be higher than designed part tolerances.
- Design gates, runners, vents, and cooling circuits to account for balanced filling during shots and uniform cooling to minimize defects that impact accuracy.
- Use high-quality steels in molds and precise fitting of inserts to maintain dimension stability over tool life.
Injection Mold Engineering Accounts for Process Setup and Control
The injection molding process itself is set in stone as far as steps go, but the details of the process can vary depending on order size. Defining key variables in the injection molding process can ensure accuracy.
- Define and agree on fill time
- Injection speed
- Melt and mold temperature
- Pack and hold pressure, and time
- Cooling time
Machine calibration to ensure critical process metrics are consistently met, along with the use of in-mold sensors and other monitoring systems, is recommended to further improve accuracy and process control.
Quality Assurance Measures
There are several quality assurance measures to consider when prioritizing accuracy and leveraging injection mold engineering services. These measures should include the following:
- Qualify mold with outlined trials in order to collect data that can be used to gauge accuracy.
- Use dimensional inspection tools such as CMMs.
- Perform routine visual inspections and routine maintenance to prevent mold wear from impacting accuracy.
Contact GAIM Plastics For Your Injection Mold Engineering Services Today
Since 1989, GAIM Plastics has been creating high-quality injection-molded components across multiple industries. We’re located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and we’re proud to be an American manufacturer creating products that serve our country’s needs.
When it comes to ensuring design accuracy, injection mold engineering services are a practical and efficient solution. Getting the design right for both your mold and subsequent parts is essential to creating the components you need to succeed.
It’s time to get into the GAIM. Contact us today for all of your injection molding needs, including engineering services.