As the need for more reliable and complex plastic products continues to grow, plastic injection molding design considerations need to be more thorough.
Working with a company like Agape Plastics brings engineering expertise into the process early, helping optimize injection-molded parts before production begins. This ensures designs are fully validated and built to perform as intended once manufacturing is underway.
Learn more about how engineering services can enhance your plastic injection molding design through these key points.
Design for Manufacturability
One of the best ways to ensure your plastic injection molding design is going to work is by creating a design that’s manufacturable. That sounds simple on the surface, but even as advanced as injection molding capabilities are, there are still limits to the process.
By creating designs that are manufacturable, this accounts for a few key metrics.
- Formal DFM reviews between manufacturers and customers look closely at the manufacturer’s molding, tooling, and press capabilities. Additionally, key items such as draft angles, gate locations, knit lines, proper venting stations, and ejection strategy of the mold are discussed.
- When design for manufacturability (DFM) services are applied early, customers often see a significant reduction in tooling costs, as critical tooling considerations are addressed during the consultation phase. Additional cost savings are realized through reduced rework, lower material waste, and improved cycle times.
- Some companies are able to create prototypes that follow DFM guidelines. With a visual component available, both manufacturers and customers are able to make improvements before a larger, high-volume run takes place.
Engineering Services That Add Value to Your Plastic Injection Molding Design Process
There are two key engineering services offered by Agape Plastics that can enhance your plastic injection mold design. It’s critical to note that while we aren’t design responsible, we do have a highly skilled engineering team that can work with you to create a design that’s going to work.
Part Design Feasibility Analysis
We work closely with customers to assess current part designs and evaluate if they are feasible to manufacture. Bring us your drawings, and we can work together to ensure the best solution.
Part Design Optimization Services
If a part design is not currently feasible to manufacture, our team works with you to refine and improve it. Through collaborative consultation, we provide practical design recommendations that enhance performance while making the part more cost-effective to produce.
These two programs focus on critical considerations affiliated with the design process, including optimized part geometry like wall thickness, ribs, radii, and draft. These promote uniform material flow and cooling, minimizing defects such as warpage, sink, and short shots.
We also identify appropriate tolerance targets across the part, striking the right balance between functional requirements, mold complexity, and overall processing costs.
Material, Conversion, and Technique Considerations
Additional engineering services, such as program management, can also be a helpful resource when it comes to material, conversion, and technique considerations. As far as material selection goes, plastic engineers can guide customers through the selection process and steer the conversation toward a resin selection that combines strength, temperature, chemical resistance, and color needs, as well as regulatory requirements of the given industry.
When customers require metal-to-plastic conversions due to weight and tolerance considerations, they trust Agape Plastics for the necessary design changes.
Have a Plastic Injection Molding Design That Needs Engineering Services? Contact Agape Plastics Today
Agape Plastics is one of the most reliable and experienced injection molding companies in the United States. Since we started over 50 years ago, we’ve taken on customers from a variety of industries and created millions of parts.
We spent the necessary time working with customers to ensure their plastic injection molding design will be properly executed. While we aren’t design responsible, we do offer key services geared toward ensuring we match our customers’ vision.
Have an injection molding design that needs an extra set of eyes? Contact the team at Agape Plastics today.