In simplistic terms moulding means pouring molten thermoplastic or
liquid resin into a mould, letting it cool or cure and taking it out. In modern
high production volume environments, the process is quite sophisticated and
complex. It is also expensive up front. You need to invest heavily in a high
tonnage automated moulding machine with a host of automatic features. The mould
cost can be quite high too depending on number of cavities, complexity of the
moulded part and its size and whether it is a hot runner or cold runner system.
Part and mould design also influence cost and performance of the moulded
component. This is one reason why companies choose to outsource plastic
moulding to specialists to get perfect components at reasonable prices and in
time.
Plastic Injection Moulding Services
such as Binashree have
the entire line necessary to produce high volume complex and precision parts at
low cost. The line includes 3D drafting equipments using sophisticated software
handled by experts. The drawing may be translated into prototypes using vacuum
casting to find imperfections and refine the design process. Once this is done
another line comes into play, translating the drawing to a mould for injection moulding. Manufacturing a
mould may take anything from a few weeks to a few months depending on the
complexity of the shape and number of desired cavities. This can be further
complicated if a hot runner is used since the mould will need to incorporate
appropriate heaters to ensure parts of higher quality, faster production and
reduced waste. Hot runner moulds tend to be more expensive. Another important
aspect to keep in mind is that moulding services match mould to machine on
which parts will be moulded. There can be no compromises on selection of
quality of steel that goes into making the mould to ensure right tolerances,
durability and the contraction/expansion rate. All these have to be carefully
considered and balanced. Errors could lead to making the mould useless or
expensive rework and delays. A company that uses components cannot afford
delays or errors that would result in defective parts.
Yet another factor that moulding service providers keep in mind
while designing moulds and the process is the thermoplastic polymer from which
parts are to be moulded. It influences mould design and parameters on the
machine. A good Brand Excels in injection moulding and has engineers for each
department, all pooling their knowledge to come up with perfect solutions the
first time.
Outsourcing moulding works to the buyer’s benefit. In most cases it
is arranged that the moulding provider bears the initial cost of the mould and
buys raw materials. He only charges for finished moulded components in which he
may add cost of the mould depending on quantity run. This represents a huge saving
for his client who can use the money elsewhere and to better advantage.
Finding skilled personnel is always a problem in the engineering
sector. Companies need not worry about finding specialists in 3D design of
components, mould design and machine control. They save on expensive wages too.
Raw material must be bought in bulk. They do not have to do it since the
service provider has it in stock or procures it at his cost. This is another
saving. The cumulative effect is nett savings and better grade components when
the service is outsourced.
