How Do You Make An Injection Mold For Thermoplastics And Elastomers?
Creating plastic parts often requires the creation of a mold for use in an injection molding machine. Designing the part and the mold together is the first step toward creating finished plastic or elastomer parts in quantity. Determine your needs… What plastic will be used? What quantity will you require? Production rate? Total mold life in parts? How big is the part? Are there any inserts to be molded in? Determine the molding machine to use… The quantity, production rate, and part size will aid in the selection of a molding machine to be used. Molding machines may be purchased or leased for use in-house, or you may elect to have the job run on a machine at another shop. Note the specifications of the molding machine. This will determine the minimum and maximum size of the mold, which should be at least one inch larger in all dimensions than the part to be molded. It will also determine the spacing of clamping features and knockout features of your mold. The mold must be designed
