Maintain Molding Specs with Preventive Mold Maintenance

The cost of an injection mold is usually the largest part of an investment into a plastic molding process with the exception of the molding press itself.   Capital equipment requires maintenance, with a preventive maintenance plan typically in place for all equipment to keep machinery and equipment running at optimum performance levels and to avoid costly repairs.  

The injection mold itself is no different, operating at optimum performance when a regular preventive mold maintenance routine is performed.

Each injection mold is unique to a particular program, and may be either a cold or hot runner tool, with single or multi cavities.  Some injection molds run only a few times a year to produce a production run then store for a while before it is needed again, and some molds supporting high-volume requirements run continuously in the press.  

Performing preventive maintenance on these high-volume molds is critical to consistent part production within customer specification.  The material the used in the molding process has great impact on the steel mold.  A glass filled nylon, for example, will put a lot of wear and tear on the steel vs. a simple polypropylene material.

Take the time to determine at which cycle intervals your mold requires cleaning, and you will continue to produce high quality parts without mold breakdown.  Some preventive mold maintenance can actually be performed right there at the press, while other PM intervals require a full break-down and thorough mold cleaning.

Preventive maintenance is vital for mold performance, and to meet production requirements.  Take the time to determine the optimum mold maintenance regimen for your injection molds, and provide consistently molded parts within customer specifications.  

Michiana Global Mold is a a valuable supplier to the automotive industry, providing complex, precision molds with our ISO9001 Quality Management System.  Contact us today to learn about our rebate program and to how we can save you money on your injection mold requirements.  

Choose the Proper Gate Location in Injection Molds

The gate is the mechanism that allows the plastic resin to flow into the mold, and every plastic part design must take careful consideration of the type and the location of gates.  There are various styles of gating mechanisms typically used in injection molding, and each style will have an effect on the finished product.  The style of gating chosen can affect the visual appearance of the part, the likelihood of warping or sink marks, and proper packing to meet dimensional tolerances.

Avoid Defects from Gate Location

To avoid defects when processing, place your gate location at the heaviest cross section for maximum fill and packing to avoid sinks and voids.  Experienced mold designers will also know when to consider adding a second gate location, which may be necessary in complex geometrical shapes to obtain proper fill throughout the part.  

The location of the gate should allow for automatic or manual de-gating, designed with the minimal length of flow path to minimize visual flow marks.   In cold runner molds, the part is usually ejected attached to the runner and gate, de-gating removes the part from the runner system.  Some processes include automatic de-gating with robotic arms that grab the runner out of the mold separating it from the part or parts.  

Gates in Hot-Runner Tools

There are basically two types of gating systems used in hot-runner tools, where the plastic is injected directly into the cavity to avoid runners altogether.  In a hot-runner tool, the gate may be either a thermal (or hot-tip) gate, or a valve gate.  The hot-tip gate solidifies the resin at the tip nozzle immediately upon high pressure injection into the cavity, stopping the flow of plastic to the cavity.  

A valve gate is used when the plastic may not solidify completely upon injection, and therefore a valve slides over to cover the nozzle tip and stop the flow of resin.  Either type is effective and cost efficient when used properly in a hot-runner system mold.  

Michiana Global Mold is experienced with constructing cold and hot-runner tools, with various styles of gating mechanisms involved.  We are skilled with determining the optimum gate location for precision molds required to produce complex geometrical parts.

Michiana Global Mold has been exceeding customer expectation with high performing injection molds since 1964.  We have vast experience with all types of molds and mold base components. Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to speak with one of our knowledgeable design engineers.  

Plastic Part Design to Avoid Sink and Warp

Plastic injection mold designers must consider the resin chosen for the part manufacturing when designing the mold as this plays a very important role in meeting part specifications.  One characteristic of the plastic material that requires careful consideration is the cooling rate compared to the geometry of the part.

What is Sink

This plays an important role in the likelihood of parts developing sinks or warps, and can have significant consequences on successfully molding parts with consistent results.  The cooling rate is extremely important because as the part begins to cool it will always begin at the mold surface and move inward, toward the center.  If the geometry of the part is such that the part is too thick, the center area of the part will not solidify quickly enough.  This center stays molten long enough for it to cause stress on the area already solidified, pulling downward towards the center and leaving a sink mark on the outer surface.  

Avoid Sink in Plastic Parts with This Rule of Thumb

Ribs are used to add strength to plastic parts in thin wall or critical areas, but can also cause sink marks on the exterior side of the part.  When designing plastic parts to avoid sink marks, remember the basic rule to keep the thickness of the rib somewhere around 60% the thickness of the wall.  Following this rule of thumb should help to avoid sink marks during the cooling process.  

What is Warp

If a plastic part design includes areas of uneven wall thickness, stress can develop during the cooling and solidifying stage.  If this stress is excessive, warps will occur where thinner sections solidify faster than thicker sections.  

Avoid Warp in Plastic Part Design

When undue stresses due to transitions in wall thickness occur, plastic part designers can combat this by using a ramp.  Designers also use gussets in corners of some geometric areas to help prevent warping.  

Michiana Global Mold is an injection mold design and construction company with extensive experience in designing precision tools for complex injection molded parts.  Our skilled designers have vast knowledge of injection molding with various resins, and designing a mold to avoid common pitfalls in manufacturing.  Contact us today for a FREE design consultation and to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers.

Full Service Injection Mold Making Tool and Die Shop

For full service tooling and mold making solutions, Michiana Global Mold offers a wide range of mold making and tooling capabilities.   Our niche, and one area of expertise is constructing precision, custom injection molds for complex part production using quality North American or German Steel with modern equipment and technology.  We meet the tight tolerances and fast deadlines of the Automotive industry, and are a valuable part of many other industrial supply chains.  

Our services include much more than building new injection molds, however, and as a full-service Tool and Die Shop we can offer a wide range of comprehensive tooling services.

CNC / EDM and Wire EDM Machining

With the latest in modern equipment, Michiana Global Mold uses four Charmilles CNC EDM Machines, a Charmilles EDM HD20, a full line of Hansvedt EDM centers, and a 3R and Erowa Tooling Package.  Our journeyman mold makers are experienced in the latest CNC EDM and Wire EDM Machinery and Equipment offering efficient tooling services.  

Grinding

MG Mold has over a dozen Harig grinders alone, in 6 x 12 or 6 x 18 with Grind All attachments, 1 Reid, 2 Boyer, and 2 Proth and 1 Chevalier Hydraulic Surface Grinders.   We can grind any surface area of any product meeting the most demanding of tolerances.  

Milling

With more than 30 different Milling centers, we have the capacity to provide full service for even multi-tool programs with quick lead times.  Our full line of milling centers include 1 Hwacheon 20,000 RPM High Speed Mill, 2 Fanuc Robodrill 20,000 RPM, over a dozen Hurco CNC Machining and Milling centers, 11 Bridgeport Milling Machines and various other milling machines fill our large capacity production area.

Sampling and Inspection

Michiana Global Mold will sample your tool in the selected material, providing first shots to your specification prior to tool delivery.   We provide the highest of quality and inspection services

Engineering Changes and Tool Adaptations

For all tooling processes, including Engineering changes and tool adaptations call on your one stop, full service tool and mold shop, Michiana Global Mold.

Michiana Global Mold has been supplying high-performance tight tolerance precision injection molds since 1952!  Contact us today for a  FREE no-obligation design consultation for your next mold making or tooling project.  

Design Plastic Injection Molds to Press Specifications

A plastic injection mold designer must consider many factors when designing injection molds, including the press the mold will run in.  Knowing the press specifications is very important in order for the mold to operate properly, and most efficiently during injection molding production.  

Vertical Press Clamping System

The orientation of the clamping system is of course a very important consideration, as this determines whether the mold will open horizontally or vertically.  A vertical molding press is used in over-molding production, also called insert molding because the molten plastic is molded around an object.  An example would be an electrical wiring harness with plastic molded around a portion of it, clamps or even something like knives where the handle is molded around the metal.  

The insert in a vertical molding press can be either steel or even plastic.  A vertical press requires molds for the top and bottom, as a vertical molding press has a rotary table which holds at least two bottom (B) sides of the mold, while the top half (A) half comes down to close on the bottom half molding the part.  

There is usually one top half, and at least two or more bottom sides to the mold, so that when the A side is molding the part on the back of the table, another B side is in front of an operator or a robot loading an insert into the open mold.  Once molded, a robot or operator can unload the over-molded part from the mold, prior to loading new inserts into it.   Constructing molds for a vertical molding press is quite different than for a horizontal molding press, even though the concept is the same.  

Horizontal Molding Press

The most common type of injection molding operation is in a horizontal press, requiring an A side and B side, closing together on a horizontal plane to mold the parts.  When the horizontal mold opens for ejection, parts usually fall into a bin below or are grabbed by a robot and taken to an inspection area.  Most horizontal molding operations do not require an operator at the press, as the vertical over-molding jobs do without automated equipment.   

Horizontal molding presses are very efficient and non-labor intensive, with a top-quality high-performing injection mold, a horizontal molding operation can run for hours in a lights out environment.  

Regardless of whether the mold is for a vertical or horizontal press, the placement of water fittings and hoses is of the utmost importance in designing the tool.  The clamping pressure and press tonnage are also very relevant specifications, in order for the mold designer to calculate the pressure of the molding operation while also considering the material chosen and how it will flow into critical areas.  

Michiana Global Mold has decades of experience designing tools for various plastic injection molding environments, meeting tight tolerances with high performing, precision custom injection molds.  Download a FREE copy of our book “Design Considerations for Different Molds” for more information.

Michiana Global Mold has decades of experience designing and building precision custom injection molds for various industries. Contact us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers for a FREE design consultation on your mold building requirements.  We can custom design molds for your applications, regardless of your molding environment.

Industry Leading Innovative Mold Makers

It takes an in-depth knowledge of the mold making industry, along with experience and resources to provide top quality high performing injection molds that meet demanding customer expectations.  Michiana Global Mold excels at manufacturing complex, precision tooling required of demanding industries such as the Automotive industry.  We have the knowledge, the experience and the expertise in constructing high quality injection molds meeting tight tolerances within +/- .001”.

Michiana Global Mold is one of the leading injection mold makers in the industry, employing a highly skilled staff of journeyman mold makers and top mold designers with vast experience constructing high performing complex tooling.  We excel at the precision components that other mold makers might shy away from, leading the industry with high-tech mold making equipment combined with vast experience and knowledge.  Recently featured on the “World’s Greatest” television show for our innovative mold making services, we are a valued supplier to the Automotive industry, meeting and exceeding our customer requirements.  

With locations in the Midwest, USA, and an offshore molding facility in China, we can offer high quality tooling at the best available cost to you.  Both of our locations are registered to ISO9001, adhering to our strict quality policy while performing continual improvement activities.  Total customer satisfaction is our number one goal.  

When you are searching for a new supplier for your injection molded needs, let Michiana Global Mold show you how we can assist with your procured mold making costs.  We more than 50 years of experience satisfying the stringent requirements of demanding industries with even the most challenging of injection mold designs.  

We are experienced with specialized CAM action, complicated ejector system and lifters, and will accommodate tooling to your molding environment and custom mounting systems for your presses.   Established in 1964, we have the expertise, the knowledge and resources to provide the best value with high quality and high performance tooling, at the lowest available cost to you.  

Contact Michiana Global Mold today to speak with one of our expert design engineers about a FREE design consultation, discounts and rebates on multi-tool projects.  We are one of the leading injection mold makers in the industry, providing complex precision tooling within your specifications, and on time.    

Injection Mold Making Technology

Injection molding is the mass producing of plastic parts with a steel mold, an injection mold, designed with cavities to mold the desired part.  Injection molding uses thermoplastic resins, also called polymers, typically in a raw pellet form, that melt and flow into the cavities in the mold, forming the part, then it is ejected once it hardens.  The time that it takes for the mold to close, plastic to flow into the mold, the polymer to set and eject upon mold opening is called the cycle time.  Injection molders are always looking for ways to increase the cycle time, as time is money and when you can mold a part faster, you can mold more per hour, per day and per week.  

A skilled injections mold maker will have the knowledge to design the mold with the most appropriate attributes to reap the best cycle time while still delivering the desired part to the customer specification.  Michiana Global Mold is accustomed to constructing complex, precision injection molds within +/- .001”, which is about the thickness of a human hair.  

Injection Mold Making Equipment

Injection mold makers are well familiar with the precision equipment used to carve out steel cavities, forming a perfect plastic part.   Computer aided design, and computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) equipment is a key tool for designing a perfect tool.  The designers at Michiana Global Mold use Unigraphics CAD/CAM software to design the mold fit for producing a desired part.  This alerts the mold maker and the injection molder to any critical areas such as thin walls or a critical dimensional tolerance that must be met, prior to cutting steel.  

Milling machines, conventional EDM and wire EDM machines are a necessary tool, along with high speed CNC machines, drill presses and grinders.   Michiana Global mold, located in Mishawaka, Indiana with an offshore mold making facility in China, utilizes all of these mold making equipment tools, and more.  We have over 50 years of experience constructing complex tooling for demanding industries such as the Automotive industry where 0 ppm (parts per million) defects is the norm.  The key to a quality plastic injection molded part, is a quality injection mold.  

No one understands this better than Michiana Global Mold, your one stop shop for mold making and tooling services.  We do everything from constructing insert cavities and prototypes to full service high volume precision production tools.

Michiana Global Mold is Registered to ISO9001:2015, delivering custom injection molds to a wide array of industries demanding high volume long lasting performance with the best available pricing.  We offer rebates on multi-tool programs and discounts with offshore molding options.

Contact us today for a FREE design consultation, and to see how Michiana Global will provide value added services in your supply chain.

How is a Shuttle Mold Used?

A Shuttle mold is a mold system with one A side, and multiple B sides.  This is used in a vertical clamping press, as opposed to a horizontal clamping press.  A vertical clamping press is used for over molding, also referred to as insert molding.

Insert molding occurs when plastic is molded around an object such as a metal or even another plastic insert.  A shuttle mold system is used on a rotary table press so that there are two, three or sometimes four bottom sides, rotating around on the table allowing an operator or a robot to place the insert into the cavity in the mold.  When the bottom side spins around, the top half of the mold will come down vertically clamping onto the B side to mold plastic around the insert.  

This system can be labor intensive requiring an operator to load inserts, and unload molded product, unless the job is set up with automatic robots for this purpose.  This is different than most horizontal molding processes in which the there is one A and B side of the mold, sliding on a horizontal plane, coming together for the injection molding process, then the parts are automatically ejected with an ejector system falling into a desired location, usually a bin or box underneath the mold.  

Most horizontal injection molding jobs are fully automatic once the mold is set in the press, some can even run in a lights-out situation if automated auxiliary equipment is established.  A vertical molding press with a shuttle mold system typically employs an operator, although they can also be automated.  

Some examples of insert molding would be electrical wire harnesses that are partially encased in plastic, or even knives or silverware that have plastic molded around a metal object.   Shuttle molds are used in plastic injection molding for various industries including Electronics, Consumer Goods, Automotive, Aerospace and Military / Defense industries.  

Michiana Global Mold has experience constructing precision shuttle molds, and virtually any other type of plastic injection mold base used in various industries.  We are a valuable supplier to the Automotive industry with complex tools meeting tight geometrical dimensional specifications.  Contact Michiana Global Mold today, and ISO9001:2015 Registered mold maker.  

Mold Maker for Consumer Products

Consumer products is a very broad industry, encompassing everything from appliances, electronic components, household goods and toys to more complex products used in automotive and aerospace functions.  No matter the purpose, all injection molded consumer products must first begin with a quality built injection mold produced with quality steel.  

As design engineers are aware, a quality part begins with a quality tool.  When designing a critical consumer product, involving an experienced mold builder early in the design phase of your project can reap big benefits in time saved developing superior products.  An experienced mold designer can utilize CAD/CAM software and simulation designs alerting a product development engineer of critical areas that may succumb to underfill or breakage.  

Michiana Global Mold is experienced with manufacturing precision tools for numerous consumer product applications including electronics, high end business furniture, skylight frames, appliance parts and assemblies and critical automotive parts.   We have vast experience producing plastic and rubber molds of any variation including:

• Cold Runner Molds
• Hot Runner Molds
• Insert Molds
• Collapsible Core Molds
• Unscrewing Molds
• Stack Molds
• Shuttle Molds
• High-volume Production Molds
• Prototype Molds

Our skilled and experienced staff include expert designers with decades of experience designing complex, precision tools utilizing the latest in technological advancements with Unigraphics software, and mold flow analysis when required.   Our journeyman mold makers contribute to our more than 600 years of combined experience providing you with expert mold construction no matter the type or complexity of the tool.

We can provide you with early design consultation, expert mold construction and product sampling.  Tool status reports are provided upon request keeping your project on schedule.  Michiana Global Mold is a valuable addition to any supply chain, providing high performance, quality tools on time, and to your specification.

Michiana Global Mold has been producing high performance plastic and rubber molds used in a multitude of industries including consumer products, electronics and automotive since 1964. Contact us today to learn about our multi-tool discount and for a free design consultation.  

Benefits of an ISO Registered Mold Shop

There are several benefits to having an ISO Registered mold shop for construction of plastic injection molds.  Injection mold suppliers today are expected to meet tight tolerances, and even tighter deadlines.  With just-in-time delivery, this leaves no room for error.  

Plastic injection mold suppliers must follow a detailed checklist to ensure that all issues are addressed ahead of time, prior to cutting steel.  When Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) is performed, critical issues are brought to light prior to mold construction, thus ensuring a quality job the first time.

In addition to APQP, ISO Registered injection mold suppliers must consider all inputs into their process, and evaluate their effectiveness of reaching the process goals.  All goals should have quantifiable measurable data, and those goals must be audited internally and externally.  

Any deviations from the course of satisfactorily attaining your goals are required to be explored with corrective actions, or an 8D response.  These requirements ensure that all processes are meticulously followed, resulting in a consistent process, which is required for consistent quality product.  

Many injection molders are required to be registered to ISO standards, especially when supplying industries that require a high level of consistent quality product output.  When injection molders supply the automotive industry with precision components, they must rely on a top-notch, quality driven mold construction shop.  

This is where an ISO Registered mold maker will add value to your supply chain as already having went through the rigid requirements of documenting and auditing their processes.  An ISO Registered mold maker will know exactly what is required in order to satisfy the rigid requirements of top of the tier automotive suppliers such as Ford, GM, Toyota and Honda. To learn more about the Benefits of an ISO Registered mold making shop see our recent Blog on the Benefits of ISO Registration.

When adding an ISO Registered mold maker to your supply chain you are bringing value beyond their ISO certification.  In ISO Registered mold maker is already following detailed checklists, and ensuring quality procedures are in place.  When you need documentation for your customers ensuring the level of quality of your product, and your processes, adding an ISO registered mold maker brings the most value.  

Michiana  Global  Mold  is  Registered  to  ISO  9001:2015,  implementing  our  Quality  Policy throughout  the  organization  with  top  down  management  involvement.   We  are a top-quality,  custom  precision  injection  mold company serving various industries  for  over  52  years.   Contact  us  today  to  see how we can assist you with your injection mold building needs.

Injection Mold Designs for Various Molding Environments

When designing plastic injection molds, there are several factors to take into consideration including the molding environment in which the tool will run.  Of the utmost importance in mold design is the injection molding press specified for the production operation.  

Some presses have either a vertical or horizontal clamping system.  A vertical clamping system is typically used for shuttle molds, also referred to as insert molds, and is used for molding plastic around an insert usually made of plastic or steel.  The clamping system will open, allowing an operator to place an insert in the bottom half of the mold, prior to closing allowing plastic to flow around the insert.  This process is used to put a plastic or rubber like coating around an object such as knives for example, or electrical wiring harnesses requiring a housing to fit around a wire assembly.  Shuttle molds for vertical clamping presses will have at least two bottom (B) halves so that the molding is occurring on one side of the press while an operator is loading inserts on the open side.  This allows for maximum production even when an operator is required.

The typical injection mold will have a horizontal clamping system, opening on a horizontal plane and allowing parts to fall below into a bin or straight onto a conveyor belt when ejected.  Some horizontal molding operations are fully automatic and do not require an operator, once the mold is set in the press and proper parameters are set.  This is a very efficient method of molding, and several molders utilize this type of operation in a lights out automatic environment.  This, of course, requires a quality crafted precision tool to ensure a consistent molding process.  

The placement of water fitting and hoses is also of equal importance, as these lines cannot be in the way of the mold operating in the press.  The tonnage and clamping pressure of the press is needed when designing the mold, and the barrel capacity is required to ensure production requirements can be met.  Download a FREE copy of our book “Design Considerations for Different Molds” for more information.

Michiana Global Mold has over 500 years of combined experience designing and building precision custom molds for various industries. Contact us today to speak with one of our knowledgeable engineers for a free quotation on your mold building requirements.  We can custom design molds for your applications, regardless of your molding environment.

Cost Saving Options for Prototype Tools

The Value of a Prototype Mold

Constructing a prototype mold for testing purposes can save you money by perfecting your part design prior to building a production injection mold.    A prototype mold is the only type of mold that can be constructed of aluminum because is not intended for supporting any long term production requirements.  A prototype mold is a good way for an engineer to see exactly how their new part will function in a real-life scenario, without the expenditure for a standard steel production mold.   A prototype mold can cost considerably less than a Standard Mold, in some cases thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, while providing the benefit of developing your product to perform exactly as intended. 

Some other economical options for injection mold construction would be a MUD Unit, or what one if the project is certain but tiny details are still in question, you may want to build a standard mold with a prototype cavity, develop only one of a multi-cavity tool to perfect the part before constructing the remaining cavities. 

Versatility of MUD Units

A MUD (Master Unit Die) Unit refers to a universal steel frame that fits into a press, allowing for an insert mold to slide in or out for quick changeovers.   A MUD unit frame is extremely valuable for production runs that require just in time delivery, when the volume requirements do not dictate a standard mold expenditure.  The ability to quickly switch out insert molds reduces machine down time and labor costs.   Some molders prefer to use MUD units on jobs that run in the same material, allowing for smooth set up and production runs.   This is an economical option that many molders can offer to their customers. 

Standard Injection Molds

A typical standard injection mold is used in a horizontal clamping press, with two halves, an A & B side, that move together to form the desired production part(s) inside the closed mold.  A standard mold will have either one or multiple cavities, the carved out area with specific precision geometrical shapes prepared to mold the desired part.  In some cases, an engineer may be certain of needing an 8-cavity standard mold for high volume part production, but may want to perfect the design prior to constructing all cavities.

 

Michiana Global Mold has vast experience constructing prototype tools, insert tools for MUD units, and prototype cavities in multi-cavity tools.  Michiana Global Mold has been a superior supplier of high quality plastic injection molds for various industries including automotive, consumer electronics, medical and defense, for over 50 years.    We are an ISO9001:2015 Registered mold builder, maintaining high customer satisfaction through continual product and process improvement.