What is Precision Injection Mold Making?

What is Precision Injection Mold Making?

Not all injection mold making is precision injection mold making.  Some examples of products that do not require such precise molding would be toys, bottles, combs and other miscellaneous items that do not necessitate a stringent level of quality.  Products made for industries such as Automotive, Aerospace, and Government / Military and Ordnance will demand the expertise of a precision mold maker. 

Experience is Necessary

Precision mold makers must be familiar with meeting tight geometric tolerances, as narrow as +/- .001 of an inch.  Experience with the plastic injection molding process, especially tooling, is required for a molder to accurately meet rigid tolerances.  Some parts for the above mentioned industries are quite complex with several gates and cam action occurring in the mold.  Expertise in complex molds is required for precision work.

Technology

Automation is also a necessity to consistently meet meticulous requirements.  A process monitoring system is a software program with sensors attached to each press that monitors things such as the pressure, temperature, cycle time and shots molded.  The sensors work with a computer program to keep track of all molding information for each press, contains a scheduling module, and stores all pertinent information for each production run.  While molding, If any of the critical settings should falter out of an acceptable level, an alert system would sound and let the process technicians know to check the process and make any alterations before molding defective parts. 

Material Management

With so many different engineering resins to choose from, there are a number of different molding conditions that apply to specific situations.  Some materials are molded with water lines cooling the process, and yet other materials require a hot temperature that can only be reached with a hot oil. The hydrolysis (water content) of the material will also affect the molding process.  Some projects require a complete drying of the material to achieve optimal results. 

Controlled Environment

The molding environment must be controlled to maintain a consistent process. Temperature affects the molding process in several different ways, and the experienced precision injection molder knows how to maintain consistency with maintaining a controlled environment.

Quality Practices

Precision Injection Mold Making for demanding industries requires the company to follow necessary quality procedures.  Michiana Global Mold is registered to ISO9001:2015, providing assurance that your mold will meet required tolerances.  These quality standards dictate how a mold maker performs all day to day operations, not just the mold making process, and are enforced from top management down, practicing a stringent quality policy throughout the entire organization. 

By practicing quality control procedures such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), and Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Michiana Global Mold  provides customers with required data to support required specifications.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is performed for optimal efficiency and cost reduction initiatives are shared with customers. 

If your project requires precision injection mold making, consider partnering with Michiana Global Mold to add value to your supply chain.