The average weight of a stainless steel injection mold is seven hundred pounds. Some can weigh over a ton, some just a few hundred pounds, but any way you cut it, you certainly don’t want one to fall on your foot.
So how do you get this massive piece of metal to produce complex plastic parts? It’s all in the tooling. When using CNC EDM machines to create the base of mold cavitation, it is the work of the tool maker to refine the steel to exact specifications.
Precision work on the cavities is only part of the process. The tool must also include gating to allow for proper melt flow and vents to allow gas and air to escape. Without proper placement of these key features, parts will be subject to imperfections.
If you are working with a turnkey plastic injection molder, they will test the mold cavities to uncover any flaws in the tooling or the design. This is an important step because it can help save thousands of dollars in re-tooling costs.
Don’t let questions about plastic injection molding weigh you down. Get the answers you need by contacting Design-Tek Plastics today at 801-393-4400.