MOLDMAKING

OVERVIEW

Below is some basic terminology relating to injection molds.

An injection mold illustration with key features identified.

There are a number of different ways you can make a mold:

Machine the mold entirely from metal.

A tensile test bar mold and an injection molded "dogbone" part.

Machine a pocket into a metal mold and then place a 3D printed insert into the machined pocket.

Illustrates a wire assembly that was overmolded with a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) plastic using a prototype aluminum injection mold placed in a hand-operated benchtop injection molding machine.

3D print a mold to fit inside an aluminum master mold frame.

Illustrates a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) gasket molded with a 3D printed mold using a hand-operated benchtop injection molding machine.

3D print a stand alone mold.

Illustrates a recycled plastic part and the 3D printed mold it was molded from using a hand-operated benchtop injection molding machine.