Is the 3D printing not enough for your prototyping applications for functional testing?

Kubi Kara

fromAPSX LLC

22 Mar, 2024

Is the 3D printing not enough for your prototyping applications for functional testing?

Are your iterations for the traditional injection mold making too costly and time consuming for a new part you are developing? You are also not 100% sure if this part design is your final design.

Injection Molding

- product design

- prototyping

Is the 3D printing not enough for your prototyping applications for functional testing? Are your iterations for the traditional injection mold making too costly and time consuming for a new part you are developing? You are also not 100% sure if this part design is your final design. With Freeform Injection Molding (FIM), you can cut the cost and time significantly and make multiple iterations until you find your sweet spot. Then you can make the metal mold as your final step before the production with 100% confidence.

The APSX-PIM desktop injection molding machine can speed up the process with reduced costs and faster turnarounds. Simply design the mold, 3D print it, inject the plastic in it then demold or directly use the part.

First off, what exactly is Freeform Injection Molding? With FIM, complex geometries can be achieved without the constraints of traditional tooling, thanks to the high-speed, high-resolution capabilities of Nexa3D printers. You can even dissolve the mold made by xMOLD material to test the plastic part functionality until it is perfect. Nexa3D utilizes its groundbreaking LSPc (Lubricant Sublayer Photo-curing) technology, enabling blazing fast print speeds without compromising on detail.

But what if you need larger quantities of your parts? That's where the APSX-PIM desktop injection molding machine comes in. This compact yet powerful machine allows you to quickly and affordably produce small to medium-sized batches of parts using traditional injection molding techniques.

By combining the precision 3D printing with the scalability of injection molding, you have a winning combination for accelerating your product development process. Not only does this save time, but it also significantly reduces costs compared to traditional manufacturing methods.

Whether you're a startup looking to iterate quickly on your designs or an established company aiming to streamline your production line, Freeform Injection Molding with Nexa3D and the APSX-PIM machine offers unparalleled flexibility and efficiency.

Freeform Injection Molding is changing the game, and with Nexa3D and APSX-PIM, you're well-equipped to stay ahead of the curve. Please visit the www.apsx.com website to get more details.

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#injectionmolding #prototyping #manufacturing #engineering #apsxpim #nexa3D #xMOLD #plasticparts #partdesign #moldingmachine #3dprinting

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Injection Moulding: Technology Overview

This article sums up everything you need to know about Injection moulding: how it works, common injection moulding processes, its benefits and limitations.

Nikolaus Mroncz

fromXometry Europe

11 Jul, 2023

Injection Molding

- product design

- prototyping

Injection moulding, a modernised and far more advanced form of casting, is one of the manufacturing methods developed through the years that allows to speed up and enhance the production of different products. Speed and ease of production are critical considerations in manufacturing, especially bulk production, as these bring about numerous advantages. These advantages include lower development costs, greater forecasting accuracy, faster innovation, and larger market share.

What is injection moulding?

Injection moulding is a manufacturing process in which molten material is injected into an already prepared mould and left to cool. Upon cooling, the material solidifies and takes the shape of the mould, before being ejected. While this process may be used for one-off productions, it is usually used in the mass production of identical parts. Materials most commonly used in injection moulding are plastics or elastomers.

Injection moulding system

Due to its high output rate and consistency of quality, injection moulding is widely used across different industries to create parts such as electrical components, automotive parts, basic consumer plastics, furniture parts, and many others.

Mould for injection moulding

How does injection moulding work?

A special-purpose injection moulding machine carries out injection moulding. The manufacturing process is divided into the various steps listed below:

Step 1 – Creation of the mould

The first step in injection moulding is mould creation. The mould for the part to be manufactured is designed according to the specifications of the part’s 3D model, using computer-aided design, following several injection moulding guidelines. It is then manufactured in two parts, usually using CNC machining. Moulds are made from meta

Solving Wall Thickness Issues in Moulded Parts

Navigate common manufacturing advisories in your quote's design analysis with tips to help avoid wall thickness red flags.

Jade Jones

fromProtolabs

06 Mar, 2023

Injection Molding

- digital manufacturing

- product design

- prototyping

It seems there’s some truth to the Goldilocks story, at least when it comes to plastic injection-moulded part design. That’s because several potential problems related to feature thickness exist, some of which can be avoided by shooting for a “just right” dimensional value, and others by optimising your design for machinability by a specific set of tools (or endmills) used to machine your mould cavity.

All parts submitted to our advanced quoting system get DFM (design for manufacturing) feedback and advisories, but what if some of those advisories require some remedial design work? No worries! Those advisories provide the info you need to create high quality parts with us, quickly and accurately. This design tip offers up details on some of the most common advisories and helps you move forward before your mould is made and production begins.

Required change: Thick Area

Sink marks, internal voids, excessive shrink, warp, and dimensional inaccuracies are likely.

Before diving into the nitty gritty, let’s discuss some quick review around nominal thickness of your part design, and what affects that might have on the final moulded part. As noted above, improper wall thickness can lead to a host of problems. Very thick parts will lead to cosmetic and structural problems like voids and warp, while very thin parts may reduce structural strength, or not fill at all. You certainly don’t want that, but even more importantly, walls that are too thick or too thin will make the part un-mouldable. As a best practice, it is always critical to design your part for the recommended wall thickness of the material and maintain a consistent wall thickness throughout your part.

Recommended Wall Thickness by Plastic Type

MATERIAL	RECOMMENDED WALL THICKNESS
ABS How to Design Parts That can Be Easily Picked Up Team RPWORLD from RPWORLD 1 minute read 20240119-Protolabs Insight: Making Changes Jade Jones from Protolabs 4 minutes read Draft angles in plastic injection molding Benedict O'Neill 6 minutes read