A skilled team of design engineers will be able to brainstorm,
design, and improve upon a variety of solutions to meet the
particular complexities of a specific project. The design team at
Creative Mechanisms has combined decades of experience creating
elegant solutions to complex problems. Meet some of our team here,
here, or here, or visit our Customer Testimonials page to see what
previous and current clients have to say about our product design
capabilities. We think you’ll be impressed.
After a looks-like, feels-like design has been tested and slated
for further production, the mold (or die) needs to be designed for
injection mold manufacturing. Molds are commonly made from these
types of metals:
Hardened steel: Typically the most expensive material to use for a
mold, and generally the longest-lasting (which can drive down price
per unit). This makes hardened steel a good material choice for
products where multiple hundreds of thousands are to be produced.
| SPECIFICATION | HJF-140 |
| A | B | C |
| Screw Diameter | Mm | 38 | 42 | 45 |
| Screw L/D Ration | L/D | 22.1 | 21.6 | 19.5 |
| Shot Size(Theoretical) | cm3 | 193 | 227 | 278 |
| Injection Weight(PS) | g | 176 | 206 | 252 |
| Injection Rate | g/s | 94 | 105 | 135 |
| Injection Pressure | MPa | 205 | 159 | 140 |
| Screw Speed | rpm | 0~220 |
| Clamp tonnage | KN | 1400 |
| Opening stroke | mm | 380 |
| Space Between Tie Bars | mm | 420*420 |
| Max.Mold Height | mm | 450 |
| Min.Mold Height | mm | 170 |
| Ejector Stroke | mm | 120 |
| Ejector Tonnage | KN | 33 |
| Max.Pump Pressure | MPa | 16 |
| Pump Motor Power | KW | 13 |
| Heater power | KW | 7.2 |
| Machine Dimension(L*W*H) | M | 4.5*1.2*1.7 |
| Machine weight | T | 4.2 |
| Oil Tank Capacity | L | 230 |
Beryllium-Copper alloy: Typically used in areas of the mold that
need fast heat removal or where shear heat is concentrated.
Just as with overall product design, mold design is another
opportunity to prevent defects during the injection molding
process. We have previously written blogs on the Top 10 Injection
Molding Defects and Avoiding Mistakes in Injection Molding, but
here are some examples of how poor mold design can be a costly
mistake:
Not designing the proper draft: This refers to the angle at which
the finished product is ejected from the mold. An insufficient
draft can lead to ejection problems, costing significant time and
money.
Improperly placed or sized gates: Gates are the openings in a mold
through which thermoset or thermoplastic material is injected. Each
will leave a vestige (scar), which can create aesthetic or
functional problems if not properly placed.
The number of parts (cycles) required, as well as the material they
will be made of will help drive decision-making as to how and with
what materials to create the mold.
When a product has been properly designed, approved, and die cast,
it’s time to start the actual manufacturing! Here are the basics of
the injection molding process…
Thermoset or thermoplastic material in granular form is fed through
a hopper into a heating barrel. (Learn more about the differences
between plastics in our PLASTICS course.) The plastic is heated to
a predetermined temperature and driven by a large screw through the
gate(s) and into the mold. Once the mold is filled, the screw will
remain in place to apply appropriate pressure for the duration of a
predetermined cooling time. Upon reaching this point, the screw is
withdrawn, the mold opened, and the part ejected. Gates will either
shear off automatically or be manually removed. This cycle will
repeat over and over, and can be used to create hundreds of
thousands of parts in a relatively short amount of time.
