Precision mold

Inox – Your Reliable Precision Mold Manufacturer and Supplier

For your precision mold needs, InoxCast can support you with that. We offer comprehensive Precision Mold services that can satisfy your needs and project.

Inox Precision Mold process is beneficial due to its economically more viable. It is ideal for large production of products. This allows for production in any design or shapes you required.

Inox cast provides Inox Precision Mold to a broad range of industries including data/telecommunication, food, and beverage, including medical, electronics, aerospace, irrigation, commercial building products, etc. All products are totally ROHS compliant.

We provide precision plastic mold, precision connector mold parts, precision stamping mold parts, precision grinding parts, etc. As a reliable supplier, we have also the ability to produce precision mold parts depending on your specifications. Just let InoxCast know your requirements and we are so willing to help you boom your business.

As a professional manufacturer with rich knowledge in this industry, we specialize in high volume, precision plastic components utilizing the latest manufacturing machines, scientific molding techniques, and ISO9001:2008 and TS 16949 quality management systems.

All Inox Precision Mold parts undergo quality inspection and testing before shipping. Every process provided by InoxCast from selecting your product to sales service is carefully monitored and controlled to ensure maximum customer satisfaction and stable product quality.

Additionally, we offer our customers a one-stop-shop solution to all of their manufacturing needs, including design, tooling, decoration, engineering, production, assembly, packaging, and logistics.

We are fully equipped with CNC processing centers, 40 sets of CNC machines, hot and cold chamber machines, and many more.

Whether you`re a factory, company, or supplier, InoxCast is your single-source provider of Precision Mold. You can receive the high-quality Precision Mold offer at a cost-effective rate.

Inox precision mold parts performance deliver:

• Highly precise
• Offer strength and toughness
• Corrosion resistance
• Resistance to cold and heat fatigue
• High tempering stability
• High-temperature performance
• Have perfect surface finishing
• Machining to exact standards
• Maintains perfectly built precision parts
• Efficient and effective cooling system
• High-volume quality of mold designs

Here in Inox, you can find quality precision molds that are built to last years. It will be a great investment for your factory and deliver more impact for your company.

For more information about Inox precision mold, let InoxCast hear from you. Message us now!

Precision Mold: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

I know you are probably wondering what precision mold.

A reason this guide will answer all your questions on precision mold.

Take a look.

What Is A Precision Mold?

A precision mold allows you to conduct a molding process on silicone or plastic with extreme precision and tolerance.

This helps you to maintain repeatability during extended machine runs.

Designing a precision mold is costly and complex, finding use often for part rather than whole product manufacture.

precision mold

What Differentiates Precision Mold From Others?

A precision mold departs from others for its highly technological procedures that facilitate accurate and complex product features.

Some of the outstanding elements of the precision mold are:

• Dimensions of the runner.
• Engineering design.
• General precision mold’s dimensional tolerance.
• Material selection accuracy.
• Parting surface precision.
• Precision mold material such as steel alloys with high mechanical strength.
• The bottom and supporting plates, as well as cavity wall thicknesses.
• The cavity is in a highly accurate location.
• The mold design’s cavities count.
• The size of the mold cavity is precise.

Why Should You Employ Precision Mold?

The advancement of technology calls for increased procedures sophistication in the molding of plastic into specialized forms for various industries.

Employing a precision mold is necessary for the following reasons:

• The procedure is novel and significantly improved solution to the optic challenges that arise in contract manufacturing.
• The traditional injection mold is ineffective for creating optical parts for a variety of high-precision devices. Instead a precision mold tailors the procedure to your specific product requirements.
• Using a precision mold is cost-effective when you employ it for large scale production.
• When using the precision mold, you have a shorter cycle time hence suitable for mass manufacture.
• You have high-precision molds with numerous unique edges alongside integrated optical and mechanical functionality.

What Should You Consider When Designing A Precision Mold?

A precision mold offers you the benefit of ease with which you create complex geometries.

When designing a precision mold, you should consider the following:

• Ensure you round all the edges making them smooth to influence positive flow of material.
• Include draft angles to your design especially for vertical walls, failure to which you’ll have surface drag marks.
• Maintain a consistent wall thickness devoid of thick sections. Non-uniform walls can cause the part to warp upon cooling of the material.
• Make hollows in thick areas as they are prone to warping and sinking.
• Transitions should be fluid especially where you cannot avoid differing wall thicknesses by use of a chamfer or fillet.

Can You Automate Operation Of A Precision Mold?

Yes, you cam.

You can easily automate functions with a precision mold using a computerized system for function control.

The precision mold can undertake various functions such as injection, molding, testing, and packaging via computer programming.

What Are The Areas Of Concern With A Precision Mold?

When handling a precision mold, you find the following areas of concern:

Materials

The materials you employ in a precision mold should have a low rate of shrinkage of about +/-.002. Plastic shrinkage can occur during the process resulting in product damage where the shrinkage capacity is high.

You find ABS material preferred thus as it has a lower shrinkage rate compared to the more common polyethylene.

The shrinkage range of polyethylene is between +/-.014′′ to +/-.022 while that of ABS is much lower at +/-.006.

While still a little higher, adding glass or another resin to the plastic helps achieve this shrinkage capability.

The exterior substance holds the plastic polymer in position absorbing excess heat and resulting in less shrinking.

Technique

When using a precision mold, you form and attach each product piece in the same way. For product accuracy, the product has to match the mold design exactly.

Additionally, the precision molding process should be undertaken patiently and meticulously.

Tolerance

You undertake precision molding on a part rather than whole product structure where tight tolerance is desirable.

Tight tolerance requires strict adherence to the product’s specifications to prevent damage in latter stages.

precision mold

How Do You Select A Precision Mold?

When selecting a precision mold, you consider several factors including ensuring it is high pressure.   High-pressure equipment aids in the improvement of the plastic parts’ precision and quality.

Additionally, using a high-pressure precision mold over 390 MPa lowers shrinkage factor to zero while greatly boosting mechanical strength.

More so, as the maximum injection pressure increases, the injection rate’s efficiency improves.

Precision molds should also have the capacity to control a product’s repeatability and accuracy. You find the following primary structural characteristics of precision molds:

• Clamping system stiffness is between 0.05 and 0.08mm for both moving and fixed templates.
• Parts tolerances in terms of dimensions.
• Open and closing of the die (Speed).
• Plasticizing components, such as the screw and head, barrel, check ring, and so on.

Where Do You Employ Precision Mold?

You employ a precision mold where you desire many products with extremely precise features.

You can make several items from precision molding such as durable and cheaper glass-free lenses from contract manufacturing.

Using optic lenses fashioned from plastic has rang changes in the sector, given the delicate and costly nature glass lenses.

With precision molding, you can undertake mass production of spherical lenses of high-quality, freeform or aspheric.

What Process Cycles Do You Undertake In Precision Mold?

The process cycles when using a precision mold are as follows:

Clamping

The clamping unit allows you to close the mold parts before commencing the process.

As the clamping mechanism presses the halves together, you inject the material. Where you have massive machines, the clamping process takes longer.

Injection

You deliver the plastic pellets into the precision mold via a hopper before an injection unit propels these pellets.

The pellets melt under the heat and pressure in the barrel while a hydraulic system determines the injection rate and maximum pressure.

Cooling

Upon contact with the internal mold, the plastic commences cooling before solidifying in the appropriate shape.

A little shrinkage can occur during cooling.

You only attempt to open the mold after the cooling process.

You can determine the cooling time by tabulations employing the part’s wall thickness and the plastic’s thermodynamic parameters.

Ejection

Ejection is typically the final stage which employs an ejection system that pushes the part out when the mold opens.

You require some force here since the part typically adheres to the mold.

What Are Some Of The Materials You Employ In A Precision Mold?

You can employ a variety of polymers with the precision mold so long as they have the necessary shrinkage properties.

You can do this by reinforcing these materials with fibers, minerals, chemicals or rubber particles.

Therefore, you find many thermoplastics, thermosets and liquid silicones appropriate for use with precision mold.

These materials include:

• ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
• Polystyrene (PS)
• Polyurethane (PU)
• Silicone Rubber
• Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)

Can You Employ Surface Finishes To Precision Mold?

Applying a surface finish to a precision mold can provide the molded component specific physical qualities.

Using surface treatments can serve technical as well as cosmetic purposes.

Having a high-gloss precision mold finish doesn’t necessarily mean having a high-gloss finished product. You find other elements such as the type of plastic resin and the molding conditions will influence appearance.

What Are The Cost Drivers Of Precision Mold?

A precision mold will typically cost you more than a conventional injection mold due to the attached precision and accuracy need.

Furthermore, the volume of production will also influence the overall cost.

You find the following cost drivers with regard to a precision mold:

• Tooling Costs which depend on the overall design cost and machining.
• Material Costs based on the material amount you employ and weight price.
• Production Cost influenced by overall running time.

What Are The Main Parts Of A Precision Mold?

You find three primary components of a precision mold as follows:

• Injection Unit: You shoot the plastic material here before subjecting it to high melting temperatures.

The injection unit features three parts: the hopper, barrel and reciprocating screw.

• Mold: You employ a CNC machine to furnish the mold from stainless steel or aluminum to the desired specifications.

A precision mold includes other elements, such as runner system (promote material flow) and internal water cooling channels (aid part cooling).

• Clamping Unit: Serves two purposes: hold the mold halves tightly during injection, and release the part upon completion of the process.

What Is The Runner System Of Precision Mold?

The runner system is the path that directs molten plastic into the mold chamber.

It regulates the flow and pressure of the molten plastic during injection, as well as its removal following ejection.

Runner system

You find the runner system features three sections:

• The sprue: The primary conduit through which all melted plastic flows when entering the mold.
• The runner: Forms a connection between the spur and gates, spreading molten plastic along the surface of interaction of the mold parts.
• The gate: Is the material’s entry point into the mold chamber whose geometry and position influence the plastic flow.

What Clamping Systems Can You Employ In A Precision Mold?

The clamping system maintains the mold closed against the pressures created during material injection. As a result, the clamp force should equal or exceed that of injection.

You find a direct relationship between the clamping force and machine size. Regulation of clamping forces is necessary to ensure it’s neither too small nor too large.

You find two categories of clamping systems:

• Hydraulics Clamp: You can adjust the clamp pressure across a wide force range thus reducing the energy consumed.
• Toggle Clamps: Very hard to force open the mold once you lock the toggle mechanism in place, even if injection pressures are in excess.

What Are The Advantages And Limitations Of Using A Precision Mold?

You find several benefits in employing a precision mold as follows:

• High output due to the quick molding process and dependent on the mold size and complexity.
• The visual appeal of precision molded products is excellent and they require no further additional finishing.
• Tolerances and reproducibility are excellent when using a precision mold over several thousands of cycles.
• Various material options are available for use including thermoplastics, thermoset polymers and silicone.
• You can produce plastics in large quantities at relatively low costs and to high standards.

However, you encounter a few drawbacks with a precision mold:

• The initial tooling costs of a precision mold are high given the main attribute of achieving highly precise and accurate features.
• Making any changes in the design of a precision mold is costly as it entails mold production afresh.
• The lead times of a precision mold are long compared to other technologies taking weeks to fulfil and longer with revisions.

What Common Injection Molding Defects Do You Avoid By Employing Precision Mold?

The majority of molding flaws stem from irregular cooling rate of the molten material during solidification.

However, precision mold design is such that the process is under meticulous control eliminating the occurrence of defects such as:

• Drag Marks: When the mold is under pressure during shrinkage, the walls slip and scrape against it causing drag marks.
• Short Shots: When air gets caught in the mold, it might prevent the material from flowing freely during injection, resulting in an unfinished product.
• Sink Marks: Are small indentations on flat surfaces that appear when a part’s interior solidifies faster its surface.
• Warping: When specific areas of a part cool faster than others resulting in internal tensions that cause the part to bend permanently.

How Do You Eliminate Undercuts In Precision Mold?

Undercuts increase the mold’s cost, difficulty, and maintenance needs. However, you can remove undercuts by employing a savvy redesign.

Some suggestions for addressing undercuts include:

• Employ cores and sliding side-actions where undertaking a redesign is impractical.

You insert side actions in molds where they enter and exit during mold opening and closing.

• Use shutoffs to cope with undercuts usually on the part’s internal regions or sides.
• Reposition the parting line by intersecting it with the undercut, especially those on the external surface.

How Do You Add Fasteners To Your Precision Molded Part?

You can add fasteners to your precision mold item in one of three ways.

You can directly design a thread on it, add a boss where you can fasten the screw, or include an insert with threads.

Designing a thread on the part directly is feasible but with the danger of creating undercuts with the thread’s teeth.

This formation only serves to increase the cost of the mold and its detailing.

Bosses are a common sight for parts from precision molds finding use as attachment or assembly points. Bosses encompass tubular extensions featuring holes for screws, inserts with threads, and other fastening and assembly pieces.

You can also employ inserts with threads to enhance your precision molded product.

These pieces feature a robust hole with threads for machine screws and other fasteners. Inserts have the advantage of allowing for several assembly and disassembly cycles.

Can You Employ Snap-Fit Joints In Precision Mold Parts?

Snap-fit joints are an inexpensive and less sophisticated technique of joining part pairings less the need for fasteners and special equipment.

You can design these joints in a broad variety of ways according to specific guidelines.

You note that a snap-fit joint’s deflection is down to its length and the maximum force applicable to its width.

snap fit joint

This is because you define its thickness as similar to that of the part’s wall.

When designing snap-fit joints, ensure you include a draft angle for the joint’s vertical walls. Furthermore, these joints should be up to five times thicker than the wall.

Also, make width and length adjustments capable of controlling deflection and allowable force.

What Is The Relevance Of Living Hinges In Precision Molded Parts?

Living hinges are thin plastic portions that link two segments of a product, allowing flexibility and bending.

When you properly design a living hinge, it can withstand about a million rotations before needing replacement.

Flexibility of a living hinge’s molding material is paramount.

You can employ, for consumer applications, polypropylene and polyethylene whereas Nylon is a good alternative for engineering applications.

living hinges

You can reduce tensions and increase material flow by providing encompassing a fillets and shoulders design with even wall thickness.

Obtain more life from hinges extending over fifteen centimeters by cutting them in half or more.

How Can You Add Letters And Symbols In Your Precision Molded Part?

Where you need to apply warnings, logos and labels, texts are a popular choice over painting labels and applying stick-ons.

Embossing text rather than engraving text is common since you can machine it on the mold surface costing less.

Reading the text is easier when you raise the text from the surface. Common font characteristics are round and bold, with an even thickness of size 20 or larger.

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