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Injection molds start at 6 figures and you need a different mold for every part.
by ThrowawayTestr 2y ago
Injection molds start at 6 figures and you need a different mold for every part.
- echoangle 2y agoTheoretically you could have a large mold with multiple different parts, kind of like plastic model kits.
- amelius 2y ago> Injection molds start at 6 figures This was the same 30 years ago. Why is this stagnant?
- buildbot 2y agoIt’s not, xeometry can do it for much less! Or hubs.com (now part of protolabs)
- iancmceachern 2y agoThat's not accurate anymore You can get a aluminum tool for a few thousand, and even 3d print tools. Source - I run a molding company that does so in SF Www.goldengatemolders.com
- RodgerTheGreat 2y agoMoreover, some of the STEMFIE parts have complex internal shapes and overhangs which would be extremely difficult to form with injection molding. Unfortunately, the same properties pose problems for hobbyist-level alternatives like resin casting, too.
- yjftsjthsd-h 2y agoI was looking at the threads/screws when I said some parts might be worth making with traditional methods, yeah. Even so, if you can make even some of the parts more cheaply/quickly it seems like a possible win.
- GrantMoyer 2y agoApparently, for low volume production you can 3D print injection molds. Ex. https://all3dp.com/1/3d-printing-injection-molds-the-ultimate-guide/ https://all3dp.com/1/3d-printing-injection-molds-the-ultimat...
- iancmceachern 2y agoI've been doing this, and having a lot of success Www.goldengatemolders.com My favorite thing I've made so far in a 3d printed mold on my injection molding machines - screwdrivers. They say "Made with pride and love in San Francisco" on them and are made with ecycled plastic resin that is diverted from landfills.
- WillAdams 2y agoYes, if you want a stainless steel mold to very fine tolerances which will hold up for very long production runs. There are more affordable options these days, but whether or no the newer options would be suitable for these parts or if these parts would be suitable for molding (usually that requires designing the part to take the requirements such as "draft angle" which helps get a part out of a mold) would be something which would need to be researched and accounted for and so forth.
- jkestner 2y ago4 figures. You can get P20 molds, good for 20k cycles, <$5,000 in China. And of course, you can get family molds that make more than one part at a time, though most of the savings is in per-part cost.
- iancmceachern 2y agoInjection molds for small parts start at a few thousand dollars. Source- I run a molding company