From additive manufacturing to injection molding, from prototype to production.
As a full-service supplier, we streamline the manufacturing process of prototypes and ongoing production parts by eliminating the need to coordinate multiple vendors, saving you time and money. Our experience in advanced manufacturing spans both Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Injection Molding (IM), enabling us to recommend the ideal solution for each stage of your product development cycle.
With manufacturing facilities in the US and China, Stratasys Direct builds molds using high-grade P20 steel or harder, ensuring top-tier mold quality and adherence to Classes 103 to 105 mold classification standards. Our US-based Project Engineering and Production Coordination teams manage all projects, with hands-on oversight provided by our team in Shenzhen, China.
We provide complementary DFM services to optimize IM parts without compromising design integrity, as well as consultation if transitioning from IM to AM or AM to IM. This seamless transition between additive and conventional manufacturing, combined with our ability to handle insert molding and over-molding, makes Stratasys Direct stand out as the go-to partner for your projects.
Stratasys Direct offers a vast selection of injection molding materials, with access to thousands of thermoplastics. We even accommodate custom compounding, ensuring greater versatility and performance to meet your specific project requirements. A few of the more popular injection molding materials:
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At Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, we prioritize your unique needs, offering tailored quotes based on your specific requirements. Unlike competitors, our Design for Manufacturing (DFM) approach adheres to industry standards rather than solely relying on our established norms, ensuring precision and adaptability. This means online quoting is not sufficient and a discussion with our experts is the best way to make sure your project is executed correctly.
To obtain a quote, simply fill out the tooling form on our website, and our team will promptly reach out to schedule a meeting. We look forward to discussing your project in detail and providing a comprehensive solution that meets your expectations.
Stratasys Direct stands out when it comes to finishing and assembly for Injection Molding (IM). Our secondary operations include light assembly, heat-staking, ultrasonic welding, and precise printing and engraving techniques. With a dedicated team of finishing and assembly experts, we guarantee your project is executed to the highest standards, ensuring it is primed and ready for the market.
Stratasys Direct Manufacturing sets the benchmark for quality and excellence in Injection Molding. Our industry-leading On-Time Delivery (OTD) and quality metrics are consistently 99% and above. Our seasoned professionals in the US and China, ensure consistent, superior results, fostering trust from our customers and recognition for our commitment to excellence.
Injection molding, utilized for producing diverse parts ranging from small battery boxes to large truck body panels, involves designing a mold precisely machined to replicate the desired part features. This comprehensive design guide addresses key considerations such as material selection, wall section design, warp prevention, voids and shrinkage management, as well as detailing aspects like ribs, bosses, draft angles, texture, sharp corners, and insert.
Injection molding is the most commonly used method for producing higher-volumes of plastic parts. Simply put, it is the process by which plastic or rubber materials are heated above their melting point and injected into a mold to create the desired shape. The part is cooled and ejected from the mold, and the gate is trimmed from the part.
The injection molding process uses granular plastic pellets that are gravity-fed from a hopper. A screw-type plunger forces the material into a heated chamber, called a barrel, where it is melted. The plunger continues to advance, pushing the polymer through a nozzle at the end of the barrel that is pressed against the mold. The plastic enters the mold cavity through a gate and runner system. After the cavity is filled with material, a holding pressure is maintained to compensate for material shrinkage as it cools.
At this same time, the screw turns so that the next shot is moved into a ready position, and the barrel retracts as the next shot is heated. Because the mold is kept cold via cooling lines, the plastic solidifies soon after the mold is filled. Once the part inside the mold cools completely, the mold opens, and the part is ejected. The next injection molding cycle starts the moment the mold closes and the polymer is injected into the mold cavity.
Molds are typically constructed from pre-hardened steel, hardened steel, aluminum, and/or beryllium-copper alloy. Of these materials, hardened steel molds are the most expensive to make, but offer the user a long lifespan, which offsets the cost per part by spreading it over a larger quantity.
The most economical molds are produced out of aluminum but are prone to wear and breakage causing out-of-spec parts or interruptions in delivery timelines. For this reason, these are used when lower volumes of parts are needed. Pre-hardened steel molds can withstand higher volumes of parts vs. aluminum but are more difficult to machine which increases upfront machining costs. Hardened steel tools are used for high-volume production runs and can maintain high-quality surface finishes over a large number of molded parts. Hardened steel tools can exceed 1,000,000 million molded parts. Beryllium copper is often used in special applications requiring fast heat removal or places that see the most shear heat generated, and are also used where large quantities of parts are required.
Our team comprises industry veterans with extensive knowledge and hands-on experience in injection molding, ensuring that we understand the nuances and complexities of every project. Unlike many competitors who prioritize quick turnaround times at the expense of quality, our approach ensures that each mold is crafted with the utmost precision and durability, designed to withstand the demands of production without compromising on the integrity of the final product.
