Plastic Injection Molding & Mold Making: Demystifying 4 Common Myths

One of the most cost-effective and efficient processes to mass-manufacture various kinds of plastic parts can be ensured by exacting tolerances in a short period of time. However, the first step is to use injection molding techniques to create molds. This part of the process is usually plagued with different kinds of misconceptions and myths.

Listed below are 4 common types of myths about injection molding and mold making.

1. Any Shape is Moldable

There is a huge misconception that plastics of any shape can be easily molded. Most of the designs need to be first modified if they cannot be molded to 90% of the original design.

The needed perfection usually depends upon the balance of the channels and melt flow through which heat is exchanged. If the plastic does not freeze uniformly, the mold will end up becoming useless for all its purposes and intentions.

2. Not Meant for Prototyping

When it comes to prototyping, plastic injection molding there is a misconception about it not being suitable. This could not be farther from the truth. Injection molding techniques provide cost-effective solutions for manufacturing samples that resemble the original product. It can even design high-quality prototypes at a faster rate than any other option and it can do so accurately.

3. Mold Making Produces Tons of Scrap

This statement is false. Injection molding and mold making are known to produce minimal amounts of waste compared to traditional manufacturing processes. Other less advanced processes can eat away a significant chunk of the original plastic block, thereby generating more scrap.

Four areas of the injection molding machine are responsible for minimal amounts of plastic waste. They are – runners, gate locations, cavity, and sprue.

4. Only Injection Molding Parameters can Solve Quality Issues

This myth is not true. Injection molding is not the only way. Other ways can rectify molding processes as well. For instance, constraints such as sink marks, dimensional inaccuracies, shrinkage, and warpage can be taken care of by mold designs.

However, it is crucial to use the effective part and mold designs while setting the injection molding parameters. It is therefore safe to say that the end product’s quality can be largely determined before production begins.

Final thoughts

We hope this article has brought forth some common molding myths to light. By using reliable injection molding machinery and finding reliable programmers, one can easily optimize their manufacturing process and boost the production of plastic parts.