一, An overview of injection moulds
An injection moulding machine fills an injection mould with hot plastic, cools it down, and then takes out the moulded result. Steel or aluminium are common materials for injection moulds because they are strong, can handle high pressure, and can work in high-speed and high-temperature settings. Some of its primary features are:High precision: Injection moulds can make things that are exactly the right size, with an accuracy of ± 0.05mm. This is good for industrial products that need to be the right size.
Overview of Silicone Mold
Silicone mould is a flexible mould made of liquid silicone (LSR or HTV). It is stretchy and easy to take off. Some of its primary features are:
Easy to take out of the mould: The mould is soft and can easily form minute details and complicated surfaces.
Silicone moulds are cheap and quick to make, making them great for the product development stage.
二,A comparison of how well the materials work
The kind of material directly affects which mould to use. need to be diverse hardness, temperature resistance, and demolding performance for different materials.The qualities and restrictions of materials that can be used with each type of mould
Injection moulds for hard engineering plastics like ABS, PP, PC, PA, POM, and others can handle high temperatures and pressures, are very accurate, and work well with hard plastics. They don't work well with soft or low-hardness materials.
Mould made of silicone LSR silicone and HTV silicone are both safe for food, have good elasticity and tear resistance, and can make surfaces and textures that are too complicated for hard plastic injection moulding.
三, Things to think about when making a batch and its cost
1. The cost of the injection mould and the size of the batch
High initial investment: Steel injection moulds are expensive, usually costing between a few thousand and a few hundred thousand dollars.
Good for mass production: It lasts a long time and can make tens of thousands to millions of parts.
Low cost per piece: As manufacturing volume goes up, the cost of moulds goes down, which is a clear long-term economic benefit.
2. The price and size of silicone moulds
Low initial investment: low cost of manufacture and speedy prototyping.
Good for making small batches or a wide range of products: The cost per item is a little greater, but the production cycle is short.
Design that is easy to change: good for things that are still being made or that change often.
四,A comparison between moulding precision and complicated structure
1. How accurate and limited injection moulds are
Very precise, with a range of ± 0.05mm
Good surface finish; can be utilised right away for products that need a lot of them.
For complicated deep hollow constructions, sliding block design or multiple processing is needed, which raises costs.
2. The accuracy and benefits of silicone moulds
Good stretchability, easy to remove from surfaces with many features and minor elements
The accuracy is a little lower, usually ± 0.1–0.2 mm.
Can make smooth textures, fake textures, and complicated surfaces
五 \ The life and care of a mould
Requirements for keeping mould types in good shape during their whole life
Injection moulds need to be cleaned, polished, and lubricated 50,000 to 1 million times, which makes maintenance expenses rather high.
After 500 to 5000 cycles, silicone moulds can wear out, thus they need to be checked for cracks often so they can be easily replaced and maintained.Injection moulds are good for long-term, large-scale manufacturing because they are very durable. Silicone moulds are good for short-term, research and development, or small-scale production because they are very flexible but not very durable.
六, Choosing a plan for the project development phase
1. The sampling stage
Use silicone moulds first to quickly check the design, colour, and functionality.
Cheap, quick, and easy to change several times
Verifiable product structure and functionality lower the hazards of making things.
2. Making small and medium-sized batches
You can pick between silicone moulds and fast injection moulds (aluminium moulds).
Keep expenses down while keeping manufacturing flexible
Can be used to test the market for small batches or make things that are unique to you.
七,Complete tips for choosing
The selection principles are based on the following factors: the material's overall properties, the size of the batch, the accuracy, the cost, and the research and development cycle:
Injection moulds are needed for hard plastic, big amounts, and great precision.
Silicone mould: flexible, small batch, varied, or made over and over again
R&D/sampling stage, complicated surfaces or fine textures -> silicone moulds are the most important.
Injection moulds are the best choice for long-term mass production of industrial standard items.
