Every consumer knows and uses products that are formed by plastic injection molding. How do those finished parts reach the consumer? What is the manufacturing process?
While many people think that all such production takes place overseas, businesses can leverage domestic injection molding to create better products at lower prices. At Reliant Plastics, a US-based mold designer and manufacturer, we’re well-positioned to be a vital asset for any business looking to produce plastic parts. Get to know our process and benefits.
Every Design Begins with Engineering Collaboration
Today, all parts usually start their lives as computerized design drawings. Drawing is typically a discrete stage of production during which manufacturing considerations remain secondary. However, more agile processes do allow for concurrent engineering.
By involving a manufacturer such as Reliant Plastics from the beginning, you can plan for the cost-effective manufacturability of a product while you design it. We work closely in collaboration, contributing engineering expertise to pave the way towards better outcomes.
Modern Software Enables Smarter Part Design
While your teams work towards finalizing the design of a part, Reliant Plastics uses tools such as AutoCAD and SolidWorks to develop the necessary models for producing molds. We adjust these models as your part evolves, but we also contribute valuable knowledge to the process. By conducting computerized mold flow analysis, we can foresee potential manufacturing issues and offer corrective advice.
Prototyping Allows for Error Correction
Before you can finalize the tooling for a mold, the modern manufacturing process includes a prototyping stage. 3D printing technologies such as selective laser sintering and stereo lithography allow for the creation of functional parts in just a few days. We use these rapid prototypes to validate previous engineering work and make any final adjustments.
Creating the Mold
The next step is to begin producing the tooling with a 5-axis CNC machine and other advanced equipment. Before we enter this stage, we conduct additional advanced flow analysis with Moldflow to ascertain critical attributes of the mold, such as wall thickness, and identify any potential cosmetic concerns.
Following completion and quality control inspections, we release tools to production. You can now begin high-volume production of your parts.
Maintaining and Storing Molds
Molds require safe storage between production runs to continue to produce consistent-quality parts. Reliant Plastics maintains climate-controlled storage and employs a multi-point inspection process before and after storage to ensure the reliability of the mold. Major production runs may have long periods between them, and old molds are sometimes necessary again in the future. For these reasons, proper storage is essential.
Work with Reliant Plastics Today
With a proven process backed by decades of experience, Reliant Plastics delivers a robust manufacturing service that we can scale to meet even highly demanding requirements. From concurrent engineering to strict quality control measures, we support our partners through every phase of production. Contact us for further information about matching our capabilities to your needs.
