Plastic Mould Tooling: Important Considerations

With continuous advancements in science and technology, the dimensional accuracy requirements of injection-molded products have become increasingly stringent. Plastic mould tooling, plastic machines, plastic raw materials, and molding conditions are the four essential elements of injection molding. If you want to be competitive and stand out, you must master these forces. Below, we share some important points to consider when selecting plastic mold tooling, for your reference.

Do Not Focus Solely on Plastic Mold Tooling Product Design While Ignoring Manufacturing

Some users pay attention only to product development and prototyping when launching new products, neglecting communication with the plastic mould tooling manufacturers. After the initial product design is confirmed, there are two key advantages to contacting the tooling supplier early:

• Ensure the designed product has good molding processability and avoid design changes due to manufacturing difficulties.

  
  

• Tooling production can be prepared in advance, avoiding rushed decisions and delayed schedules.

  
  

• Producing high-quality plastic mold tooling requires close cooperation between supplier and customer to reduce costs and shorten lead times.

  
  

Don't Just Look at Price — Also Consider Quality, Lead Time, and Service

• Plastic moulding supplies come in many varieties, roughly divided into ten categories. Depending on part and material requirements, select molding types based on physical and chemical properties, mechanical strength, dimensional accuracy, surface finish, service life, and cost-effectiveness.

  
  

• High-precision tooling demands the use of advanced CNC machines, strict requirements for tooling materials and molding processes, and design and analysis technology.

  
  

• Some parts have special molding requirements; tooling must incorporate advanced technologies like hot runner systems, gas-assisted molding, nitrogen injection, etc.

  
  

• Manufacturers should have CNC machining, EDM, wire-cutting machines, CNC profile milling equipment, high-precision grinding machines, coordinate measuring machines (CMM), computer-aided design (CAD), and relevant software.

  
  

• For large stamping molds (such as automotive cover molds), consider whether the machines have side-press mechanisms, side lubrication, multi-station indexing, and also punching capacity, cutting, feeding devices, machine tools, and tooling protection devices.

  
  

• Not every company masters the manufacturing methods and technologies for these molds. When selecting partners, evaluate not only hardware capabilities but also management level, machining experience, and technical strength.

  
  

• For the same tooling set, prices can vary greatly between manufacturers. You should neither pay more than the value of the plastic mold tooling nor accept prices below cost. Ordering tooling at too low a price often leads to problems. Users must weigh their needs carefully and make balanced decisions.