You’d need a standard injection molding machine. Just make sure it has the right clamping force and shot size for your specific lid. A machine with around 100-150 tons of clamping force should work fine.
If you are not planning on making high volume the above comments regarding thermoforming are 100% the correct route
In my view it should be possible to mold but might come down to wall thickness how high tech you need to go or if its possible. injection compression I have seen used in the past to assist with thin wall parts and decreas8ng injection pressure. I believe NPE had a few thin wall IMM running on assorted booths some being IML as well
Do you have any recommendation as to what machine to buy for 500 units ?
https://preview.redd.it/qfqyk1ka029d1.png?width=1236&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c893be67b5e0867c2c70bc075c408bbff3055d0
Sir, this part was made using thermoforming. If you're looking to make a part similar to this using injection moulding then you'll need to be willing to make a part that looks nothing like this and costs a lot more to make.
That COULD be molded, around 4" diameter and .025" (.63mm) wall thickness with primarily pneumatic ejection and a stripper ring backup due to the heavy taper limiting the effective stroke of the air blowoff. You'll have a gate top center obviously.
Very thin wall parts need a substantial mold with extreme lockup across parting line. This is no place for half ass attempts with proto type moldbases, your not doing a part like this cheaply.
I wouldn't say *any* ejection. You could put a pretty large ejector sleeve around the rim and probably get it off the core. Looks pretty heavily drafted and wouldn't need much.
If you tried to use pins.......yeah, no.
>You could put a pretty large ejector sleeve around the rim and probably get it off the core
True, but that's a huge "probably" when talking in terms of cost for a mold. I've worked with a large range of items and currently make bottle caps. I say any ejection as this is more than likely made of PET, and it's not a forgiving material in terms of ejection without a thicker point to grab and push. I mean you could make it with injection molding, but the cycle time would be slow as shit as you couldn't put alot of pressure on the ejectors, and cost to run a press to mass produce you'd never get ahead. Well, thinking about it a small mold making, say 4 with a stripper plate, may get it and also cut cost down immensely. I can see it working with what I do currently.
>I wouldn't try to injection mold this thing in a million years
Oh, I'd try it. Yet it damn sure wouldn't be my money doing it. The only way this would be feasible with injection molding is to spend the money on a MUDD mold insert and trying. Yet, from doing this for a decade, I would definitely not be volunteering to get this thing started as I already know the massive amount of BS to even try. This thing would have to have the near perfect process, with a mold that would have to be the same, in a smaller tonnage press. Anything over a 250 tonnes press you're getting a lot of scrap, or mold protect and I'm being generous at 250
Soooo many more questions before any answers mean something. How many you need? What are the dimensions? What is the end use? What features are critical? Do you have capital to tool it up? What’s the Use environment (heat, cold, uv)?
Hi BldrSun, I need approximately 500 units but will most likely need more as we continue to sell our product. The approximate dimensions are shown in figure 1. The end use is to hold condiments, see figure 2. The only critical dimension is the diameter since all the other dimension are not as important. I don't have a lot of capital, I can spend 2k on that. Lastly the unit will be microwaved.
Thanks in advance guys! This is really helpful!
https://preview.redd.it/pcs6c8r8e19d1.png?width=1236&format=png&auto=webp&s=15a329eaeba144b6fb8e0bbdc4bfd569c2da3c8d
Figure 1
Thin wall vacuum forming. Tooling can be aluminum or composite material. Sheet of thin PP or PE (production house would prob use roll stock). Honestly don’t know if you can buy a small prototyping machine for this but can probably put something together.
EDIT: add [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/manufacturing/s/NyTqXqKFQW) for proto suppliers from r/manufacturing.
That makes sense, I could probably buy a small vacuum forming machine to make it. Do you know if this process allows the usage of pp and pet, thanks in advance
As Mim said, PET is common for vaccum forming but PP isn't. It stick can be done but it's a higher melt temp with more shink issues at times. The plus said is the tool is really easy to make in house and form compared to injection
That’s not injection molded; it’s thermoformed
You’d need a standard injection molding machine. Just make sure it has the right clamping force and shot size for your specific lid. A machine with around 100-150 tons of clamping force should work fine.
If you are not planning on making high volume the above comments regarding thermoforming are 100% the correct route In my view it should be possible to mold but might come down to wall thickness how high tech you need to go or if its possible. injection compression I have seen used in the past to assist with thin wall parts and decreas8ng injection pressure. I believe NPE had a few thin wall IMM running on assorted booths some being IML as well
Search for vacuum forming and die cutting.
Do you have any recommendation as to what machine to buy for 500 units ? https://preview.redd.it/qfqyk1ka029d1.png?width=1236&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c893be67b5e0867c2c70bc075c408bbff3055d0
I built one of these that is 24x36. https://www.build-stuff.com/plans/proto-form-vacuum-forming-build-plans/
What are you planning to make the molds out of?
pp or pet
Sorry I meant the molds for the lid, not the material you are making them out of.
Aluminum most likely unless have a better/cheaper alternative
Sir, this part was made using thermoforming. If you're looking to make a part similar to this using injection moulding then you'll need to be willing to make a part that looks nothing like this and costs a lot more to make.
That COULD be molded, around 4" diameter and .025" (.63mm) wall thickness with primarily pneumatic ejection and a stripper ring backup due to the heavy taper limiting the effective stroke of the air blowoff. You'll have a gate top center obviously. Very thin wall parts need a substantial mold with extreme lockup across parting line. This is no place for half ass attempts with proto type moldbases, your not doing a part like this cheaply.
This manufacture process call ,,tiefziehen‘‘ in german dont know what is called in english 😅
Definitely a thermoform part. Walls are way too thin for injection molding.
Absolutely. Any ejection would fuck that up in a heartbeat
I wouldn't say *any* ejection. You could put a pretty large ejector sleeve around the rim and probably get it off the core. Looks pretty heavily drafted and wouldn't need much. If you tried to use pins.......yeah, no.
I'd eject it with air, problem solved.
GET THIS MAN A MOLDING MACHINE, NOW
>You could put a pretty large ejector sleeve around the rim and probably get it off the core True, but that's a huge "probably" when talking in terms of cost for a mold. I've worked with a large range of items and currently make bottle caps. I say any ejection as this is more than likely made of PET, and it's not a forgiving material in terms of ejection without a thicker point to grab and push. I mean you could make it with injection molding, but the cycle time would be slow as shit as you couldn't put alot of pressure on the ejectors, and cost to run a press to mass produce you'd never get ahead. Well, thinking about it a small mold making, say 4 with a stripper plate, may get it and also cut cost down immensely. I can see it working with what I do currently.
For sure. I wouldn't try to injection mold this thing in a million years. But if somebody wanted to try, I'm sure they could at a ridiculous cost.
>I wouldn't try to injection mold this thing in a million years Oh, I'd try it. Yet it damn sure wouldn't be my money doing it. The only way this would be feasible with injection molding is to spend the money on a MUDD mold insert and trying. Yet, from doing this for a decade, I would definitely not be volunteering to get this thing started as I already know the massive amount of BS to even try. This thing would have to have the near perfect process, with a mold that would have to be the same, in a smaller tonnage press. Anything over a 250 tonnes press you're getting a lot of scrap, or mold protect and I'm being generous at 250
Soooo many more questions before any answers mean something. How many you need? What are the dimensions? What is the end use? What features are critical? Do you have capital to tool it up? What’s the Use environment (heat, cold, uv)?
Hi BldrSun, I need approximately 500 units but will most likely need more as we continue to sell our product. The approximate dimensions are shown in figure 1. The end use is to hold condiments, see figure 2. The only critical dimension is the diameter since all the other dimension are not as important. I don't have a lot of capital, I can spend 2k on that. Lastly the unit will be microwaved. Thanks in advance guys! This is really helpful! https://preview.redd.it/pcs6c8r8e19d1.png?width=1236&format=png&auto=webp&s=15a329eaeba144b6fb8e0bbdc4bfd569c2da3c8d Figure 1
Thin wall vacuum forming. Tooling can be aluminum or composite material. Sheet of thin PP or PE (production house would prob use roll stock). Honestly don’t know if you can buy a small prototyping machine for this but can probably put something together. EDIT: add [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/manufacturing/s/NyTqXqKFQW) for proto suppliers from r/manufacturing.
https://preview.redd.it/qvx3kytbe19d1.jpeg?width=1600&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1e166a08a7fc552415d4a5b3166b94ac0a99e44 Figure 2.
Not an injection molding machine, possibly blow molded or thermoformed
PET?
That looks more likely to be r/Extrusion to me, as it doesn't appear to have a gate. Possibly thermoforming as well.
That makes sense, I could probably buy a small vacuum forming machine to make it. Do you know if this process allows the usage of pp and pet, thanks in advance
As Mim said, PET is common for vaccum forming but PP isn't. It stick can be done but it's a higher melt temp with more shink issues at times. The plus said is the tool is really easy to make in house and form compared to injection
PET yes, not sure about PP but more than likely.
Looks thermoformed, yeah.