Whether it is sports, medical services, or plastic molding every industry has its jargon. And if you are new to plastic molding or manufacturing it helps to know what each of these words means and how they relate to the manufacturing process. Even if you do not have much connection to custom injection molding, if your company relies on plastic parts, understanding these core concepts will help you communicate.
Resin
Resin is the core component of all plastic parts. Resin is the material that is shaped and molded into a plastic part. There are literally hundreds of different engineering resins on the market that have different features and prices. Working with a plastic manufacturer, you will be able to get recommendations on what resins are best for your part’s needs and budget.
Mold & Mold Cavity
Molds are often made from stainless steel and they have resin injected into them to form the plastic part. Molds are most commonly used for mass production of a plastic part, and once a mold design is settled on it can be used over and over again. Custom molds can be expensive which is why it is important to settle on a design before developing molds. Mold cavities refer to the hole in the mold that is used to shape the plastic parts. Parts with more intricate designs need more mold cavities which makes molds more expensive. Experienced plastic manufacturers will work to maximize your mold design to get the shape and detail that your design needs with optimized mold intricacy.
Family Molds
A family mold is a single mold that can be used to create different parts. A family mold consists of one large piece of stainless steel with multiple individual mold cavities. In theory, a family mold is designed to save money. Instead of one mold for each part, a family mold can be used to multiple parts. However, family molds will sacrifice quality which is why not every manufacturer recommends them.
Flash or Burrs
Flash or burrs are imperfections on a plastic part that appears as thin protrusions. This is caused when excess resin escapes a mold cavity. This could happen because of too much injection speed or pressure, which has an easy solution. However, most commonly flash is caused by poorly designed or degraded molds that no longer work. The best solution is retooling or redesign.
Wall Thickness
A mold’s wall thickness has a significant impact on the cost. Generally the thinner walls a mold has the less money a mold will cost to build. Uniform wall thickness is also preferred because it allows for the resin to flow easier and increase the quality of a product.
Questions About Plastic Molding?
If you have questions about plastic molding. Contact Lee Plastics Inc. We would be happy to discuss our process in greater detail.