Things to Check while Purchasing Injection Molds

Proper risk management, efficient communication, and reasonable deadlines are crucial to the success of the production. Anticipating future problems and budgeting for them during the planning process would help the project remain on track and close to the budget.

Fremont, CA: Attention to detail is key to long-term performance and stress-free manufacturing when buying injection mold. Some elements of mold design should be considered as early as the start of the product development effort. Others will start when the tool order is placed. The main aim of the project manager in this process is to keep the customer satisfied without causing manufacturing issues.

1. Part construction is the most critical element of long-term success in molding. You don't want to easily accept the specification of a plastic component only to find out later that it is plagued by features that are not easy to use for injection molding. True product innovation comes from minds who can find appealing solutions that take into account the weaknesses of manufacturing processes. The best results are obtained when the artist, mold maker and injection molder work collaboratively together.

2. Proper risk management, efficient communication and reasonable deadlines are crucial to the success of the production. Anticipating future problems and budgeting for them during the planning process would help the project remain on track and close to the budget. For example, preparing and communicating for potential re-cutting of the mold to get the plastic features into the acceptable tolerance range after initial sampling of the mold.

3. Consider tooling cost savings carefully. No amount of savings is worthwhile if it affects the ability to preserve the mold condition, has the potential to impact component quality, or complicates start-up and daily output. Relatively small savings in tooling can be offset by scrap costs, resource drainage, time loss and maintenance operations, so carefully consider how cost savings can have an effect on overall performance.

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4. Take your time with a study of the mold design. This is your chance to get things right before it's too late. Emphasis should be on the filling, cooling, and ejection attributes of the mold. The majority of decisions should be justified by simulation data and recorded previous experience. When it comes to ejection, ask yourself why the component will stay on the ejection side of the tool in any cycle and be convinced that it can be removed without injury.

5. Standardize the mold features in order to save time and money. Make sure that you provide the mold maker with the standards for clamp slots, lift bars and attachment sizes. You will need to have location preferences for services, including air, water, oil, etc. Otherwise, the mold will need to be re-injected when it arrives or when it is transferred to other machines.

6. Check-in with the store floor and consistency groups until a new method arrives. This is the time to make sure the team has what it takes to keep the mold securely and weigh the pieces. Any of the things to be checked are the number of ports on water manifolds, the availability of controls for hot runners and coolants, heater cables and plugs, fittings, hoses, bolts, lift straps and more.