Currently, the plastic injection mold industry is faced with fierce competition. The mold cost and injection molding price have become a topic of great concern to every mold maker. Plastic injection mold manufacturers must consider how to lower the cost while ensuring high efficiency in the mold design process. How can we achieve this target? When designing a plastic injection mold, the following factors need to be taken into consideration:
Injection Molding Cost: Determine product arrangement and the number of cavities according to the size of the machine and the cost of each shot. The larger the number of products ejected, the lower the injection molding cost, because in the plastic injection molding process, the cost is calculated by the number of shots.
Product Appearance: Determine the parting surface according to the appearance requirements of a product. The location of the parting surface has to facilitate mold processing, venting and mold release, etc. The more cavities, the more like for appearance problems to occur.
Gate Type: Determine the shape, size, and venting orientation of the sprue and runners. Hot runner molds cost a lot but save on runner material. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on how the user decides.
Mold Release: Determine the ejection method and the placement of ejector pins. The more the ejection pins, the higher the mold cost.
Plastic injection mold design also involves considerations on product shrinkage and injection time, as well as the determination of the cooling/heating method and the placement of the cooling channel. In addition, consider the service life of the mold, determine the hardness, thickness, size, and processing difficulty of the mold material, and identify the splitting of the molding parts and the shape of the wire cutting structure. As long as all the above steps are integrated, with more comprehensive analysis and considerations made, the cost can be effectively saved.