Shenzhen Alu Rapid Prototype Precision Co., Ltd.

1.Design and Mold Creation:

Part Design: The process begins with a 3D CAD model of the desired part, provided by the client or developed with design support (e.g., Design for Manufacturability feedback).

Mold Design: A soft mold, usually made from aluminum or softer steel, is designed to match the part’s geometry. The mold consists of two halves (core and cavity) and may include features like runners, gates, and cooling channels.

Mold Fabrication: The mold is machined using CNC equipment or other rapid manufacturing techniques. Aluminum’s ease of machining allows for quick production, often in days or weeks.

2.Material Selection:

A suitable thermoplastic (e.g., ABS, PC, Nylon, or PP) is chosen based on the part’s required properties, such as strength, flexibility, or transparency. The material is supplied in pellet form.

Injection Molding Process:

Setup: The soft mold is mounted into an injection molding machine.

Melting: Plastic pellets are fed into the machine’s hopper, heated to a molten state in a barrel, and prepared for injection.

Injection: The molten plastic is injected under high pressure into the mold cavity through a nozzle and runner system, filling the mold to form the part’s shape.

Cooling: The mold, equipped with cooling channels, allows the plastic to solidify quickly, typically in seconds to minutes, depending on the part’s size and material.

Ejection: Once cooled, the mold opens, and the solidified part is ejected using pins or other mechanisms.

3.Post-Processing:

Parts may undergo trimming to remove excess material (e.g., flash or sprues).

Surface finishing, such as polishing, painting, or texturing, can be applied to meet aesthetic or functional requirements.

Quality checks, using tools like coordinate measuring machines (CMM) or visual inspections, ensure the parts meet specifications.

4.Iteration or Production:

If prototyping, parts are tested for fit, form, or function, and feedback may lead to mold modifications or design tweaks.

For low-volume production (50–10,000 parts), the process is repeated until the required quantity is produced or the mold wears out.