Prototype Injection Molds vs. Production Injection Molds

Prototype injection molds are useful when quickly producing limited test runs to identify and remove defects. Whether made of aluminum or steel, these molds take far less time to produce and are more economical for smaller runs to make prototypes used for evaluating and testing a design. Production injection molds require more testing, time, and stronger materials for the actual long-term use and final design of high-yield production runs. Both types of injection molds use state-of-the-art equipment in the production process. At Special Tool & Engineering, we offer six injection molding presses ranging in size from 120T to T.

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Rapid Prototype Injection Molds

The main benefit of rapid prototype injection molds is the short time frame they take to make and use. However, if your design is far enough along in the process that you need a number of pieces made in test runs, aluminum injection molds are an economical choice. The turnaround on standard prototype molds is usually two weeks to a month, a timing that allows for other kinks to be ironed out in the meantime. These molds are affordable and can produce parts that may be identical to the final production run, allowing for comprehensive testing for construction or operation flaws. Small inconsistencies in friction, materials, or temperature can be identified.

Using 3D printed prototypes is typically another low-cost option and allows for reproductions with a fast turnaround. However, it is important to remember that for what 3D prototyping boasts in speed, it lacks in complexity. A printed prototype does not match the exact surfacing and appearance of an injection molded part and cannot accurately reflect the expected warping and shrinking of materials. It also becomes more expensive and time-consuming if more than a few prototypes must be printed. Customers and engineers alike return to injected molds for prototypes because they better handle small details and can be used to identify even tiny flaws. Moreover, an injection mold can be used to create runs of 100 prototypes or more for more extensive testing, ultimately saving time and money in the long run.

Aluminum Prototype

While some manufacturers assume that aluminum is only suitable for prototype molds, in practice it can be used to construct either prototype or production molds. The customer request and product purpose can determine which will be most useful for the design.  

If customers request an aluminum prototype for their design or initial prototyping run, it will typically have fewer cavities to fulfill the smaller test order. Likewise, if the aluminum mold is designated for a high-quantity yield, it can be designed with more cavities for mass production instead. When it comes to this decision, it is usually best to leave it to the engineers and the customers, but we do offer aluminum for all design needs. 

Steel Production Injection Molds

Steel can withstand high heat temperatures and is resilient to the elements over the long term and for repeated use. Aesthetically, steel is both recognizable in the world of parts and production as it is a marker for quality. We offer steel as a standard production injection mold material. 

Steel molds hold up over time, maintaining integrity while mass-producing high quantities over long periods. While the molds are more costly than aluminum up front, they should be considered an investment that will likely pay you back for years to come. 

Conclusion

Regardless of skill, experience, or expertise, prototyping is the best practice for good design and engineering. Identifying bugs and fixing them is a key step of the production process. To iron out all the wrinkles with the prototypes, work with Special Tool and Engineering. We can help determine the type, quantity, and material that will be best for your production injection mold choice. 

Prototyping is a critical stage in the design process for nearly every project. When developing a product, product developers need to get proof of concept and check the fitment as soon as possible. In decades passed, making a plastic prototype consisted of making a prototype mold to finalize a design before investing in production tooling. However, the industry was forever changed by the speed and simplicity of 3D printing. 3D printing is undoubtedly a powerful tool for engineers and designers, however, that doesn’t mean there’s no longer a need for prototype mold building.

When you reach the prototyping stage, you’ll need to choose which manufacturing methods you will use to produce your prototype. With a variety of options available you should choose the one that will best fit your cost, time, and production constraints. Let’s take a look at the various options you should consider.

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If you have a part designed and ready for prototyping, there is almost no reason not to 3D print it for initial testing. Over time, the accuracy of 3D printing has improved significantly, while the cost of the machines has decreased considerably. This may sound like the end for prototype injection molds, but it’s missing some important points.

• A 3D printed part is unlikely to perform exactly like an injection molded part. Because of the nature of 3D printing, it does not create the same polymer flow as plastic injection molding. Meaning you can not test material properties like strength and flexibility.
• If your product requires a specific material, it may not be available for 3D printing. Though there is an ever-increasing range of materials available for 3D printing.
• Prototyping using an injection mold simulates the shrink and warp in a production injection molding environment. This is important for molded parts with critical dimensions. A prototype allows for easy adjustments to dimensions that can be replicated on a production mold.

Check out this article on injection molding and 3D printing for more information on the differences.

Due to standardization and specialization, the costs and lead times of prototype injection molds have decreased over time. Injection mold builders often standardize molds so that most of the work and machine time required is complete before a part form is machined in. The standardization of mold bases and mold frames also makes them reusable from project to project, which prevents the direct cost common components from being passed on to the end user.

Many mold builders now specialize only in prototype injection molds, allowing them to streamline lead times. From the quoting process through design and construction, every detail of the project is optimized for efficiency.

In projects with tight deadlines, it can be cost-effective to create prototype tooling that can also fulfill initial order quantities. These prototype molds are built to higher standards and have a longer lifespan compared to quick-turnaround prototype molds. While these molds are built to keep the cost of changes low, they often have fewer cavities than the final production mold.

Another option is to build a prototype mold with only one cavity. For example, if the production mold has sixteen cavities, meaning it makes sixteen parts in each molding cycle. By creating a prototype with one cavity, you can make changes to that part without needing to adjust all cavities. Once the plastic prototype part is approved, the remaining cavities can be completed accordingly.

Injection molds intended for high volume production typically consist of a mold frame and tooling. The mold frame is a series of plates, pins, bushings, and supports that holds the tooling and provides a connection point to the molding machine. The tooling is what has the part form and what comes into contact with plastic to make the part.

At Basilius, we’ve developed a proprietary mold base that can accept tooling from various projects. In this case, the end-user only has to pay for tooling instead of the entire mold. Because of this, the mold is less expensive, and the lead time is shorter. Check out our other post for more information on mold inserts only (MIO) options at Basilius.

In the world of product design, prototyping plastic parts is a crucial first step. It allows you to try out ideas, fix problems, and make sure everything works before mass production begins. Over time, new technologies like 3D printing have made plastic prototyping faster and more flexible. However, traditional methods like making prototype molds are still important, especially for parts that need to be just right.

Understanding the stages of plastic prototyping is key. From brainstorming ideas to testing and refining designs, we’re here for you. If you need assistance with a project simply contact us and an expert from our team will be happy to help.

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