AIM Processing Small Plastic Parts Blog

When it comes to the angles used in the plastic part design of injection molded parts, you’d be surprised to learn what a big difference as little as half a degree can make. In particular, the draft of a part can play a major role in everything from how easy it is to eject the part from the mold to how smooth the surface of the finished part is.

If an enclosure you are developing has to be waterproof, there are a number of issues you must consider. The first, somewhat surprisingly, is terminology. The word “waterproof” can be a bit of a catchall, meaning “watertight,” “water resistant,” “water repellant,” etc. depending on who you are talking to.

It is common to see lettering or logos on plastic injection molded parts. They may be added to the design for a number of reasons, including to:

One of the many ways to enhance the look, feel, or function of a part produced through plastic injection molding is by modifying its surface texture. There are many texture and finish options. Some of the more commonly chosen options include:

In plastic injection molding, the “gate” is the opening in a mold through which the molten plastic is forced into the cavity, the tooling representation of your part. The type of gate (which I’ve blogged about previously) and its location are critical. In fact, it’s no exaggeration to say that gate location can make or break a part. The type and placement of the gate can affect many aspects of a project including:

In plastic injection molding, like any business, there are many keys to success. The flexibility to meet a customer’s unique needs is important. The ability to hit deadlines by working quickly and efficiently is essential. And a focus on producing cost-effective parts is also critical. However, those characteristics (and many others) only matter if you begin with excellent quality.

When designing a part and selecting a plastic to use in manufacturing it, we have previously blogged about the many questions to consider. For example, what are your desired mechanical properties, electrical resistance, and chemical resistance? And, do you have application-specific needs such as a flame rating or biocompatibility?

In developing an electronic enclosure, you may have to answer many of these questions, leaving you wondering where to begin. While there are many, many grades of plastic, here are a few of the types commonly used in electronic enclosures to begin your search.

The process of plastic injection molding can produce the perfect parts for your needs quickly and cost effectively. However, as with any manufacturing process, there are certain “gotchas” that can cause less than optimal results. Below are five design guidelines you should follow to help ensure that your production runs deliver an outstanding finished product.

One of the most important decisions you make with each new plastic injection molding project you undertake is determining what type of plastic to use.  The physical characteristics of plastic run the gamut from highly pliable to extremely rigid, clear to opaque, easily reused/recycled or non-recyclable.  Naturally, resin cost and availability can influence your selection as well.

When you watch a plastic injection molding production run and see mass quantities of perfect plastic parts being produced, it’s easy to believe that the process is almost effortless. The truth is, however,  there are many, many factors that go into producing that perfect part, and if any of these factors are off by even a fraction, defective parts can result.