4 Important Tips For Designing Plastic Injection Molded Items

21 July 2021
 Categories: Industrial & Manufacturing, Blog

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If you have a part that you need to be made from plastic, you will want to consider working with a plastic injection molding company, which can create the products you need. When designing a plastic injected molded item, there are some design tips you are going to want to keep in mind.

Tip #1: Keep the Thickness Consistent

When you are creating parts, you will want to keep the parts uniform in thickness. Keeping the parts uniform in thickness will make the fabrication process easier. Don't go too thin with the thickness either, as that can cause issues. You want your items to be at least a few millimeters thick. This will ensure that the product has a consistent thickness that is strong and stable.

Tip #2: Go for Soft Corners

Second, you are going to want soft corners for the part. It is difficult to create sharp corners with the injection molding process. With corners, air often becomes trapped, which can compromise the integrity of the part. You are instead going to want to use a radius. This will make creating angles easier and will ensure that your parts can be removed from the molding form.

Tip #3: Use Drafting Angles

Third, you may want to use drafting angles in your design. With drafting angles, you will have a little extra space that will help get your parts out of the molding. You will want to use a small drafting angle to make it easier to pry your items out of the molding frame. You are going to want to make the drafting angle as small as possible for the best results.

Tip #4: Carefully Choose Surface Finish

Fourth, you are going to want to choose surface finishes carefully. There is a wide range of surface finishes that you can choose from. You can go with a leathery texture that looks more like grain. You can go for a satin, matte, or glassy finish. You can enjoy a mirror finish if you want something reflective. You also etch a logo into the design.

Different surface finishes offer different advantages. The surface finish you choose can also hide the parting lines on the part and can also improve the grip. The texture can make it easier to paint the surface and further customize the appearance.

When designing a part, you want something uniform in thickness, has soft corners, includes drafting angles, and has the right surface finish.

To learn more about plastics injection molding in Mexico, contact a professional near you.