When it comes to making different shapes and styles from plastic, you might not know that there are actually a variety of different mold processes which can actually take place, depending on what exactly it is that you are looking to make a mold of. With that in mind, we have decided to take the time to bring to you some of the different mold processes which are available and how they actually work in order to give you what you want.
Injection Molding
If it is top notch 3D molds that you are looking for, then you are going to struggle to find a better way to create them than by injection molding, with every top mold manufacturer in the business using this molding process. It is a simple process by which you take the melted plastic and then inject the liquid into a compact and closed, cool mold in order to begin taking the shape of the mold. Once the liquid plastic has become completely set, it can be removed from the mold to reveal the plastic object of your making.
Blow Molding
Next up we have Blow Molding, which a mold manufacturer will use in order to create an object which is hollow inside. This process sees the plastic coming under intense heat up to a point where it becomes molten, before they then inject the liquid plastic into the cool mold. Inside the mold there is a tube which will take on a specific shape as it inflates. With the liquid plastic still at a molten stage, they will then blow the air into the tube inside the mold, which will allow the liquid plastic to then take shape around the inside tube. Once the liquid plastic cools to form the mold, it can then be released to show the final outcome.
Compression Molding
Compression molding is one that the mold manufacturer will find to be the most arduous of all the molding processes due to the complexity involved in getting that final mold. Due to this issue, it is no surprise that this style of mold processing is only really done on a large scale basis, rather than the usual mass production process. For this mold to take place, the liquid, molten plastic is first poured into an initial mold, with a further mold then being pushed inside it in order to pressure the liquid plastic into the shape that you are going for. Again, as with all the rest, once it has cooled, it can be taken out to reveal your mold.
Rotation Molding
It is probably fair to say that Rotation Molding is the most recognised by those with no knowledge of the molding process, since many things you see in everyday life are produced using this mold process. For this mold process to take place, the liquid plastic is inject from the inside of the mold, with the two robotic arms spinning the mold at a consistent pace. As the mold is rotating, the liquid plastic begins to form a coating on the mold, which will then deliver the desired plastic mold you are creating.
What to Consider with Injection Molding
Injection molding is a process which many people will have heard of, with plenty more wanting to get involved in, but there are some things that you are going to want to take into consideration before you decide to turn your hand to injection molding and find a mold manufacturer for you. Here we are going to give you a rundown of some the things you might want to bear in mind.
Costing
Just the initial costing of initially getting involved in injection molding can be quite an expensive issue, so try to find a mold manufacturer who is going to give you the best possible price you can find, without doing a less than impressive job. They are out there, you just need to look around to find them.
Quantity
Once you have decided to go ahead with your journey into the world of injection molding, you will need to make sure that you know the exact amount of parts you are going to need, making sure to find the mold manufacturer with the best package deal which is going to be the most cost effective for you.
Design
When it comes to choosing injection molding, you really do need to make sure that you have designed your parts with the injection molding process in mind from the very beginning, in order to save yourself a lot of time and effort in the long run. If you have to start changing things later on, it is going to cost you more money too.
Time
Make sure that you plan everything from the very start, so that you make the most of the time it is going to take to complete. Just managing to cut out of few seconds of time here and there is going to make all the difference in how much you spend, not only in terms of money but also with time and effort..
Assembling
You can sometimes find that, if the part has not been designed in the perfect possible way, then assembling it at the end could become the most time consuming part, which in turn is going to cost you more money.
So there you have it. If you have been considering the possibility of venturing into the world of injection molding, then these are a few of the most important things that you are going to need to consider before you take that first step. Once you make sure you have everything in place, you will notice just how smooth it can all run.
