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Everything You Need to Know About Metal Cast Injection Molds

If you're looking to mass-produce metal parts, metal cast injection molding is a popular and reliable technique to consider. In this post, we'll cover everything you need to know about the process, from the mold design and manufacturing to the materials and finish options.

Mold Design and Manufacturing

The first step in metal cast injection molding is to design and manufacture the mold. A mold is a hollow metal block that has a cavity, which is filled with molten metal to create the desired shape of the part. The mold is typically made from steel or aluminum and needs to be able to withstand high temperatures and pressures.

The mold design and manufacturing process is crucial to the success of the injection molding process. The mold must be precise, durable, and allow for easy removal of the part. The mold designer must consider factors such as draft angles, gate location, and cooling channels.

Materials

Metal cast injection molding can be used to produce parts in a wide range of metals, including aluminum, zinc, magnesium, brass, and copper. Each metal has its own properties, advantages, and limitations. Aluminum is lightweight and corrosion-resistant, making it a popular choice for automotive and aerospace industries. Zinc is durable and resistant to impact, making it ideal for electronics and consumer products.

The Injection Molding Process

The metal cast injection molding process involves heating the metal to a molten state and then injecting it under high pressure into the mold cavity. The metal then cools and solidifies to take on the shape of the mold. The part is ejected from the mold, and the process begins again.

One of the benefits of metal cast injection molding is that it is a repeatable process, meaning you can produce the same part over and over again with consistent quality.

Finishing Options

Once the metal part is removed from the mold, it may require some finishing work to achieve the desired appearance and function. Some common finishing options include:

Sanding and polishing

Painting and coating

Electroplating

Shot blasting

The type of finish depends on the part's final application and aesthetic requirements.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Metal cast injection molding has several advantages, such as:

High production rates

Consistent quality

Precise tolerances

Complex geometries

However, like any manufacturing process, it also has some limitations and potential drawbacks, such as:

High upfront costs for tooling and equipment

Limited material options for some designs

Part size limitations

Conclusion

Metal cast injection molding is a reliable and versatile manufacturing process for producing metal parts. It requires a precise mold, high temperatures, and high pressures to achieve a repeatable and consistent process. By understanding the mold design and manufacturing process, material options, injection molding process, and finishing options, you can make informed decisions about whether this process is right for your manufacturing needs.

metal cast injection molds

On-demand Rapid Injection Molding

Sigma’s rapid tooling service helps you to have the low volume to large volume plastic parts done, with no compromise on the material selection.

  • No MOQ required
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  • 24/7 engineering support

Our rapid injection molding Application

Sigma Technik Limited's rapid injection molding service injects molten plastic materials into molds using injection molding machines and molds, and cools and solidifies them over a certain period of time, ultimately forming the required plastic parts. This manufacturing process is usually suitable for producing small and medium-sized plastic parts, which can obtain high-quality and precise parts in a short period of time.

Plastic Injection Molding

Injection molding is a common manufacturing process to produce low volume to large volumes of parts typically made out of plastic. The process involves injecting molten material into a mold and letting it cool to a solid-state.

Liquid Silicone Rubber Molding

Liquid Silicone Rubber is known as LSR, which is a process used to produce parts made from silicone rubber, widely used create products such as medical devices, automotive parts, baby care products, and many others.

2K Injection molding

2K injection molding is a manufacturing process in which two different types of plastic materials are molded together in a single operation to create a single homogeneous component. This process allows for efficient and cost-effective production of high-quality parts that can perform unique functions.

Overmolding and Insert Molding

Overmolding / Insert molding combines two or more materials into a single part, one of the material is usually soft and flexible, or metal. The purpose of overmolding/insert molding is to add functionality, improve grip, provide protection, or enhance aesthetics.

Mission And Vision

Rapid injection molding materials

ABS

ABS is a type of plastic with high strength, hardness, and toughness. It has good impact resistance and wear resistance, and is suitable for manufacturing shells, components, and models.

PC

PC is a transparent, high-strength, high-temperature resistant, and excellent electrical insulation material. It is suitable for manufacturing transparent components, electronic components, and automotive components.

PP

PP is a relatively flexible material with excellent corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance. It is suitable for manufacturing containers, pipelines, baby bottles, etc.

PA

PA is a material with high strength, high rigidity, and wear resistance. It is suitable for manufacturing gears, bearings, brackets, etc.

POM

POM is a material with excellent wear resistance, toughness, and rigidity. It is suitable for manufacturing gears, bearings, pulleys, etc.

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What can we do?

Sigma Technik Limited, as a prototype production company and rapid manufacturer focusing on rapid prototyping and low volume production of plastic and metal parts, has advanced manufacturing technology, one-stop service, diversified manufacturing methods, on-demand manufacturing services and efficient manufacturing processes, which can provide customers with high-quality, efficient and customized product manufacturing services and help customers improve product quality and market competitiveness.

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Rapid Injection Molding Service Application

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Rapid Injection Molding FAQs

Burrs appear on the surface of the product, which affects its aesthetics and safety. The solution can be to adjust the parameters of the injection molding machine, such as temperature, pressure, speed, etc., or to perform post-processing, such as polishing, sandblasting, etc.

The warping deformation of the product is usually caused by unstable parameters such as temperature and pressure of the injection molding machine, or improper mold design. The solution can be to adjust parameters such as temperature and pressure, or to redesign the mold.

The occurrence of bubbles inside the product may be due to the high temperature of the injection molding machine and the high moisture content of the material. The solution can be to reduce the temperature of the injection molding machine, adjust the water content of the material, increase the pressure of the injection molding machine, etc.

The product size deviation is too large, which may be caused by material thermal expansion, mold deformation and other reasons. The solution can be to adjust parameters and optimize mold design based on material characteristics.