Custom injection molding operations feature multiple kinds of engineers that keep the process and a program on track from start to finish. That includes design engineers, plastic engineers, and an injection molding process engineer.
The role of an injection molding process engineer in optimizing manufacturing performance occurs by taking the foundations of an injection molding program – molds, materials, equipment – and turning those individual items into a singular process where stable and repeatable production occurs.
An injection molding process engineer moves about early in the program, and takes ownership of the process window where materials, machines, molds, and environmental conditions all range where parts are created. Their influence over the project is pivotal and one of the many factors that go into optimizing manufacturing performance.
How an Injection Molding Process Engineer Optimizes Performance
As an injection molding process engineer becomes involved in a customer’s injection molding program, their specific role covers seven key factors: automation and labor, material control, tooling performance, uptime, quality yield, cycle time, and process stability.
These aspects of the process window are ultimately what make an injection molding program succeed. Each of these seven factors impact manufacturing in different ways and it’s on the process engineer to ensure that proper protocols are in place for these items to thrive.
When process stability is achieved, it means that the process engineer has created a repeatable fill, transfer, recovery, cooling, and mold-temperature condition. With those qualities in an easily repeatable state, less variation and defects are present as well as a strong capability.
Cycle times can increase and per-part-costs can drop when a process engineer separates necessary cooling from avoidable machining and eliminates handling delays. Uptime is going to be part of the process, but higher production availability is achievable with proper stoppage analysis, improved startup procedures, preventative maintenance information is readily available, and fault recovery processes are in place.
Tooling performance is one of the most critical aspects of these seven items and truly is one of the major lifelines of an injection molding program. A process engineer can create better dimensional control and resilient production when identifying cooling imbalance, or any problems with venting, gates, runners, ejection, and mold cavities.
A process engineer’s impact on quality yield has a direct impact on reducing scrap, rework and customer risk. This can be done by using short shot studies and part inspections to discover defect mechanisms. Quality yield and material control can be connected as well. Identifying and studying melt behavior of a given material allows for fewer defects related to moisture, degradation, and viscosity.
Lastly, automation and labor challenges are going to be an everlasting condition not just for process engineers, but for decision-makers at manufacturing companies alike. A process engineer, however, can optimize both workforces to reduce handling variation while maximizing available resources.
Quantitative Analysis Leads to Qualitative Results
A part might look good, but that doesn’t mean it’s performance ready or approved to leave the manufacturer’s facility. An injection molding process engineer utilizes controlled experiments and process data to better understand how a mold performs and how that performance creates parts that hit or miss the mark of acceptable.
A traditional process setup can start with confirming all known factors: machine, mold, resin, dryer, and handling equipment are functional and correctly set for the given program. From there, a process engineer can perform a short-shot study to gauge how flow progresses through the mold and identify balanced filling, weld-line formation, and where transfer points are. Shot size and fill rate are confirmed based upon the short-shot study along with pack and hold pressure, screw recovery, back pressure, and cooling.
While having proper controller setpoints is vital, it’s not the only critical metric to know. Melt temperature, mold temperature, cooling and return temperature behavior also needs to be measured.
With these metrics now known, a process engineer can correctly confirm dimensional, cosmetic, functional, and capability requirements across an operating window. All of this information can be used to create a documented process for operation and technicians can run an injection molding program successfully.
Value
The role of an injection molding process engineer goes beyond running experiments and conducting studies. They also play an informative role during design for manufacturability and mold design reviews by challenging design concepts such as wall sections, drafts, gates, venting, ejection, cooling, material selection, and tolerances.
Searching for Expert Injection Molding Process Engineering? Contact Agape Plastics Today
Agape Plastics is one of the America’s premier custom injection molding manufacturers, serving OEMs, Tier 1 supplier programs, and other customer bases from our Grand Rapids, Michigan, facility.
We have a dedicated team of injection molding process engineers who are committed to ensuring your manufacturing program is optimized for maximum performance and creating high-quality components that are built to serve you and your customers’ needs. Our comprehensive engineering capabilities including design optimization services, VA-VE services, complete program management, and many more are all aimed at setting the foundation for a strong, easily repeatable, and dependable injection molding program.
Contact Agape Plastics today for more information regarding the role of an injection molding process engineer, the part they play in our process, and our custom injection molding operations.