When it comes to mold making, it’s imperative to choose the right domestic partner to design and manufacture molds for your finished parts and products. At QT Manufacturing, we work with numerous industries, including medical, aviation, consumer goods, telecom, and fiber optics. Each industry requires unique molds that comply with regulatory and industry standards. Let us help you achieve the perfect mold for your operations.
What Are Molds Used For?
Manufacturers use molds to designate the shape and structure of various components. They have concave or convex shapes, depending on what you want to accomplish. You can trust our seasoned design team to create and adjust the molds for customized applications.
By using molds, you can achieve uniform copies for small or large production runs. Plastic, metal, wood, foam, and ceramics are all used to make molds. Developed with special mold-making tools, these models hold thermoplastics and other materials poured into them to create your products.
So, What Can You Make Using a Mold?
Here are just a few of the items requiring molds for reliable results and performance:
- Packaging
- Consumer products
- Automotive parts
- Electronic components
- Consumer products
You may have a hard time finding manufactured products that don’t use some type of molding technique. Next, we’ll look at the various processes used to create molds.
Select the Right Mold-Making Technique for Your Project
Once you work with our designers and engineers to choose a manufacturing process, you can finish the mold design. Generally, you’ll need to consider the following factors when developing your technique for mold making.
Part Design
Keep it simple. When you need to create a mold to match the manufacturing process, you should simplify it wherever possible. This will help you keep costs down and achieve tight tolerances and consistent quality. For example, complex designs often require several molds and manufacturing steps. Typically, we use digital manufacturing tools, such as CNC machining and 3D printing, to make these molds. Simpler models don’t require as many steps and, therefore, reduce your manufacturing costs.
Production Volume
If your operations require large production runs, you need to choose durable materials for your molds. This assures precision and accuracy on the first part and the 10,000th part. Fabrication sometimes requires a long lead time, making it difficult to create prototypes and low-volume batches. In these cases, choose cheaper materials you can discard and replace easily.
Quality
Quality is always of the utmost importance when it comes to manufacturing processes. Using digital manufacturing tools, our team can achieve tight tolerances and maintain consistent quality over numerous production runs. It all starts with establishing the right mold-making processes.
Timeline
More often than not, time is of the essence when it comes to meeting the needs of your clients. 3D printing and rapid tooling can save time when it comes to creating molds. However, it could take weeks or months to complete complex metal molds for more permanent use.
Material
If time is the primary factor, consider plastic injection molding, which is faster and easier to complete. Plastic is a very flexible material that withstands high temperatures. However, for large volume runs sensitive to mold degradation, choose more durable materials to make your mold.
What Are the Main Types of Molds?
Here are some examples of the main types of molds you may need to create your parts:
- Silicone molds for casting: You can use silicone to cast plastics as well as other materials.
- Injection molds: This method can use 3D printing for proof-of-concept prototyping or low-production runs. Larger volumes typically require metal molds, which are more expensive to create and maintain. QT Manufacturing specializes in injection molds.
- Thermoforming molds: You can use this method to heat plastic sheets for packaging and other products. It’s used in numerous industries and manufacturing processes.
- Compression molding: CNC machining, diecasting, and 3D printing all use compression molding. These molds must withstand high pressure and heat.
- Molds for metal casting: Die casting can use this type of mold. Using multiple methods, we create molds that can handle the molten metal used to cast products.
Partner With the Right Team to Design for Precise Mold Making
At QT Manufacturing, we offer many services to clients looking for support in their manufacturing processes. Our team can lead the way, designing, testing, and perfecting molds to make products of various sizes, styles, and materials. Contact us today for a free consultation or to learn more about mold making!
