How to Choose the Best Services of Plastic Molding

Plastic molding is a popular manufacturing process where parts are made through the injection of plastic into molds. The process involves the feeding of the plastic into a heated barrel, mixing it up, and forcing it into the mold cavity. It is then left to cool and harden. 

Choose your plastic molding company carefully to ensure you get value for money. You need to have qualities of a good molding company at your fingertips if you are to make an informed choice.

The company should take measures to ensure there are no molding defects. If there are such defects, it should be the company's responsibility to fix them, including by making new parts. Blistering, burn marks/dieseling, color streaks, de-lamination, flash/burrs, embedded contaminates, and flow marks. 

The tolerances should be acceptable 

Acceptable industry standards are ±0.500 for thermoplastics. Specialized applications need higher tolerance levels. Many molding companies focus on high-quality standard and precision only, but the aesthetic appearance is also important.

Go for a company that specializes in plastic injection molding. Such a company will have the capacity including the equipment, tools, and manpower to do a good job. It should do everything from designing, optimization, tooling, the actual injection molding, assembly, additional printing, and testing, as the company should offer comprehensive service.

Proper assembly

Assembly should be done such that there is no risk of parts coming apart even with the application of pressure. Some of the most effective assembly techniques are insert staking, hot-gun gluing, kitting, electrical sub-assembly, and sonic welding. As it ensures that the parts delivered will work, in-house testing is important. Continuity tests, air decay tests, pressure tests, and electrical tests are some of the most important types of tests.

Regulations 

To ensure that the plastic molding company makes quality parts, determine if the quality control system meets ISO 9001 and ISO13485 requirements. The company should use state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and there should be Class 7 cleanroom manufacturing. 

The use of 5 axis robots, as there should be automation. As it means less human error (and consequently greater quality levels) and lower costs, automation is important. Advanced Product Quality Planning, Failure Mode and Effect Analysis, Production Planning Approval Process, Corrective Action Preventive Action, Operational Qualification, Installation Qualification, Performance Qualification, and Statistical Process Control is what the company should be using in the manufacturing process.

So that you pick what best suits you, the company should offer a variety of plastics. Through high tech polymers like isoplast, polyacrylamide, and polyetheretherketone you should also be able to choose for specialist applications and engineering polymers like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polyethylene terephthalate for high mechanical strength applications, other than the traditional low-cost commodity polymers that are used in plastic injection molding like cellulose acetate butyrate, polypropylene, and polyvinyl-chloride.

A good plastic molding company is one that has been around for several decades since this is indicative of its credibility and reliability. The company should have a history of meeting strict deadlines. The company should have the necessary licenses and it should use 'green' manufacturing methods.