For businesses involved in the manufacturing sector to survive and thrive, many depend on plastic injection molding to produce large numbers of components in bulk. The company can apply the techniques of mass production to generate the same part up to a million times or more in rapid succession. In reality, the companies that have to mass-produce a component consistently are usually under great pressure to create the right engineering designs, maintain innovation and creativity, and achieve success within a short period.
Plastic injection molding can drive the costs of production to drastically low levels, always a win for the business. In essence, the more components that are mass-produced using injection molding, the cheaper it is to produce them in the long run. For the discerning business, the quality of the injection molding products depends on the company the business chooses to partner with.
What to look out for in plastic injection molding
Every procedure in the world of mass manufacturing has its pros and cons. Injection molding is no different. The drawbacks of the process include:
- High initial costs
The initial price of injection molding tends to be high because the sample parts need to be designed, tested, and tooled. You cannot afford to make a mistake in the first time design of the component.
- It is hard to make changes to initial component designs
You should know that the parts are initially made out of steel or aluminum, and it will be hard to make rapid changes. The piece has to be designed and produced first, using CNC machining or 3D printing. Afterward, a mold tool has to be prototyped to mass-produce the component.
- It is not easy to maintain uniform wall thickness during injection molding
This is a necessary task to eliminate inconsistencies after the cooling process, which can result in sink marks. A thicker wall means using more material, which conversely means longer cycle times and higher costs for each component produced.
- It is difficult to produce huge components as a single unit via injection molding
This results from the limitations in the size of the mold tools and injection mold devices.
How to pick the right injection molding company
- The volume of production, and capacity
As a business, you should know the number of your production requirements, as well as the size of the components needed. Each company specializes in different injection molding capacities. The low-volume companies can efficiently and quickly deliver 10,000 parts or less, eg. Medical devices, agricultural parts, etc. Moderate volume companies are good for producing testing components.
- Design team
The company with the best injection molding design team will always put your business ahead of the competition. The design stage determines whether the project will be both time and cost-efficient.
- Material selection and application
The right injection molding company should be able to advise you on the selection of appropriate materials and resins for each stage of component production based on your needs and budget.
- Available technology
The injection molding company should posess sufficient experience and technical ability to produce your components.
Conclusion
Injection molding companies compete for clients. As such, businesses need to pick the right company to work with to get their components delivered on time, in the right quantity, and the correct specifications. Consider the company’s experience, material selection skills, design teams, and range of available technology before you select a partner.