Services de moulage par injection

Resin selection depends on mechanical load, operating temperature, chemical exposure, regulatory requirements, and cost.

Commodity thermoplastics (ABS, PP, PE) are the default for cost-sensitive consumer parts. ABS balances stiffness and impact resistance for enclosures. PP is specified where chemical resistance, living hinges, or packaging food contact matters.

Engineering thermoplastics (PC, PA, POM) solve load, wear, and temperature problems that commodity resins cannot. Polycarbonate holds impact strength at 125 °C. Nylon and POM are the workhorses for gears, bushings, and mechanical components.

High-performance resins (PEEK, PEI, PPS) are specified for continuous service above 150 °C or aggressive chemical environments. PEI (ULTEM) is the standard for FAA-compliant aircraft interior components.

Elastomers (TPE, TPU, LSR) are chosen when the application needs flexibility, sealing, or soft-touch. LSR is preferred for medical and food-contact applications because it can be overmolded on rigid substrates and cures to biocompatible grades.

Our engineering team can recommend the right resin during the DFM review based on your part’s load, temperature, and regulatory requirements.

Overmolding and insert molding both combine materials in one molded part but solve different problems.

Overmolding bonds a second plastic (usually an elastomer like TPE or LSR) over a rigid substrate that was molded first. The first-shot part is placed back into a modified cavity, and the second material is injected around it. Used for soft-grip handles, sealed enclosures, and dual-color parts. Adhesion is chemical or mechanical and is verified by peel and lap shear testing.

Insert molding places a non-plastic component (a metal threaded insert, brass terminal, or prefabricated sensor) into the cavity before injection. Plastic flows around the insert during the shot, locking it in place. Used for threaded standoffs, electrical contacts, and hybrid metal-plastic assemblies.

Overmolding requires two molding shots. Insert molding is one shot with manual or robotic insert loading. Insert molding is cheaper per part for simple threaded inserts; overmolding is required when the second material must cover large surface areas.

Yes. Most production programs include at least one post-mold operation.

Pad printing and silk screen add logos, model numbers, and regulatory marks to molded surfaces. Acceptable on most engineering plastics with proper surface preparation.

In-mold labeling (IML) places a printed film in the cavity before injection, producing decorated parts in one cycle with no secondary printing. Used for high-volume consumer packaging.

Ultrasonic welding joins two molded parts without adhesive or mechanical fasteners. Common on battery enclosures, filter housings, and medical devices where a watertight seal is required.

Painting, plating, and metallization are available for cosmetic or EMI-shielding requirements. Plating requires ABS or PC-ABS substrates for adhesion.

Assembly services include insert installation, threaded-fastener driving, heat staking, and kit packaging. Decide on post-mold requirements during DFM review because they often influence draft, parting line, and gate placement.

Four resin families cover nearly all commercial injection molding.

Commodity thermoplastics include ABS, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC. Lowest cost per kilogram. Used for consumer packaging, toys, and housings where mechanical and thermal demands are modest.

Engineering thermoplastics include polycarbonate, PBT, Nylon 6 and 66, POM (Acetal), and PPO. Higher mechanical and thermal performance than commodity resins. Used for automotive interior, electronics housings, and mechanical components.

High-performance plastics include PEEK, PEI (ULTEM), PPS, PPSU, and PSU. Continuous service temperatures from 150 to 250 °C. Used in aerospace, medical autoclave applications, and aggressive chemical environments.

Elastomers and specialty resins include TPE, TPU, TPV, LSR, and bio-based PLA, Bio-PE, and PHA. Selected for flexibility, compression set resistance, biocompatibility, or sustainability. LSR is the standard for medical devices requiring heat resistance and biocompatibility.

Resin selection should match the part’s mechanical load, operating environment, regulatory requirements, and target production volume. Our DFM review can recommend the right resin before tool design begins.

We run presses from 30 to 1,800 tons, supporting shot weights from 1 g to 8 kg and production volumes from 500 pilot parts to 1,000,000+ units per year.

Small precision parts under 10 g, such as micro-connectors and medical components, run on 30 to 80 ton presses with sub-second to 10-second cycles. These are the cost leaders for high-cavity production of small SKUs.

Mid-size parts from 10 g to 500 g, including consumer housings, automotive trim, and electronics enclosures, run on 150 to 500 ton presses. This is where most production programs land.

Large structural parts from 500 g to 8 kg, such as appliance panels, pallet components, and automotive bumpers, run on 800 to 1,800 ton presses.

Tooling strategy matches volume. SPI Class 105 aluminum molds are economic for runs under 10,000 parts. Class 103 pre-hardened steel suits 100,000 to 500,000 parts. Class 101 fully hardened steel is specified for production programs above 500,000 parts and supports 1,000,000+ cycles with proper maintenance.

Five design choices drive moldability, tool life, and unit cost more than any others.

Wall thickness should be uniform across the part. Target 1.5 to 3 mm for most thermoplastics. Uneven walls cause differential shrinkage, sink marks over thick ribs, and warp on cooling.

Draft angles are required for ejection. Minimum 0.5 degree per side for polished cavities and 1 to 2 degrees for textured cavities. Inadequate draft causes drag marks and shortens tool life.

Radii and fillets relieve stress concentrations and improve flow. Minimum internal radius 0.5 mm. Sharp inside corners cause weld lines and crack initiation under load.

Gate location controls how resin fills the cavity. Place gates on non-cosmetic surfaces, away from structural stress zones, and oriented to fill the longest flow path first. Mold-flow simulation during DFM review confirms gate placement.

Parting line placement affects flash, cosmetic quality, and ejection strategy. Place the parting line on non-functional edges and avoid cosmetic A-surfaces.

Our DFM review covers all five points before steel is cut.

Dimensional accuracy depends on resin shrinkage, mold steel grade, gate layout, and whether the part is post-molded.

General tolerances hold ±0.1 mm on features up to 50 mm and ±0.2% on larger dimensions. These are the typical as-molded tolerances on commodity and engineering thermoplastics.

Tighter tolerances down to ±0.025 mm are achievable on specific features through scientific molding, in-mold cooling, and precision-machined hardened steel cavities. Expect tooling cost to increase 30 to 50% for tight-tolerance programs.

Cross-parting dimensions, which span the mold split line, add the parting line tolerance to the base tolerance. Expect ±0.15 to ±0.2 mm on cross-parting dimensions.

Glass-filled and carbon-filled resins shrink less than unfilled grades but amplify directional shrinkage based on fiber orientation. Mold-flow simulation predicts these effects before steel is cut.

Flag critical dimensions on your drawing during DFM review so they can be held with appropriate cavity tolerance, in-process sampling, and SPC monitoring in production.

We accept STEP, STL, IGES, SLDPRT, X_T, and PDF drawings. STEP is the preferred format because it preserves geometry precision and can be loaded directly into mold-flow simulation.

1. Upload: Submit CAD files plus target volume, resin preference, and any finish or regulatory requirements through the quote form.

2. Engineering Review: Our team runs a DFM review within 24 hours and flags castability risks, gate and parting line options, and resin recommendations.

3. Tooling Quote: Receive a PDF with tool price, tool class, part price at target volume, lead time, and finish options. Hot-runner and cold-runner variants priced separately where applicable.

4. Order Placement: Accept the tooling quote and pay the tool deposit. Steel is cut and mold build begins.

5. T1 Samples: First-off parts arrive within 3 to 7 days of mold completion. We ship T1 samples with dimensional reports and cycle data for your approval.

6. Mold Release and Production: After T1 approval and any tooling revisions, the mold is released for production. Full production shipments within 2 to 4 weeks.

7. Delivery: Parts ship with inspection reports, resin certificates, and where required, mold-flow data and process documentation.

The full workflow from CAD upload to first production shipment typically takes 4 to 10 weeks, depending on tool class, resin, and finish requirements.