Technology News

TECHNOLOGY NEWS: MOULDING

Rapid injection moulding company Protomold (Telford, UK; www.protomold.co.uk) has produced a new design resource intended to give its customers a better insight into how the injection moulding process works. The Protomold Demo Mould can be dismantled to show the internal workings, features, and operation of a mould. This visualization of the moulding process aims to inspire designs that can be produced quickly with minimal modifications, according to the company.

“While most of our resources focus on part design, our Demo Mould concentrates on the features and operation of the mould itself,” explains managing director John Tumelty.

An animation demonstrating how the mould functions.

The company’s online ProtoQuote system produces a quote generated from 3-D CAD models uploaded by the customer. From this, specifications are picked and the designs are evaluated for modifications needed to ensure that the customer receives flawless plastic injection-moulded parts. The Protomold Demo Mould is designed in two halves, which have been colour-coded to correspond to the two halves illustrated in a ProtoQuote.

The A-side half creates the cavity of the part and, because there are no ejector pins to compromise the finish, this usually produces the outside or cosmetic side of the product. This half is also the side that will be fixed to the injection moulding press and is where the resin enters the mould through the sprue hole.

The B-side half, often referred to as the core side, forms the hollow centre into which the resin flows when it is fitted with the A-side. To give a complete picture of the moulding process, Protomold has included the injected part that is formed in the mould. Once the part is formed, it will remain on the B-side half when opened and can be removed by the ejector pin system that is also fixed to this part of the Demo Mould.