Custom Plastic Injection Molding
Get custom plastic parts within days. Request an online quote.
Сертификаты
ISO 9001:2015 | ITAR Registered | Critical to Quality Inspections
What is Plastic Injection Molding?
Injection molding is a manufacturing process that consists of filling a metal mold cavity with liquid plastic resin, which then cools and forms a plastic part.
It’s most often used for the manufacturing plastic parts at scale due to its low material waste and low cost per part. It’s an ideal manufacturing process for industries like medical devices, consumer products, and automotive.
Our plastic injection molding process produces custom prototypes and end-use production parts with lead times as fast as 1 day. We use aluminum molds that offer cost-efficient tooling and accelerated manufacturing cycles, and stock about 200 different thermoplastic resins.
Common applications for plastic injection molding:
- low-volume production
- bridge tooling
- pilot runs
- functional testing and prototyping
Plastic Molding Capabilities
Our basic guidelines for plastic injection molding include important design considerations to help improve part moldability, enhance cosmetic appearance, and reduce overall production time. View our design guidelines page for more details.
| US | Metric |
| SIZE | 18.9 in. x 29.6 in. x 8 in. | 480mm x 751mm x 203mm |
|---|---|---|
| VOLUME | 59 cu. in. | 966,837 cu. mm |
| DEPTH | 4 in. from parting line | 101mm from parting line |
| Up to 8 in. if parting line can pass through the middle of the part | Up to 203.2mm if the parting line can pass through the middle of the part | |
| PROJECTED MOLD AREA | 175 sq. in. | 112,903 sq. mm |
Tolerances: Typically, Mekalite can maintain a machining tolerance of +/- 0.003 in. (0.08mm) with an included resin tolerance that can be greater than but no less than +/- 0.002 in./in. (0.002mm/mm).
Thermoplastic Materials
We have wide selection of more than 100 thermoplastic and thermoset materials. And if you’re looking for alternative material options, check out our guide to resin substitutes for ABS, PC, PP, and other commonly molded plastics.
- ABS
- ABS/PC
- Ацеталь
- Acetal Homopolymer/Delrin
- ETPU
- ПНД
- LCP
- LDPE
- LLDPE
- Нейлон
- PBT
- PC/PBT
- PEEK
- PEI
- ПЭТ
- PETG
- PMMA (Acrylic, Plexiglas)
- Polycarbonate
- Полипропилен
- PPA
- PPE/PS
- PS
- PSU
- TPU
Surface Finish Options
Draft angle requirements will vary by requested finish. Industry standard Mold-Tech finishes are also available.
| FINISH | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| PM-F0 | non-cosmetic, finish to Protolabs’ discretion |
| PM-F1 | low-cosmetic, most toolmarks removed |
| PM-F2 | non-cosmetic, EDM permissible |
| SPI-C1 | 600 grit stone, 10-12 Ra |
| PM-T1 | SPI-C1 + light bead blast |
| PM-T2 | SPI-C1 + medium bead blast |
| SPI-B1 | 600 grit paper, 2-3 Ra |
| SPI-A2 | grade #2 diamond buff, 1-2 Ra |
Quality Inspections and Finishing Options for Custom Molded Parts
When requesting an injection molding quote, you can select from the following options based on your application’s specific needs:
Quality Inspections for On-Demand Manufacturing Orders
- Design for Manufacturability Feedback (DFM)
- Scientific Molding Process Development Report
- In-Process CMM Inspection and Machine Monitoring
- First Article Inspection (FAI) and Process Capability Report with GD&T
Post-Processing Options
- Mold Texturing (Mold Tech Surface Finishes)
- Threaded Inserts
- Pad Printing
- Laser Engraving
- Component Assembly
Feel free to customize your quote with these quality inspections and finishing options to ensure the best results for your project!
How Does Plastic Injection Molding Work?
The manufacturing process for molded parts is intricate and involves several key steps to ensure high-quality results. Before molding begins, we provide comprehensive manufacturability feedback and consultative design services to help you avoid common mold design pitfalls.
Once the design is finalized, our production process is meticulously documented and optimized through scientific molding techniques. This ensures that you receive consistent, high-quality parts with every production run.
Key Steps in the Process:
- Identifying Critical Dimensions: We focus on the critical-to-quality (CTQ) dimensions you specify, which helps us identify the most crucial areas for your part’s success.
- Molding Process Qualification: As parts are molded, we utilize automated inline CMM technology to qualify the process and samples. This generates a detailed First Article Inspection (FAI) and process capability study without adding extra lead time.
- Thermoplastic Injection Molding: Our standard process employs an aluminum mold that does not contain heating or cooling lines, which may result in longer cycle times. During molding, our team independently optimizes and monitors fill speed, hold pressure, and hold time, while also periodically inspecting the part’s quality and appearance.
- Injection and Ejection: Resin pellets are loaded into a barrel where they are melted, compressed, and injected into the mold’s runner system. The hot resin flows into the mold cavity through the gates, forming the part. Ejector pins then facilitate the removal of the part from the mold, allowing it to fall into a loading bin.
- Post-Production: Once the run is complete, the parts (including initial samples) are carefully boxed and shipped promptly.
This structured approach ensures that every aspect of the injection molding process is carefully monitored and optimized, resulting in high-quality molded parts tailored to your needs.
Get an online quote and injection molding design analysis today.