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ISO 9001:2015
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 13485:2016
ISO 13485:2016

Blogs

Streamline Your Production: The Benefits of Professional Die Cutting Services

Exploring the Versatility and Benefits of Liquid Silicone Rubber in Modern Applications

Liquid Injection Molding: Unveiling the Future of Advanced Manufacturing Techniques

Why Use an Injection Molding Prototype
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eBooks

Key Considerations for Basic Die Cutting
Key Considerations for Basic Die Cutting(PDF – 695KB)
5 Common Liquid Injection Molding Mistakes
5 Common Liquid Injection Molding Mistakes(PDF – 695KB)

FAQs

At ETI, we have worked with a wide variety of industrial and commercial clients on unique molding and die cutting projects for over 30 years. During that time, we have encountered several common questions about the types of services and capabilities we offer-we aim to help clarify them here.

Click to Expand FAQs

Mechanical and environmental requirements will dictate the type of material to be used and in turn may determine the process used to make the part. Geometry influences the cost and manufacturing feasibility of tooling and parts.

To produce parts that will stand the test of time, you must consider the environmental conditions and mechanical demands that will be involved in the end application. One must consider many factors such as exposure to sunlight, ambient light, temperature, fresh or salt water, oils, solvents, chemicals, abrasion, compression, elasticity, lateral stresses, and hardness.

  • The choice of material usually depends on the above aspects as well.

The two biggest decisions in any part molding project are selecting the final design and choosing the appropriate material to achieve the desired functionality of the component. Material selection is crucial. Choosing a material that does not match up well to the conditions of the end application can end in failure of parts or assemblies. Quality, function, repeatability, and reliability are dependent upon material choice. Your molded part manufacturer should be able to work closely with you and recommend the best fitting material for your needs.

  • The most ideal process for your part will follow based on material selection.

Before choosing a molding process for your next part production project, it is important to understand the differences between all the process types, as each offers its own advantages and best use cases. Here are some resources for the process types we offer at ETI:

If we have the information about your intended application’s conditions and specifications listed above, as well as a 3D part design and drawing, it is easier to decide. There are some aspects of a part design that can drive cost up or down. Some examples follow. Overly complex design may require additional tool construction time to achieve the design requirement of the part. Multiple colors/multiple materials, the immediate availability of chosen materials, minimum order requirements of some material and other factors must be considered in the part design to ensure the part is capable of being made in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The goal of prototyping usually leads you to an appropriate process-if prototyping would indeed make sense for your budget.

There are several advantages to prototyping, which include the ability to experiment with and learn from the prototypes to see if they are able to perform the required function or that they fit into an assembly properly. However, one common misconception and sometimes unnecessary spend point during liquid injection molding (LIM) projects is prototype production. Typically, a LIM prototyping process results in hundreds and even thousands of qualification parts that need to be evaluated. The tooling as well as the materials and qualification runs of the product can be quite expensive. Customers should have a clear objective in mind before they request prototypes from a service provider. Another less costly, more time efficient option might be available.

A key point to consider at the beginning of a project is that the material, tooling, and selected molding process will dictate throughput. Compared to alternative molding methods, injection molding is more economical, especially for high volumes of medium to high complexity products. For lower quantities, compression molding and transfer molding offer lower up-front cost advantages.

The cost of a mold is related to the specification and design for the part and the process that is selected to get you there. The manufacturer of your parts should be able to give you a clear idea of costs involved depending on requested part features and all other aspects of your project. Our Project Forecaster can help us determine a suggested material and process for producing your part.

No-we choose to not carry this cost overhead. We work with a variety of local tool shops to ensure we are equipped with the appropriate tooling for each project.

Part cost is related to a part’s design, the material selected, the type and number of cavities in the mold purchased, the process used to make it, and the quality control needed to repeat it. Some materials are easier to process, which lessens the cost to make a part, while other materials require secondary operations that add to the cost of a part. All of these factors-along with the time it takes to mold and process after molding-relates to the part cost.

We are best able to advise our customers on cost if they first complete our brief Design Analysis form or call us to discuss.

You need to evaluate the material in terms of its performance data, appearance, cost, and the environment the parts will be used in. For example: silicone is a popular and versatile material that features excellent performance within a broad temperature range. Cost, delivery, lead time, material availability, and part and assembly design features all apply to material selection. It’s also important to consider that flash will almost inevitably occur on the parting lines of tooling used with silicone-based material. If you are looking for a flash-free end product, silicone might not be the best match.

Yes, usually. Some materials color better than other materials; silicone is more of a challenge to paint and print, for instance. The process selected will also influence color options-compression molding and transfer molding in particular offer colored material options but the appearance must be weighed carefully against your expectations. Some materials cannot be colored without negative impact to the materials properties or due to their chemical composition.

Rubber molds flash to some extent. Some more than others (particularly silicone in liquid injection molding). It is a matter of what to do with the flash if it occurs. Flash will become more pronounced over time as molds wear. There are a variety of processes for removing flash-known as de-flashing-such as trimming or the use of liquid nitrogen in a machine that allows the flash to be removed mechanically. The type of de-flashing-hand-operated or by machine, for example-that is employed is typically based on the volume of molded parts, the part’s design, and where the flash occurs.

It depends on the parts’ design, selected material, and tooling. We will be able to give a clearer understanding for your specific parts with information provided to us in the Design Analysis Project Forecaster or in a discussion about design intent. It’s important to consider that a closer tolerance and a more complex part design may require secondary operations and more expensive tooling choices. Also, dimensional or thickness requirements for die cut parts might be problematic for part quality and require a different approach to making usable parts.

There might well be. We might recommend a different path to production if we believe it is in everyone’s best interest. For example, if a customer reaches out to us requesting liquid injection edits 20010molding to be performed with a silicone material, but their end application operating conditions involve more extreme chemical and environmental conditions (i.e. pressurized steam at temperatures over 150°C, which tend to cause a breakdown of silicone’s siloxane polymer and a decline in its properties), we might recommend a material change which could lead to an alternative process. We are always happy to talk about possibilities and have experts outside ETI that are willing to help as well. Have a question that we did not address here? Reach out to us today. To learn more about our company and our capabilities, check out our About Us page.

Optimizing Your Design

The team at Elastomer Technologies, Inc. (ETI) aims to help each customer decide the best approach to their project. We collaberate with our customers to try and address all of the following considerations:

Material Selection

  • Quality, function, repeatability and reliability are dependent upon material choice
  • Cost of the part is directly influenced by the material used
  • Is the material readily available? This has a bearing on delivery, cost and throughput
  • Some materials are easier to process which lessens the cost to make a part
  • Some materials require secondary operations that add to the cost of a part
  • Selection of material may limit available processes
  • One must consider all of the environmental factors a part will see in processing and in use

Mechanical and Environmental Requirements

  • Dictates the type of material to be used and in turn may determine the process used to make the part
  • One must consider many factors such as exposure to sunlight, ambient light, temperature, fresh or salt water, oils, solvents, chemicals, abrasion, compression, elasticity, lateral stresses and hardness

Part Geometry

  • Geometry influences the cost and manufacturing feasibility of tooling and parts
  • We look at thick and thin requirements, part transitions and variations
  • Complexity that might lead to secondary operations or tooling maintenance issues
  • Projected area and overall part dimensions may limit a process’s capacity to make a part
  • Gating requirements and other dimensional requirements for molded parts that might influence tooling choices
  • Dimensional or thickness requirements for die cut parts might be problematic for part quality and require a different approach

Special Considerations

  • Color requirements
  • Secondary operations or quality requirements that require special fixtures of tooling
  • End of Arm tooling and automation
  • Use of adhesives or primers
  • Special testing of materials and certifications
  • Custom packaging and labeling
  • Assembly
  • Quality testing requirements
  • Supplier certification and auditing

Customer Project Goals

  • Transfer of tooling and projects
  • Meeting a price point
  • Quality objectives
  • Specific short term and long term delivery requirement
  • Requirement to make a monetary investment to support a project

To kick-off your project with ETI, fill out our Design Analysis form, or reach out to the team for more specific details.

Project Forecaster & Design Analysis

We invite you to complete our brief Design Analysis form which will help us determine the correct material and process for producing your part. Once your form has been submitted, a member of our team will review your project’s demands and reach out you.

Click below to get started today.

Start My Project

Part Analysis & Quoting Guidelines

Elastomer Technologies, Inc. has been molding complex and simple rubber parts using compression molding of rubber and liquid injection molding of silicone processes for decades.  They have always been a willing customer partner and can be counted on to give an honest and helpful assessment of requirements.  What follows is an outline that provides some insights into how ETI approaches a new project or transfer project.  Most of it applies to molding projects, but they ask similar questions as we seek information on die-cutting and converting projects.

Any project starts with a conversation allowing ETI to outline a customer’s goals.  ETI’s work is to find a method to meet an objective.  Starting this conversation usually involves some questions.  Customers may have a particular approach that they would like to pursue and have already provided detailed information.  More often they are looking for advice and may not have answers to every question.  In either case ETI’s goal is to provide what they can to help, subject to a delivery, quality and cost requirement.  Some of that information can be extracted from dimensioned drawings, sketches, 3D electronic part designs, photos, prototypes, sample parts or other data.

That shared information on the goal and the part requirement determines the next questions. In order to make a quotation or estimate as accurate as possible it depends on defining as many particular requirements as possible.

Knowing the number of parts a customer wants to produce is important to determine an appropriate process.  For instance ETI typically would not quote a liquid injection molding process to make a few parts.  We would offer an alternative and might outline the potential trade-off.

ETI then directs our analysis to the part design information provided and presents an analysis of the details and why these details are important to note.  At the same time, the conversation outlines missing information that will need to be provided and design changes that may need to be incorporated.  Some of the information you may discuss during information exchanges with ETI follows.

  • Available processes to make the part for the quantity needed by the customer.
  • Part thickness and its influence on cycle time and cost.
  • Variable part geometry and its contribution to filling a mold with material.
  • Potential flash points in relation to a customer’s gate and parting line requirements.
  • Gate and parting line requirements that dictate how a mold is built and impact on cost.
  • Possible part removal challenges based on design geometry.
  • Difficult to mold geometry formed by blind mold pockets that trap air.
  • Parts with geometric features or material volume that may prohibit use of available equipment.
  • Surface area of some parts may place it outside the capabilities of a molding press to make an acceptable quality of part.
  • Designs may add cost due to added machine software and mechanical changes to machines to run a part.
  • Requirements in the design that directly influence tooling cost and delivery.
  • Part material consideration is very important to assess for performance, cost, availability, minimum order requirements, shelf life and it is very important to specify any expectation on certification of raw material by formulation, compound or batch.

Many customers call ETI seeking cost and delivery information while building or assessing a project budget.   ETI understands that this is very important before moving forward.  Some of the factors to consider outside part cost and delivery follow.

  • Parts and process development cost. It may be necessary to create prototype parts or build production prototype tooling and test it prior to building full production molds and parts.
  • There may be necessary part design changes for manufacturability that are costly in time or tooling.
  • If the request is to transfer a mold the size, weight and type of mold would be important to discuss.
  • Material cost and availability.
  • Material testing requirements.
  • Material, process and tooling used to create a part may require secondary operations or outside services to make acceptable parts which could include nitrogen de-flashing, post curing, pad printing, part or tool coatings and mold texturing.
  • Packaging requirements.
  • Labor and assembly cost.

When information is missing or designs are incomplete, ETI can often provide an informal estimate of parts cost based upon some hypothetical information.  This rough estimate based on incomplete design, possible part weight, cycle time, molding process and hypothetical material cost is especially helpful in assessing comparisons to off-shore cost or building some cost into a budget or presentation.

All of the information outlined is helpful in assessing tool transfers to ETI.  ETI welcomes this discussion, however we always recommend that customers identify, think carefully about, and discuss any risk factors. There is often an issue with quality, price or delivery driving the decision to move a mold to a new supplier and the ETI team will do our very best to take as much risk out of the equation as possible. ETI is happy to discuss anything driving the need to move the mold and advise a solution.

At ETI, we have a specific protocol for handling transfer molding projects. We are happy to estimate a part’s cost prior to a mold transfer or try to back into an established part price.

  • Tool of appropriate size is transferred to us and inspected for any apparent visible damage.
  • If the tool needs additional hardware to run it is quoted.
  • If the tool requires additional process control on the molding press it is quoted.
  • If the part requires any secondary operations the hardware automation etc. needed to do that is quoted.
  • They set up the mold and run it with the customer’s material of choice.  The cost is a minimum per day charge plus the cost of material.
  • Once a working process is established then the parts are quoted based upon the cycle time, material, press rate and if needed, operator/labor cost.
  • Secondary operations such as slitting, post cure, and nitrogen de-flashing are quoted as separate charges.

ETI has been proactive in working with customers on projects for decades.  We have a fairly deep understanding of what makes a successful project and while not every project fits within the range of processes and equipment we offer, we are always ready and willing to lend advice and support to get the customer where they need to be.

Click here to Download Part Analysis & Quoting Guidelines