If you area product manufacturer, your biggest hurdle is often dealing with parts manufacturing. Why? Because most parts manufacturers offer large amounts of production volumes which are not always affordable for small-scale industries.
How can you deal with this issue? Should you stop manufacturing products and quit your business? Instead, you need to find new ways and methods to get a lesser quantity of desired injection molded parts.
Fortunately, this article will share important information about the advantages and potential of smaller-quantity injection molding for your business needs.
Understanding this production method will help you optimize your manufacturing process, lower costs, and achieve quick turnaround times, whether you’re a product designer, contractor, or business owner.
On-Demand Manufacturing: A New Era For Manufacturing Industries
On-demand manufacturing is the upcoming business trend in today’s quick-paced market. Conventional mass manufacturing techniques are not always practical or economical, particularly for small production runs or prototypes.
Low-volume production is an appealing alternative that enables businesses to make high-quality parts in smaller quantities without sacrificing quality or design freedom.
This new concept has changed the relationship between suppliers and manufacturers. Even small-scale companies can now benefit from the uniqueness of plastic molded products without having a high capital for parts manufacturing.
Technological advancements make it easier for manufacturers to get product prototypes within days. Customers also have more freedom in selecting what they want and want to avoid.
The on-demand manufacturing concept would fulfill the immediate requirements of smaller production of certain parts and prototypes. Now the, factors like design, cost, and quantity are more in the hands of the clients instead of the manufacturer only.
Is Small-Volume Injection Molding Beneficial?
Yes, the allowance of making parts and prototypes in a small volume is a huge opportunity for most of the business. To know the worth of this new manufacturing procedure, let’s uncover the benefits.
Use of Cost-Effective and Soft Tools
The new process uses softer aluminum tools than high-volume production, frequently calling for strong, expensive steel molds.
Aluminum is a preferable material in this case, and its molds can be made more conveniently and efficiently, lowering the total production expenses of tooling.
Because of this, low-volume manufacturing is a fantastic option for companies with constrained funds or short lead times.
Softer material for tooling allows the quick formation of the desired product saving manufacturers time. As the batch is of low volume, making custom molds every time isn’t an issue for the manufacturer.
No Compromise On Quality Parts
High-volume production requirements rival the improved part quality produced by low-volume manufacturing. Consistent item sizes, top-notch surface finishes, and precise tolerances are all made possible by injection molding.
Low-production molding may create functional prototypes or finished products that satisfy your requirements with the right design and material choice. A company owner selecting a low quantity of custom parts can stay satisfied that the part wouldn’t be less functioning or low quality.
Lower Production Costs
Companies can save money by switching to low-volume molding instead of more conventional manufacturing techniques.
Utilizing aluminum molds lowers the cost of production, increasing accessibility for small and medium-sized firms. Lesser quantity manufacturing also reduces the need for extensive storage, lowering warehousing and inventory cost.
Whenever a firm needs a certain quantity of parts, they can make a fresh order instead of removing dust from the older parts placed in their warehouse for years. The best thing is that this ensures high quality and better functioning of machines with the latest manufactured components.
Reduced Transit Time
Time is important in today’s competitive marketplace. Comparatively speaking, the new low-volume production process offers shorter lead times than conventional manufacturing methods.
Of course, lower volume products will not need more days or weeks to be shipped to the desired location. Even the shipping cost will be reduced by smaller batches, further lowering the cost.
You can iterate quickly and release your product to market faster with effective mold manufacture and quicker setup times. You get a competitive advantage from shorter delivery periods because you can react swiftly to shifting market needs and demands.
Design Flexibility
Greater design flexibility is provided, which enables companies to produce parts and complex shapes that are more challenging to produce using other production processes. It creates countless opportunities for product differentiation and innovation.
Testing out new designs through prototyping is easier with low-quantity prototyping because there’s no need for mass production when testing a product. Design confirmation leads to more doors for innovation and betterment in technology.
Before committing to mass production, you can test the market, improve your product, and modify your design. This small-scale test saves time and resources by lowering risk and ensuring a smoother transition.
Considerations For Designs Of Low-Volume Injection Molded Parts
When dealing with producing lesser-volume parts and prototypes, it’s crucial to focus on the design of these products. Without focusing on the design elements, getting the desired results would not be possible to keep the costs low.
Since these molds are used in mass production, their preparation is given more importance. Using 3D CAD, we can design the mold and then use CNC machining to get high-end finish products for these molds.
High heat and pressure are required in the injection molding process. The cost of injection molds is lower than metal molds and takes less manufacturing time.
Molten metal is fed into the mold cavity with a specific pressure and temperature and then cooled down for a particular time. After cooling, we can easily separate it from the mold.
Below are some crucial aspects to consider when designing low-volume prototypes or parts.
Right Material Selection
While selecting the material for injection molded parts, remember your product. There are different molding materials used for eachproduct.
These materials classify from the desired wall thickness of the product, like ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) used for 1.14 to 3.56 mm and polypropylene used for 0.64 to 3.81 mm wall thickness parts.
ABS material is used for making automotive body parts, pipes, and computer devices, and polypropylene is used for making food packing and storage material. Thus selecting the material that fits your required product is a wise choice that boosts the product’s quality.
Make Amendments to the Final Design
The outer layer of molded parts is a crucial factor that contributes the appearance and quality.
Part’s finishing depends upon various factors like:
- The quality of injection material,
- Injection speed, and
- Temperature.
The surface finish of injection molded parts is divided into four grades Grades A, B, C, and D.
Grade A shows the highest standard of finish, and Grade D shows the dull surface finish.
If you want a good surface finish for the part, you must polish the mold’s cavity with a diamond buff. A better outer layer means the product will last longer for years without getting worn out. The surface finish isn’t only an aesthetic layer; instead, it provides extra protection.
Keep the Optimum Wall Thickness
In injection molded parts, wall thickness is the adjustment of wall thickness across the entire surface. Maintaining the proper thickness is very important for molded parts, and the scaling can increase or decrease the wall thickness of the original design.
Maintaining the proper proportion of scale wall thickness on both sides is crucial for avoiding any deficiency in the molded part.
An increased thickness will make the wall aesthetically unpleasant while putting more weight on the part. While a thin wall means you are not giving enough strength to the part to deal with the future strains from the other machinery parts.
Make Strong Corners With Radii
The sharp edges can break easily and affect the quality of the product. That’s why it is imperative to focus on the corners and keep them as strong as possible. Radius corners may be curved or rounded to give the part better strength.
Using a small radius on the corner is an excellent choice to improve the strength of injection molded parts. Sharp corners weaken the molded part’s structure and create more stress.
Sharp corners can also create problems while handling molded products. In the manufacturing process of molds, use radius cutters instead of end mill cutters for making desired radii on the molded parts.
Unless you think removing sharp corners from the product will affect its functioning, try to avoid them as much as possible. Instead, replace them with neutral or round corners.
Drafting For Easy Product Ejection From Mold
The draft is a crucial component of the molded part. It is used to eject the component from the injection mold easily. What’s the use of making all those efforts if you cannot remove the product from the mold after completion?
The basic purpose of the draft is to prevent the part from getting stuck inside the mold. The draft is a tapper surface on the vertical walls of the part, and its angle depends upon the shape, size, and material type of the part as well as mold design.
Molds With More Production Capacity
A mold capable of allowing more than one product or parts production at a time is a good option for making several products simultaneously. This type of mold saves time and also decreases the cost of products.
A multi-cavity mold is the best option to make multiple identical parts quickly and precisely. They are larger than single-cavity molds, but multi-cavity molds produce many parts in a single cycle. In comparison, single cavity molds make one part of a single cycle.
So instead of having a larger number of single cavity models, getting multiple cavities molds for quick and easy production is better.
Choosing the Right Low-Volume Plastic Injection Molding Services
Lower quantity production of the molded products allows getting high-quality manufacturing. Yet not every manufacturer offers this opportunity, so it isn’t easy to find the right one from a few manufacturers offering this service.
If you also plan to have lower volume molding services, below are some factors to consider before contracting with a service.
Volume Capacity and Specialization
Before you start a contract with the service you are using, ensure they are comfortable providing low-volume production.
Most injection molding companies have a MOQ of about 10,000, which is unrealistic for small companies. Find a company offering services for low-quantity batches of molar products.
Check out if the company first manufactured your preferred product or product. When it comes to low-volume productions, there is considerable concern about the quality of the product, and that’s why it’s important to stay careful.
Specification Compliance
To keep the cost low when manufacturing small quantities of products, many manufacturers reduce the specifications of the client’s order.
A company that provides you with the best service for injection molding should never interfere with the quality specifications of the parts. Check out the company’s reviews to know what they have done with their previous orders and whether they comply with the specifications.
Any molding service-providing company that does not follow the proper specifications of your product is not worth choosing. To keep the quality of injection molded products, it’s reommended to strictly follow the specs and features of the parts and prototypes.
Flexible Services
Morning services do not mean you will only need a supplier to Molly products and return them to you; you may sometimes need additional services. Not all manufacturers will offer additional flexible services, so select a manufacturer wisely.
A prototyping services provider giving a range of services and options like part design and flow analysis should be given preference over other manufacturers. Additional services may include 3D printing and other types of molding.
Efficiency and Quality
The molded parts’ effectiveness and reliability determine how well a molding company follows your needs. Do not compromise on the quality of your products because it’s not about those specific parts of prototypes.
Instead, it will affect the workability and quality of the machine or devices you get the molding services.
Check out if the service provider has the required machines and equipment to ensure the quality of the products with additional details. Advanced machines make high-quality, functional, and reliable molding products.
Alternatives to Low-Volume Plastic Injection Molding
Injection molding isn’t just forgetting a low quantity of parts. There are alternatives available. You may be looking to get your products manufactured with urethane casting, and using alternative methods to get lesser production of parts and prototypes is possible.
Thefour main alternatives to induction molding are 3D printing, CNC machining, thermoforming, and urethane casting.
3D Printing
Because of the reduction of the cost that goes into mold production, the 3D printing procedure is becoming more popular among manufacturers. You can easily get low-quantity manufacturing for your required part.
Using the 3D procedure, you will not only save on the lower production cost; instead, there is a decrease in the tooling cost too.
Manufacturers use this procedure to produce quickly for plastic products with layers. An additional benefit includes the colorable surface of the resultant products.
CNC Machining
Computer numerically controlled machines play a crucial role where low-volume products are required. These machines can quickly make any desired number of parts, from a few hundred to thousands of products.
Working with multiple types of materials is a plus point. You can use metal or plastic to get the resultant product without affecting the quality and geometry.
Apart from creating products, these machines are also used for making the perfect molds to be used in procedures like injection molding. Quick turnaround is the specialty of CNC machines.
So where customers need fewer parts in less time, there can be no better choice than this procedure. It offers additional functions like drilling and milling to add more specifications to the product.
Thermoforming
The heated plastic sheet is converted into the desired shape with this procedure. It is possible to get a lower count of products using thermoforming.
Pre-designed mold is used to turn the plastic sheet to the required geometry, and then the extra sheet is cut through to give a proper shape to the product.
To attain the desired shape, a low temperature and pressure are used. It helps reduce the overall production cost as no additional services will be required.
However, an additional surface finish is a must for giving a better look and protection. The most common applications where the procedure is used include vehicle door panels and packaging trays.
Urethane Casting
This process is one of the latest low-volume manufacturing processes, eliminating the need for additional time and cost reduction. The customer gets a master pattern of the original product that is even better than the molded products made with injection molding.
The casting procedure uses resin to make more product copies in a single mold. For dealing with the cost of production, this pattern helps manufacturers effectively, and design testing becomes more manageable with this cost-saving process.
Kemal: Low-Volume Injection Molding Services
Companies wishing to make high-quality parts in fewer quantities now have an appealing manufacturing option with Kemal.
Casting by low-volume production offers a versatile and practical solution because it enables quicker turnaround times, more design flexibility, and the ability to make the journey from prototyping to manufacturing easier.
Being low-volume to high-volume manufacturers, we provide you with injection molded products. We’ve already provided services to more than 2000 companies worldwide because we care about our clients’ business.
We can create everything for you, so bring your design to us and let us handle the rest for you.
Order as few parts and prototypes as you want with Kemal.
Conclusion
Adopting this technology can speed up the time it takes for your items to reach the market, cut expenses, and optimize your manufacturing process.
If you are interested in low-volume manufactured parts or prototypes, feel free to consult us straightaway!
