Question & Ans -about RAPID INJECTION MOLDING technology...

Although traditional rapid prototyping is still widely used, a growing number of engineers are turning to rapid injection molding for prototyping and short-run production...

QUEST:-

What’s the difference between rapid prototyping and rapid injection molding ?

ANS:-

While rapid prototyping and rapid injection molding both start with a 3D CAD part model, the actual processes and end results are very different. Rapid prototyping, which includes technologies like stereolithography, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, laminated object manufacturing, and three-dimensional printing, creates a prototype layer by layer to form the end product. Rapid injection molding, on the other hand, uses the familiar process of injecting heated thermoplastics into a metal mold, where the material cools into the desired shape.

QUEST:-

What are the advantages of rapid injection molding?

ANS:-

Unlike rapid prototyping, rapid injection molding produces a fully functional, injection molded part. The resulting quality difference is so significant that many design engineers who test form and fit using rapid prototyping will still check the functionality of their prototypes using rapid injection molding. Also, while conventional mold making is very labor-intensive, rapid injection molding fully automates this step, typically reducing tooling cost and lead time by two-thirds.

QUEST:-

How does the rapid injection molding process work?

ANS:-

It’s a unique, highly automated method of producing injection molded parts from a 3D CAD part model. The core technology is proprietary software that automatically converts the part model into toolpaths for CNC milling machines. These, in turn, produce the mold components that, when assembled and mounted on an injection molding press, produce the desired part.

QUEST:-

How did rapid injection molding improve plastic housing?

ANS:-

Besides reducing the cost and delay of individually machining parts, the new injection-molded housing has a lot of advantages over what we were producing before. It’s much more compact, which is a big benefit for customers. Their research often requires placing the filled housings into controlled-environment chambers, so when we save them space, they get more research done faster.

QUEST:-

How much did it save?

ANS:-

Traditional injection molders gave  quotes of about $25,000 (eg) and required months of lead time to produce a part. Rapid injection molding came in at around $4,000, and even with highly polished surface for enhanced cosmetics, something the other molders weren’t even quoting, it still cost us less than $5,800. And the parts can even shipped in 10 business days.