by Charlie Wood, Ph.D.
VP of Innovation, Research & Development

As a part of the SyBridge team, I’ve witnessed the remarkable evolution of design and engineering tools over the past decade. These digital advancements have revolutionized our approach to manufacturing, allowing for more data-driven processes and insights. But it can be difficult to know where to start, or even to understand where there are opportunities to implement.

At the heart of our approach lies the concept of the “Digital Thread,” a framework that interconnects data across the entire lifecycle. This concept enables us to leverage the wealth of design and operational data across our data lake that is generated in the manufacturing process, from CAD designs to inspection results. While the industry is still moving towards seamless integration, we’ve made significant strides in creating workflows that prioritize data-driven decision-making.

Streamlining Injection Mold Design Workflows

One key area where data is contributing to efficiencies within manufacturing is that of injection mold tooling design. By utilizing virtual component libraries for mold designs, we’ve been able to streamline the complex process of coordinating and collaborating on intricate assemblies for mold making. In these libraries, we have standard blocks, system approaches and components stored in a way that allows us to quickly identify and digitally pull components. This approach offers lots of flexibility when it comes to customer requests and needs, all while keeping standard practices built right into our tools. Over the course of many years, we’ve built software-driven processes to design new builds based off of these standard components, allowing us to quickly handle new requests from customers and build a learning feedback loop to avoid costly mistakes.

Additionally, through the use of parametric component libraries, we’ve been able to significantly reduce design complexity and incorporate our own manufacturing intelligence into these components, allowing us to directly check for design issues and integrate manufacturing information into CAD files. This process creates a flow of information from the conceptual stage of the design through manufacturing and approval, extending our Digital Thread from end to end. This information flow can also go backwards, tying quoting, estimation assumptions and specifications directly to tool designs. These advancements in our design approach have not only made the job of a tool designer a bit easier, but have improved quality by creating
more explicit feedback loops in our design processes.

Innovations in Conformal Cooling

As many know, 3D printing has unlocked incredible design freedom for manufacturing engineers around the world. However, what can be overlooked is how impactful it has been for system designers, like toolmakers, who can utilize that design freedom and low cost of complexity to create components that radically improve performance. In the case of toolmaking, 3D printing has unlocked new cooling channel designs simply not possible before.

Although increasing numbers of toolmakers are using these advanced manufacturing techniques today, the new design space is so complex it can be hard to probe. In the past, conformal cooling channels were fairly straight, in-plane paths driven by tool access limitations in machining. With metal 3D printing, the limits are far less restrictive and allow designers to pursue more creative and complicated structures.

Using advanced data-driven methods with virtual design and testing capabilities, we’ve been able to uncover non-obvious opportunity areas in the design space. Through these novel design and
manufacturing workflows, we’re optimizing cooling performance and achieving remarkable improvements in tool performance as measured through cycle time. Through our approach, we’re seeing cycle time reductions as high as 50%. These successes have inspired us to further integrate and enhance these workflows, driving continued innovation.

AI Tools for Manufacturing

The Fast Radius Portal’s AI-powered DFM checks

Looking ahead, we’re enthusiastic about the possibilities that emerging technologies like machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) offer. These novel data modeling approaches have shown incredible potential, and the pace of technological advancement is rapidly accelerating. We’ve been able to use ML models to build data models faster than through simple bottom-up logic, particularly for complex problems that contain many correlating factors.

The critical ingredient in implementing AI for manufacturing are large data sets that provide a source of truth for model training and validation. By leveraging our existing datasets, we aim to predict defects, optimize designs in real-time and ultimately revolutionize quality control processes. These technologies are not a distant vision; they’re an integral part of our current digital platform, with features like instant quoting and DFM checks based on captured manufacturing data. And this is just the beginning of what’s possible.

Unlocking Manufacturing Innovation via the Digital Thread

Our journey in harnessing digital workflows for injection molding design has seen remarkable progress and tangible results. The end-to-end integration of data into the Digital Thread, combined with the power of ML and AI, holds the key to unlocking even greater innovation. As we continue to push boundaries and explore new frontiers, we’re excited about the advancements at the interface between the physical and digital worlds.

Are you ready to harness the power of the Digital Thread for your organization? Contact us today to get started.

The post The Digital Thread: End-to-End Data-Driven Manufacturing appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Choosing the right tooling materials for manufacturing medical parts can be complicated, but with the right expertise and partner it can be a smooth process for long-term results.  

This is where having options makes a difference. Steel (hard) and aluminum (soft) tooling are both good options for creating the components used to manufacture medical parts. Selecting the option that will deliver the most value depends on your volume requirements, design complexity, and the lifespan of the mold. 

Aluminum Tooling: Fast Turnaround, Limited Cycles    

Specialized tool manufacturers can generally build aluminum tooling quickly, Aluminum tools are compatible with a variety of materials, cost less than steel, and have better heat conductivity. The ability to quickly gain or dissipate heat shortens production cycle times and offers a more consistent mold temperature, reducing the chances of warpage and increasing yields.    

Although aluminum boasts better heat conductivity and shorter production time than steel, its main drawback is that it can begin to wear down more quickly (typically after tens of thousands of production cycles) than steel. Worn tooling increases the chances for imperfections, a deal breaker for medical applications. Manufacturers may need to replace or repair aluminum tooling more often than steel tooling.    

Steel Tooling: High-Volume Production, Higher Upfront Costs  

Steel is a harder material than aluminum. This gives steel tooling many advantages: components can produce millions of parts over years without diminishing quality, the material allows for more complex designs, and the material is resistant to scratches and erosion. Steel tooling supports high-volume production runs for an extended period.  

However, steel tooling is also more expensive, and because steel is so hard, tooling may become difficult to repair or modify once produced. Steel doesn’t allow as much heat conductivity and so, molds take longer to heat and cool, increasing cycle times, potentially introducing warpage, shrinking, or sink marks. Additionally, high-featured designs or those that have unique requirements (e.g., thin, non-uniform walls) may require the use of steel molds to provide the required results. 

Choosing Your Tooling Material 

Both steel and aluminum tooling can be suitable options once the complete part design, budget and volume scenarios are fully considered. While the raw costs are distinctively different, the overall return on investment will depend on the lifespan of the tool and its usage.  

The decision comes down to the intended use of your tooling. Figure 1 shows a simplified version of the three factors to consider when determining which tooling material to use.  

Figure 1. Decision chart for steel vs. aluminum tooling 

Prototypes and Aluminum Tooling  

Prototypes are essential to developing new medical devices and other types of health technology. They allow engineers to test how their concept works in the real world, answering important questions, such as how well the part addresses the treatment’s core problem, how it fits with existing systems, and how easy it is to access and maintain. Without prototyping, these essential questions go unanswered, and the product is less likely to succeed during later stages.   

Consider using aluminum tooling for early prototypes if your volume needs are low – for example: less than 50,000 parts. Aluminum tooling will maintain its quality and reliability for the number of runs required to produce the prototype. Creating steel tooling for these low-volume runs may not provide the return on investment that aluminum will. Steel tooling is a more viable investment for high-production runs when volumes increase.   

Medical Industry Solutions From SyBridge  

Choosing the appropriate tooling for manufacturing your medical parts is crucial. The right tooling material will help guarantee the reliability of parts in high-volume production or the cost-effectiveness of parts in low-volume runs. Consider working with a tooling design and manufacturing expert to ensure consistent, reliable and high-quality outcomes. 

At SyBridge, our expert engineers can help you select the right tooling material to meet your needs. We bring decades of expertise in tool design and manufacturing of various types and levels and can guide you with the right choice for your application. 

Contact us  today to discover how SyBridge can produce the excellence you desire. 

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When designing a part, it’s important to understand critical differences between comparable materials. For instance, substituting a thermoplastic instead of a thermoset to create a product that’s meant to withstand high temperatures would have disastrous results. 

The terms “thermoplastic” and “thermoset” appear in many of the same conversations regarding plastic part manufacturing, but they’re not interchangeable. This article breaks down the major differences between thermoplastics and thermosets, as well as key advantages and best applications for each material.

Thermoplastics: What You Need to Know

Mechanical/Chemical Properties

A thermoplastic is any plastic material with a melting point that becomes molten when heated, solid when cooled, and can be re-melted or molded after cooling. The process is completely reversible, and doing so will not significantly compromise the material’s physical integrity. 

Thermoplastics are usually stored as pellets to facilitate easy melting during the injection molding process. Common examples of thermoplastics include acrylic, polyester, nylon, and PVC.

• Nylon: Nylon provides a unique combination of strength and wear resistance that makes this family of materials well-suited for a range of applications.
• TPE and TPU: When product designers and engineers want a part to have certain properties like shock absorption, flex rebound, or high impact strength, they often turn to polymers made out of thermoplastic elastomers. 
• ULTEM (PEI): ULTEM® is one of the only resins approved for use in aerospace settings. It is also among the most versatile plastics on the market. 

Advantages of Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics are strong, shrink-resistant, and relatively easy to use. Their inherent flexibility makes them an excellent choice for manufacturers who require shock-absorbent products that can withstand wear and tear while retaining their shape. 

Thermoplastics are generally more cost-effective than thermosets because they’re easier to process. This is because thermoplastics are made in higher volumes and don’t require post-processing. Plus, thermoplastic molds can be made from affordable materials like aluminum. Thermoplastics are highly compatible with injection molding processes, and are ideal for making repeatable parts in high volumes. 

Additionally, thermoplastics are some of the more environmentally friendly plastics on the market as they are highly recyclable by design. As an added benefit, manufacturing with thermoplastics produces fewer toxic fumes than working with thermosets. 

Common Thermoplastics Applications

Manufacturers often use thermoplastics for prototyping because if the final product doesn’t meet certain standards, they can easily melt the part down and start over without producing a lot of scrap material.

Beyond part prototyping, thermoplastics can be used to create a range of familiar consumer products, as well as medical devices, automotive components, and more.

Thermosets: What You Need to Know

Mechanical/Chemical Properties

In contrast to thermoplastics, a thermoset is any plastic material that hardens once cured by heat and cannot be reshaped after the curing process. During curing, valence bonds in the polymer cross-link together to form three-dimensional chemical bonds that cannot be undone, even under extreme heat. 

Thermosets are usually stored in liquid form in large containers. Common examples of thermosets include epoxy, silicone, and polyurethane.

• Epoxy (EPX 82): An additive material developed by Carbon for its DLS process. This material is ideal for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. 
• Silicone (SIL 30): SIL 30 is an additive material developed by Carbon® for its digital light synthesis (DLS). Also known as SIL 30, this silicone urethane offers a unique combination of biocompatibility.
• RPU 70: Known for its toughness, strength, and ability to withstand heat, RPU can be used across multiple industries including consumer products, automotive, and industrial. 

Others like Phenolics are available as a granular product.

Advantages of Thermosets

Thermosets offer a wide range of benefits; overall, they are strong, stable, chemical-resistant, and have outstanding electrical properties. They won’t warp, degrade, or break down easily in extreme temperatures. 

Due to their strength and durability, thermosets are often used to reinforce another material’s structural properties. Among the most impact-resistant materials on the market, they are frequently used to seal products to protect them against deformation. 

Common Thermosets Applications

While thermoplastics offer a more diverse range of high and low functionality applications, thermosets can be used to create high-performance products in a wide variety of industries. 

Thermosets are ideal for building anything that comes into contact with extreme temperatures on a regular basis, such as kitchen appliances and electronics components.  

Start Building With Us

The crucial difference between thermoplastics and thermosets boils down to how they react to heat. Thermoplastics can be molded and remolded in the presence of heat without losing structural integrity, while thermosets can be molded only once. Of the two, thermoplastics are better suited for all-purpose products that need to be strong and flexible, while thermosets make better high-performance products. An experienced manufacturing partner can help you decide which material best fits your needs. 

When you partner with SyBridge, you partner with a dedicated team of engineers and manufacturing experts who will help you take your project to the next level. We’ll match your vision with optimal materials, manufacturing processes, and post-production services to ensure that you end up with a product of unmatched quality. Contact us today for a quote.

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Manufacturing in Focus sat down with Senior Director of R&D, Dr. Charlie Wood and one of the company’s leading Additive Manufacturing and Engineering experts, Greg Nemecek, to learn how SyBridge Technologies is changing the industry with the latest advances in additive manufacturing.

See page 70

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Reduced Risk of Part Warpage

During the molding process a part cools from the exterior surface to the inner core of the plastic, ideally at the same rate for all areas of the part when it is designed with consistent wall thickness. When injection molding simple, uniform parts conventional cooling typically doesn’t pose any challenges, as all areas of the part generally cool at a similar rate.

However, if a part design is geometrically complex, then the part may not cool at an even rate in all areas, resulting in potential warpage or longer cooling cycles to ensure solidified parts before ejection. The truth is that in today’s world with increasingly complex part geometries, perfectly uniform cooling rates are difficult to attain. In the case of low volume runs, the inefficiencies of having a slightly longer cooling cycles can be negligible and tolerable for molders. However, in the case of high volume runs, these efficiencies can be opportunities to improve productivity or reduce waste. The resulting efficiency of conformal cooling depends on many factors, from the design of the cooling channels, the design of the part, the mold design and even the molding recipe. When done properly, conformal cooling solutions can improve tooling output by 50% or more. 

Conventional Cooling

Conformal Cooling

Including conformal cooling channels in the mold tooling will help address hot spots that result in warpage, resulting in better quality parts with less material waste and fewer defects. 

Faster Cycle Times

In addition to achieving a better quality end result with a lower risk of defects, conformal cooling channels often significantly decrease mold cycle times. In the example below, conformal cooling was used to reduce the cycle time of this high-volume plastic component by almost 40%, increasing mold productivity by nearly 50%.

Is Conformal Cooling Right for Your Needs?

Including conformal cooling channels in injection mold tooling is popular across industries and product types, particularly in the life sciences, and consumer products sectors where parts with complex geometries or high mold volumes are common. If you plan to produce a large volume of parts via injection molding and are concerned about warpage, designing your injection mold tooling with conformal cooling may be the right solution to help with cycle times and lower part costs. In order to ensure that the channels are properly designed for your part’s geometry and specific application, it is imperative to work with an experienced tooling designer who is knowledgeable about how to integrate these novel approaches into high precision tooling.

At SyBridge, our engineers are experts in the injection molding and tooling design processes, and have worked with companies across diverse industries to help them achieve incredible results when it comes to improving mold productivity, reducing defects, and producing higher-performing parts. Whether you already have a mold design that you believe would benefit from the addition of conformal cooling channels or you’re working on the design for a new part or product, our team is here to help.

Contact us to speak with an injection mold tooling design expert and discover if conformal cooling is right for your injection mold tooling needs.

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Since its development in the mid-20th century, polycarbonate (PC) has been an increasingly popular material in manufacturing. Today, around 2.7 million tons of polycarbonates are produced each year globally. Over the years, various companies have created different formulas for polycarbonate, so there are several industry grades of polycarbonate to choose from. Some forms have more glass fiber reinforcement, while others have additives like ultraviolet stabilizers for protection against long-term sun exposure.

Strong and versatile, this amorphous thermoplastic is resistant to heat, impact, and many chemicals. As such, polycarbonate is ideal for components that need to be tough or repeatedly sterilized and is often used in the automotive and medical industries.

How Polycarbonate is Manufactured

Each company manufactures polycarbonates slightly differently, but polycarbonate materials have traditionally been created via the condensation polymerization of bisphenol A and carbonyl chloride. However, many companies have started to use diphenyl carbonate instead because carbonyl chloride is extremely toxic.

Regardless of whether carbonyl chloride or diphenyl carbonate is used, a bisphenol A solution in sodium hydroxide is required and then mixed with the carbonyl chloride or diphenyl carbonate solution in an organic solvent so polymerization can take place. When the polycarbonate forms, it will initially be in a liquid state. The solution will be evaporated to form granules, or ethanol will need to be introduced to precipitate the solid polymer.

Once created, polycarbonate is often sold in rods, cylinders, or sheets and can be used in various manufacturing processes. Polycarbonate is compatible with thermoforming, extrusion, and blow molding, but it’s most often used with injection molding. After all, as a thermoplastic, polycarbonate can be melted, cooled, and reheated without burning or significant degradation, making it an ideal injection molding material.

During injection molding, polycarbonate needs to be processed at a high temperature and injected into the mold with high pressure because polycarbonate is quite viscous. The melt temperature should be between 280°C and 320°C, and the mold temperature should fall between 80°C and 100°C. However, those numbers can vary depending on the grade of polycarbonate being used. For example, a high-heat polycarbonate will require a melt temperature between 310°C and 340°C and a mold temperature between 100°C and 150°C, whereas a PC-ABS (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) blend’s melt temperature only needs to be between 240°C and 280°C and its mold temperature can fall as low as 70°C and up to 100°C.

Properties and Mechanical Specifications of Polycarbonate Material

While there are several grades of polycarbonates, each with their own molecular mass, structure, and properties, all polycarbonates have a few things in common.

For one, they are known for their toughness and high impact resistance. As a result, polycarbonate is often used for applications that require reliability and high performance.

Despite their toughness and strength, polycarbonates are light weight, allowing for extensive design possibilities and relatively easy installation when compared to other materials.

Polycarbonates are also very resistant to heat and flames. A polycarbonate can maintain its toughness in temperatures up to 140°C, which means polycarbonate parts can withstand repeated sterilization. Polycarbonates also have light transmittance rates above 90% and good chemical resistance against diluted acids, oils, greases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and alcohols.

A polycarbonate’s properties depend on its molecular mass and structure, so each material is slightly different. To give you an idea of what you can expect, here are some typical key characteristics and specifications:

• Specific gravity: 1.21
• Melt temperature: 295 – 315°C
• Mold temperature: 70 – 95°C
• Heat deflection temperature: 137°C at 0.45 MPa
• Tensile strength: 61 MPa
• Flexural strength: 90 MPa
• Shrink rate: 0.5 – 0.7%
• Rockwell hardness: 118R

As you can see, polycarbonate manufacturing has plenty to offer. However, there are a few things you’ll want to be aware of before selecting this material for a project. For example, its mechanical properties can degrade after prolonged exposure to water over 60°C. Polycarbonate is also susceptible to scratching, more costly to manufacture than many other materials, and vulnerable to diluted alkalis and aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons. Additionally, the polycarbonate formulations without UV stabilizers can sometimes yellow over time when exposed to UV rays.

Common Uses of Polycarbonates in Everyday Life

Polycarbonate’s toughness and high impact resistance make it a popular material choice for automotive industry manufacturers, particularly when it comes to parts that must be clear or translucent and are subject to frequent impact, such as headlight and turn signal lenses.

In the medical industry, polycarbonate can be found in everything from incubators to dialysis machine housings. After all, polycarbonate is tough, resistant to heat, dimensionally stable, and able to withstand sterilization via FDA-approved methods including autoclaves and irradiation. Polycarbonate can be used in blood filters, reservoirs, and oxygenators, as well as surgical instruments. Plus, given its transparency, polycarbonate enables doctors to more easily monitor blood and track the administration of fluids.

Polycarbonate is also a material of choice in many household appliances, such as mixers, hair dryers, refrigerators, and electric razors. Other common uses for polycarbonate include exterior lighting fixtures, machinery guards, protective gear, bullet-proof glass, fuse boxes, television housings, roofing, skylights, greenhouses, suitcases, eyeglasses, and beverage containers, such as baby bottles, sippy cups, and refillable water bottles.

Getting Started With Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a strong and impact-resistant thermoplastic that’s used across a variety of industries. However, there are several different kinds of polycarbonate on the market, each with its own characteristics. Working with an experienced manufacturing partner like SyBridge can make all the difference for product teams who are unfamiliar with polycarbonate or are looking to manufacture parts and products with materials that may be more suitable for a specific application. Want to see if polycarbonate is the right material for your next project? Create an account and upload your part files or contact us today to get started.

The post Know Your Materials: Polycarbonate (PC) appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Injection mold tooling is one of the most significant cost factors during a product’s production run. Not only do you need to take into account the cost of sourcing and machining your tool material, but you also need to remember that your part’s size and complexity can affect your total tooling costs, as well. So, it’s not surprising that tooling costs alone can impact your project budget by an amount ranging from a few thousand dollars up to half a million dollars, depending on the size of the run and the factors listed above.

Companies often fail to accurately estimate and budget for injection mold tooling costs, leading to confusion, setbacks, and project scope adjustments on the fly. To help you better plan and stick to a project budget, it’s important to understand the factors that impact tooling costs and how you can improve your estimates and reduce these costs in order to make injection molded parts more efficiently and effectively.

The Impact of Materials on Tooling Costs

The availability of raw materials can impact tooling costs, as raw materials that are more difficult to find generally cost more.

The type of metal you have can also affect costs because soft metals like aluminum are generally less expensive than their harder counterparts. However, the tradeoff is that harder tooling metals like steel will be more durable, which could lower your cost-per-part if you have a large production run.

It’s also worth noting that some materials are more difficult to machine than others. Tooling designers need to spend longer machining harder metals, which drives up costs.

The Impact of Size and Complexity on Tooling Costs

Beyond considering the type of metal for your injection mold tool, you also need to consider how the size and complexity of your project impact your tooling costs.

The larger your part or product is, the larger your tool needs to be, which means more material and a higher fabrication cost. While it’s possible to separate parts into smaller pieces, each with its own mold, and assemble them later, you’ll end up with multiple tools, potentially negating any money you would have saved.

The geometry of your part can also impact tooling costs, as complex designs require more complicated and expensive tools. If your part design has an undercut or a threaded feature, you may need to use an action, an insert, or a collapsible core to ensure your final part comes out as intended. However, these additional features add complexity to the tool machining process, increasing labor time and tooling costs.

The Impact of Part Quantity on Tooling Costs

Part quantity will affect your material choice, the tooling cost for your project, and your final cost-per-part. After all, if you need to create hundreds of thousands of parts, you need to invest in a more durable (and expensive) tool. On the other hand, if you only need a few thousand parts, it makes more financial sense to use a cheaper soft aluminum tool. Similarly, if you’re doing a very small run of parts, it may make more sense to utilize 3D printing to produce your part, which does not require any tooling whatsoever.

However, if you have a large part run planned, don’t worry. While you’ll need to spend more to cover your initial tooling cost, you’ll end up with a lower cost-per-part, as that cost will be spread across tens of thousands — or even millions — of parts over time.

How to Reduce Tooling Costs

As you can see, many factors can drive up your tooling costs. The good news is that you can take action to reduce your costs without sacrificing tooling or part quality. You’ll want to:

Consult with an experienced tooling design engineer during the design phase. Many skip this step because it can raise initial costs, but consulting with an expert early in the design phase will save you time and money in the long run. Tooling design engineers can identify and correct manufacturability issues with your design, which will help you avoid ending up with a tool and parts that don’t match your expectations or needing to manufacture your tooling twice to achieve your intended results. In some cases, they can also help simplify your design to avoid costly features like inserts or collapsible cores without impacting your part’s functionality.

Talk about quantity upfront. While your tool won’t magically stop working on a certain date, it will wear out over time, and variations may eventually exceed your specified tolerances. Since creating new tooling is expensive and time-consuming, the last thing you want to do is underestimate and create a tool that will wear out before production is complete. It’s much better to spend a little more upfront than pause production to create a new tool mid-run. By talking about how many parts you intend to produce with your tooling design engineer at the start of the process, you can ensure that you’ll be using a suitable material from the start.

For example, if you know you need a mold that will withstand at least 500,000 shots, using a harder — albeit more expensive — steel for your tooling is the right choice in order to avoid the hassle and cost of making several tools from softer, cheaper materials, like aluminum. On the other hand, if you plan on executing a short run or changing your design in the near future, we recommend using a more affordable material to ensure you aren’t wasting money on an unnecessarily strong tool.

Plan for size adjustments. If you aren’t 100% sure how big your final part will be, it’s better to buy a bigger block of material than you think you’ll need. Otherwise, you’ll have a material block that’s too small, and you’ll need to purchase a new one. Also, let your manufacturer know about potential size adjustments, as major adjustments may render a tool useless.

How to Better Estimate and Budget for Tooling Costs

To avoid unexpected costs or overspending due to an inefficient design or unanticipated design change, consider working with an experienced manufacturing partner like SyBridge. Our team of engineers can help you understand your tooling costs and ensure your project is as cost-efficient as possible. We’ll take your needs into account and help minimize your chances of underestimating your tool life requirements. Additionally, if you plan to alter your part design in the future, we’ll help you select the right material for your design’s expected life, or plan ahead by using steel-safe tooling.

Creating Tooling With SyBridge

While tooling costs may seem steep and confusing at first, many factors contribute to the final price you see, from the material to the complexity of your design. Once you understand all the elements that go into creating a tool that’s right for your part and production volume, you can better estimate your tooling costs and make the right choices to avoid mid-run setbacks and cost overruns.

When you work with SyBridge, we’ll take the guesswork out of determining your tooling costs. Contact us today to get started or create an account and upload your part designs to use our automated DFM checks and request a quote online.

The post What Factors Contribute to Injection Mold Tooling Costs? appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Injection molding involves creating a precise mold consisting of a core and a cavity and injecting molten plastic into the tooling. Once it has cooled, the injection molding machine’s ejector plate will engage, releasing the part from your mold.

Injection molding offers high precision, speed, a wide range of compatible materials, and a low cost per part. Specific features can be added to injection molded parts, such as text, surface finishes, and hinges.

Why Add Injection Molding Features to a Part?

Optimizing part design by adding injection molding features can help cut back on post-processing steps, saving time and money in the long run. After all, the more features that can be accomplished with a single process, the better. Adding injection molding features to a part design allows for a more functional and aesthetic part and lower total production costs.

Commonly Added Features With Injection Molding Techniques

When it comes to adding injection molding features, options include:

• Text: Injection molding makes adding labels, instructions, logos, and diagrams to your parts easy. Instead of relying on post-process labeling (and incurring the associated costs), text and logos can be incorporated directly onto your plastic parts with small alterations to the design.
• Surface finishes: Similarly, surface finishes can be added to an injection molded part by altering the mold rather than including costly and time-consuming post-processing steps. For example, you can use a textured mold instead of bead blasting every part.
• Insert molding: Injecting molten material around an insert (often made of metal, plastic, or ceramic) will create a strong bond between the two materials. Since this reduces the need for secondary assembly, insert molding will also help save time and money.
• Overmolding: Overmolding can also help cut costs and reduce the need for secondary assembly processes. Like insert molding, this process involves creating parts from multiple materials — the first is a rigid substrate made from an injection molded thermoplastic, and the second is an additional shot in, on, or around the substrate. Overmolding can bond materials chemically or mechanically to create more functional or aesthetically pleasing parts.
• Living hinges: Instead of attaching metal hinges later, designing parts with molded-in hinges can simplify the design and production process. With the right design, enclosures and covers can be processed in a single molding operation, saving on time, materials, and expenses.
• Snap-fit joints: Snap-fit joints are often included in plastic parts to reduce or eliminate the need for traditional fasteners like nuts, screws, washers, and spacers. Incorporating snap-fit joints directly into a design can help cut out the need for secondary hardware and assembly costs.
• Threads: Injection molded parts can be designed with threads to eliminate the need for secondary thread cutting and reduce lead times and costs.

Designing for Injection Molding Features

Optimizing parts according to DFM principles will enable you to produce high-quality, high-performing products as time- and cost-efficiently as possible. Plus, since machining tooling is an expensive and lengthy process, ensuring the capability of your mold is essential. For this, we recommend that you work with an experienced tooling design engineer. As you design your parts, you’ll need to consider the following:

Design Threads Carefully

Including threads in an injection molded part can help cut post-processing costs, but the thread’s location and design can impact the total tooling cost. While placing external threads on a mold’s parting line is the simplest and most cost-effective option, it also raises the possibility of flash and mismatched threads. However, if the threads aren’t centered on the parting line, the design will need to include side actions or slides, which could raise the molding costs.

One solution is to use a rotating insert, also known as a threaded core, on internal threads. The insert rotates and unscrews before the part is ejected from the mold; and with some short internal threads, it can simply be stripped out of the mold at ejection. But regardless of thread placement, limit the thread pitch to less than 32 threads per inch, and stop threads short of the end to prevent cross-threading.

Select the Right Material for Living Hinges

If a design includes living hinges, the material you choose becomes critical. Tough, lightweight, and flexible, polypropylene (PP) is an ideal living hinge material.

In addition to material considerations, including a radius at the hinge’s midpoint will help the two parts close, depending on the intended range of motion. You’ll also need to make sure that you design the hinge thick enough to endure repeated bending, but still thin enough to flex.

Pay Attention to Wall Thickness

Inconsistent wall thickness can result in warping, short shots, sink marks, and other serious complications, so using uniform wall thickness wherever possible is key. However, if the wall thickness of your part design changes, gradual transitions will help keep the part intact. A good rule of thumb for the ideal wall thickness in injection molding is between .040 and .140 inches.

Use Sliding Shutoffs for Clips and Snap-Fits

Using sliding shutoffs enables you to create things like holes and hooks without needing to resort to inserts or side actions. These are particularly useful when designing parts with clips and snap-fits, as creating sliding shutoffs to match the part’s clips and snap-fits will help lower tooling and operating costs.

Include Draft and Reduce Tall Features’ Height

The minimum draft angle is 0.5° for any features perpendicular to the parting line. Ideally, the feature should have a draft angle of 1° or 2°. However, if the design has tall features like ribs, bosses, or standoffs, incorporating larger draft angles will help ease the ejection process and prevent scrape lines.

Tall features and deep molds increase the risk of sink marks, so you should make every effort to minimize a feature’s height whenever possible. This will help prevent the need for increased venting and longer end mills.

Keep an Eye on Your Text

Adding text and logos to an injection molded part should be strategic to ensure production is as efficient as possible and the results are legible. Use a sans-serif font with a minimum stroke length (think of the crossbar in an ‘A’ as an example) of 0.020 inches, as the curls of serif fonts and small strokes make milling the tooling difficult.

Using raised text makes the wording easier to read and produce than recessed text, but it should be kept to 0.015 inches tall or less. The text should be facing the direction of mold pull to ensure smooth ejection and avoid the need for manually loaded inserts and side actions. However, if you use a flexible material like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), mold pull direction won’t be a factor.

Follow Other DFM Best Practices

With any injection molding project, we encourage you to follow design for manufacturability (DFM) best practices, including minimizing undercuts whenever possible, using a low-shrinkage material if the part has tight tolerances, situating parting lines strategically, and including chamfers or fillets wherever necessary.

Creating Quality Injection Molded Parts With SyBridge

Adding injection molded features can save time and money as long as the design is sound and follows best practices. However, improperly designed injection molded components can result in delays, faults, and brittle end products. To streamline the design and production processes, consider working with an experienced manufacturing partner like SyBridge.

At SyBridge, we know precision and quality are essential. When you work with us, you’ll receive expert advice and individualized attention. You’ll also be able to take advantage of our suite of online tools, where you can upload your design, evaluate different materials and manufacturing methods, and identify potential design pitfalls with automated DFM checks. Create an account or contact us today to see how SyBridge can help you bring your ideas to life.

The post Adding Injection Molded Features to Your Part appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Injection molding involves melting and injecting plastic into a mold, cooling it, and ejecting the finished product. Injection molding is used across various industries, but it’s particularly instrumental in the medical supply and device industry, as it can produce large quantities of accurate, high-quality parts and is compatible with many medical-grade plastics.

Common Medical Applications of Injection Molding

Injection molding offers high levels of accuracy, compatibility with FDA-approved materials, the ability to achieve ISO 13485 compliance, and a low cost-per-part, making it ideal for many medical applications. Medical injection molding can be used to create components for dental X-ray equipment, catheter locks, diagnostic testing kit components, personal protection equipment, microfluidic devices, and surgical and drug delivery equipment.

Other medical plastic injection molding applications include orthopedics, syringes, Petri dishes, and pipettes, as well as parts, housings, and casings for medical devices, electronic devices, and computerized medical equipment. Injection molding is ideal for situations that require high volumes of durable, accurate, and sterilization-friendly parts.

The Benefits of Using Injection Molding in the Medical Industry

Injection molding has plenty to offer the medical industry, including:

Cost Efficiency

While creating tooling requires a significant amount of time and money upfront, injection molding is extremely cost-effective at high volumes. Bulk injection molding will spread the tooling cost across thousands of parts, lowering the overall cost-per-part.

High Levels of Accuracy

Injection molding is known for its accuracy and repeatability, making it perfect for the medical industry, where the slightest mistake can cause a part or device to fail. Injection molding allows companies to quickly create hundreds or thousands of identical parts while providing exceptional accuracy and adhering to tight tolerances.

A Wide Range of Compatible Materials

Compared to all other manufacturing processes, injection molding has one of the widest material selections. While some materials aren’t suitable for use in the medical industry, there are still many materials capable of meeting the industry’s various requirements and regulations.

Superior Strength, Durability and Mechanical Properties

Injection molded parts are quite strong and durable. They may also be resistant to vibrations, impacts, and harsh environments. Some are resistant to heat, meaning they can be easily and repeatedly sterilized via an autoclave without suffering any damage.

Comparing Medical Injection Molding Materials

• Polyethylene (PE): This thermoplastic has a high molecular weight and is perfect for use in wearable medical devices. However, you can’t sterilize PE with an autoclave, as it’s less resistant to heat.
• Polypropylene (PP): PP is highly heat resistant, making it ideal for parts that will be regularly sterilized by an autoclave. PP is also tough, lightweight, affordable, and resistant to radiation, chemicals, electricity, and organic solvents.
• Polystyrene (PS): PS offers good impact resistance and dimensional stability. It’s also non-toxic, inexpensive, odorless, FDA-compliant, and lightweight, making it great for Petri dishes and test tubes.
• Polyetheretherketone (PEEK): PEEK is highly resistant to chemicals, radiation, and wear. Since PEEK is also incredibly resistant to high temperatures, it’s great for sterilization and injection molding. PEEK is often used in orthopedic devices, dental implants, healing caps, and spinal fusion devices.
• Polycarbonate (PC): This strong yet flexible engineering-grade thermoplastic offers high vibration, heat, impact, and UV light resistance. PC offers good dimensional stability and is often used in medical devices.

Determining Which Material is Best for Medical-Grade Products

There are plenty of materials suitable for medical injection molding, but each medical-grade plastic has its own advantages, and each will perform differently. In addition to opting for a contaminant-resistant material that can be sterilized, consider:

• Durability and strength: In the medical industry, using an easily breakable material isn’t very practical. In fact, it can be both inconvenient and dangerous if it breaks at a crucial moment, so make sure to opt for a material that’s resistant to shattering and breaking and offers the durability and strength needed for its intended application.
• Operating conditions: Before deciding which material to use, you’ll need to consider the application environment. For example, if the part is repeatedly sterilized and subjected to high heat, a material resistant to high temperatures is needed, such as polypropylene. On the other hand, if a part needs to be flexible and durable, use a strong material like polycarbonate, which is resistant to vibrations, abrasions, and heat.
• Ease of use: When selecting a part’s material, consider who will use the part and how. After all, a heavy, non-ergonomic surgical instrument would only hinder a surgeon from doing their job. A light, ergonomic surgical instrument that’s functional and easy to sterilize can make all the difference.

Compliance: Adhering to FDA Regulations and ISO Standards

In addition to the use-case and material-specific considerations that you need to make when manufacturing injection molded parts and products for the medical industry, there’s also the matter of compliance. The medical industry is highly regulated. This means that any parts or products that you make, whether through injection molding or another manufacturing process, must adhere to FDA regulations, as well as receive ISO certification and comply with the corresponding standards.

• FDA regulations: The FDA has strict regulations regarding the cleanliness and sterility of implantable devices, medical instruments, other medical components, as well as materials used in cleanrooms. This means that you’ll need to ensure that your chosen material is capable of meeting those standards. Plus, you’ll need to pay attention to the injection molding process itself, as you or your manufacturing partner will likely need to pass an audit to receive medical-grade approval.
• ISO certification and compliance: You’ll also need to ensure your medical components meet ISO standards. Meeting ISO 13485:2016 standards is a must, but you may also need to meet other standards. In some cases, you may need to demonstrate compliance with Class I, II, or III requirements or ISO 10993 and other biocompatibility standards.

Medical Industry Solutions From SyBridge

Injection molding is a precise, cost-efficient manufacturing method that results in high-quality parts and is capable of meeting the strict standards of the medical industry. There are countless applications for injection molding in the medical industry, but some materials are better suited for specific situations than others. To ensure you have the best design paired with the right material and can meet strict regulatory requirements, consider working with an injection molding expert.

At SyBridge, our expert engineers can help you refine your design and select the right material for your component. You can also access instant DFM analysis and more by uploading your designs to identify potential design pitfalls, reduce unnecessary production slowdowns, and lower your cost-per-part.

Create an account or contact us today to discover what SyBridge can do to help you make injection molded parts for the medical industry or other applications.

The post How Injection Molding is Used in the Medical Industry appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Injection molding involves injecting molten plastic into a mold, cooling it, and ejecting it. Manufacturers can repeat the process to quickly and cost-efficiently to create thousands of identical parts.

Several subprocesses fall under the general umbrella of injection molding, including insert molding and overmolding (a.k.a. multi-shot injection molding, two-shot injection molding, or double-injection molding). Keep reading to learn the differences and similarities between insert molding and overmolding, their applications, and how to figure out which type of multi-material molding is best suited for your project.

What is insert molding?

The insert molding manufacturing process involves injecting molten plastic around pre-placed inserts (usually metal), forming a strong bond between the two materials and helping cut back on assembly operations and time. Common inserts include pins, blades, threaded nuts and knobs, sleeves, bushings, and the metal shanks of tools, such as screwdrivers.

What is overmolding?

Overmolding enables manufacturers to create parts from multiple materials using a manual two-stage process for small production runs or an automated two-stage process for large production runs. Regardless of production volume, the overmolding process works in the following way. First, a thermoplastic injection forms the rigid substrate. After the substrate forms, another shot (generally thinner and more pliable) is injected in, on, or around the substrate. As the materials cool, they bond together, creating a unified, strong, and durable part. Bonds can be chemical or mechanical, depending on the materials as well as the design of the part or product.

Comparing insert molding to overmolding

Overmolding and insert molding enable manufacturers to create multi-material products without using adhesives, help eliminate secondary assembly steps, and improve the final product. However, it’s important to note the differences between insert molding and overmolding, including:

Process

Overmolding involves injecting two shots of materials to form the substrate and the overmold. Insert molding only involves injecting one shot of molten plastic, though the metal insert needs to be purchased or created separately.

Speed

Insert molding involves one shot while overmolding involves multiple, which means the insert molding cycle time is generally faster than the overmolding cycle time. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that insert molding is always the fastest option for production. In some cases, manufacturers may be unable to find pre-made metal inserts that meet their requirements, meaning they’ll need to create a custom metal insert, which can lengthen production timelines.

Cost

Insert molding and overmolding can reduce assembly costs and accelerate production, helping companies simultaneously save on production costs and generate greater profits when producing large quantities of parts. However, overmolding is more expensive than insert molding, as it involves two steps. This is particularly true when it comes to prototype or small production runs, as overmolding requires manufacturing two tools — one for the substrate and one for the overmold.

Applications

Overmolding is often used to make toothbrushes, medical instruments, disposable razors, and phone cases, or to enclose electronic circuit boards (e.g. USB flash drives).

Consider using overmolding if:

• Your part’s surface needs to have different electrical or thermal properties.
• You want to increase your part’s shock absorption or vibration damping.
• You need a multi-colored plastic part.
• Your part needs a comfortable and non-stick grip.
• You need to embed soft seals into your part.

On the other hand, insert molding is a popular option for connectors, dash panels, electric sockets and wires, dials, remote control coverings, handles, scissor grips, and surgical implements.

Use insert molding if:

• Your part has a metal component.
• Your substrate includes wires, electronic parts, or circuit boards.
• You want to avoid incurring the cost of a complex two-shot mold.
• You must incorporate threaded inserts into your part.

Injection molding with SyBridge

Insert molding and overmolding are both types of multi-material injection molding, but they each have their own benefits and drawbacks and can’t be used interchangeably. To ensure you use the best process for your part, you’ll need to be familiar with each method. If you need some help selecting the best technique to use, contact us to get expert advice on your next injection molding project.

In addition to a team of experts that will help you make your design reality, when you work with SyBridge, you also get access to a suite of online tools that makes designing and ordering parts easy. You can upload your part file, get DFM analysis, and start exploring production and material options, all without initiating a quote — and when the time comes, getting a rapid quote is simple. Contact us today to get the design and manufacturing insight you need to bring your next injection molding project to life.

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