News from Molded Devices Inc.

THE MOLD STANDARD

Molded Devices Newsletter

April 2010

Custom Injection Molding Facility

Greetings!

Thank you for reading the Molded Devices Newsletter. Our goal is to communicate helpful information regarding Custom Injection Molding, Dip Molding and Dip Coating. This newsletter's aim is to help you develop new products and improve existing products.

Sincerely,

Molded Devices
East Coast 203-232-7988

West Coast 951-531-4872

Injection Molding with Polycarbonate Resin

Polycarbonate thermoplastic resin is often used for injection molding for its dimensional stability and glass-like transparency. Successful designs for polycarbonate injection molded parts are done with the understanding of part geometry, application requirements, and process related issues. Application requirements such as clarity, tensile strength, and impact resistance will always be the primary driving force behind the selection of a particular material. Designers should also consider the mechanical characteristics, molding properties, and the cost of the polycarbonate resin used. There are a wide range of polycarbonates offering different degrees of clarity and physical properties.

Ask The Expert

From The Mailbag

Question: Are Plastisol and Flexible PVC the same?

Answer:Plastisol is commonly used in dip molding and dip coating applications. Flexible PVC is a thermoplastic resin used in injection molding applications. Flexible PVC can have rubber like qualities and be quite durable.

Question: Why are Injection Molds so expensive?

Answer: Expensive is a relative term, but one must consider the time it takes to build an injection mold which is measured in weeks or even months. Injection Molds are built by highly skilled mold builders who use expensive computer controlled machinery and handling equipment to manage injection molds that can get quite heavy. Molds are built to extremely tight tolerances that can be less than +/- 0.001" which require great precision and experienced mold builders to achieve.

Question: I want to dip coat a grip for a hand tool, what is the requirement?

Answer: Dip coating handles is one of the most common applications for dip coating. It is also one of the fastest. You simply send your handles to a Dip Molder and specify what surface you would like coated. A print is the most effective way to communicate this information. A sketch can also serve the purpose if an engineering drawing isn't available. A variety of colors and textures are available, your Dip Molder can make you aware of all the options.

Question: Is there a product the I can use to dip coat parts myself?

Answer:

There is a retail product that can be purchased in cans from your local building supply store. These products use an air dry chemistry that lacks the durability of a commercial Plastisol Dip Coating Application. Small applications and residential use may lend itself to an air-dry "do it yourself" application, but for real duality and long life, its best to go with and industrial coating of Plastisol.

Question:

Is it necessary to prime my tool handle before they are dip coated with Plastisol?

Answer:

Plastisol by itself won't adhere to metal and requires priming if adhesion is desired. If it is important for the handle to not move during use you must specify priming.

Feel free to submit your question about Injection Molding, Dip Molding or Dip Coating. Click here to submit your question.

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Save 10% and More For New Injection Molding Customers

We will pay to move any injection molding tools to our Tempe, Arizona Injection Molding Facility if we have the opportunity to bid and earn your business. If you have an existing tool that you are considering moving, now is the time as we will also offer 10% off your first production order.Our injection molding plant is ISO certified so you can be assured you will receive high quality whether you have a long production run or a short one.

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Upcoming May Issue

Thank you for reading our newsletter. We are already gearing up for the next issue. We will have feature articles on:

Injection Molding Design Guide For non-engineers

How Crude Oil Prices Affect The Cost of Plastic

Build The Perfect Injection Mold

Molded Devices Inc
6918 Ed Perkic Street
Riverside , California 92504

Contact Us

We thank our customers for acknowledging our efforts and always welcome feedback. We are determined to continually improve our services. If there is any issue that isn't getting the attention that it should, don't hesitate to call us at 951-531-4872 or use our contact form to reach us .

In This Issue

Molding with Polycarbonate

Save 10% on Injection Molding

Replace Glass with Acrylic

What Our Customers Are Saying

Injection Molding Acrylic For Glass Replacement

Acrylic is often compared to polycarbonate, but there are big differences in the two. Acrylic has optical qualities like glass and is used in products like helicopter windows and motorcycles visors with less risk of shattering like glass. Acrylic however, does not have nearly the physical properties. Polycarbonate can be bullet proof but cant match
acrylic for clarity and scratchresistance.

Acrylic Makes Beer Safer

Some of the finest establishments serve cold beverages in acrylic mugs for the safety of their patrons. Holds up extremly well in normal use , but minimizes harm when used as a weapon in a good natured bar room brawl. Even the NBA has gone acrylic for basketball backboards to prevent Shaq and others from shattering the backboard.