7 Guidelines for Custom Plastic Insert Molding

Custom plastic insert molding has become a popular option for creating products that have both plastic and metal components. However, like any other manufacturing process, insert molding suffers from a few problems. Some examples are provided below:

• The insert can get dislodged at times
• Inserts can often increase the manufacturing cycle time as they are difficult to load
• The plastic can crack after a certain period of using the product in an application

Due to such instances, the molding process needs to be performed with certain precautions. Here, we provide important points that need to be kept in mind during the insert molding process.

Custom Plastic Insert Molding Guidelines

Following these points can help you to optimize your insert molding process.

1. Utilize a Stress Chain Chart: When choosing materials, a stress chain chart can help you to understand the advantages and disadvantages of any material. This can help you to choose the best one for a custom insert design.
2. Use High Grade Resins: When strong resins are used to create the plastic product, it prevents cracking from taking place, and also allows for greater expansion of the plastic.
3. Create Unique Insert Designs: The inserts should be designed in a manner to provide strength, easy loading during the manufacturing process, and durability in an application. For this reason, it is best to design inserts with rounded corners.
4. Preheat the Insert: This helps to expedite the manufacturing process. Preheated inserts eventually result in improved weld strength, reduced manufacturing costs, and minimal shrinkage once the product has been molded.
5. Measure the Distance of the Insert in the Mold Cavity: To prevent any dislodging, measuring the distance that the insert is placed into the plastic would help. On a general basis, the insert should be planted 0.016 inches into the mold cavity.
6. Maintain a Certain Boss Diameter: The boss diameter is basically the outer diameter of a post that is a part of the insert. Generally, the boss diameter should be 1.5 times the diameter of the insert.
7. Conduct Tests during the Prototyping Phase: Perform checks during the prototyping phase, as it can help you to detect and solve a majority of errors, as well as future defects. It also helps to lessen the manufacturing time and speed up delivery.

By keeping such points in mind, the custom plastic insert molding process can be completed within time and budget, while maintaining the quality and durability of the product.