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3 Efficient Ways to Reduce Injection Molding Cost


There are many things that you can do to cut costs in the plastic injection molding process. The truth is that reducing cost is a complicated process and requires a lot of time and effort to reduce a large number of your costs. Many companies handle cost cutting in different ways. Below, we have listed 3 of the most efficient ways to reduce cost in your plastic injection molding process and we will also be your guide to outline just how your choice of quick-mold change system could result in differentiating your project cost.

 

Reduce Cost in Your Plastic Injection Molding Process

 

1. Choose the Right Material for Your Part

There are many ways to reduce cost in the plastic injection molding process. Choosing the right material for your part is the efficient one. The first thing you need to do is determine what kind of plastic you want to use. The type of plastic you choose will have a huge impact on how much it costs and how long it takes to make.

 

If you're looking for something cheap, then polypropylene is probably your best bet. It's also one of the easiest plastics to work with because it doesn't require much post-processing after injection molding.

 

But if you need something that's more durable or stronger, then you might want to consider other options like nylon or polycarbonate instead. These plastics tend to be more expensive but they can also withstand higher temperatures without breaking down over time like some other materials might do under those conditions when exposed directly over long periods of time (which means less maintenance cost later down the road).

 

2. Design Mold with Efficiency

The mold design significantly affects cost. Consider:

  • Part geometry: Minimize complexity to reduce processing time and material waste.
  • Mold features: Optimize cooling channels, ejection systems, and gating to improve efficiency.
  • Clamping force: Ensure your mold can withstand the injection pressure without flash or part deformation.

Mold clamping systems are crucial in injection molding, ensuring part quality and preventing defects. Proper force is vital, and quick-change systems boost efficiency and reduce costs.

 

3. Install a Quick-mold Change System

The most important part of making sure that you can reduce your costs in the plastic injection molding process is building a quick-mold change system. This will allow you to keep all of your equipment running at full capacity without having to worry about downtime or waiting on new molds to be made from scratch each time something breaks down or needs repair.

 

Applying a quick mold change system is essential. The longer it takes to change tooling, the more expensive it will be for you as well as for your customers.

 

Mold change time can be reduced by using a quick-change system, which can make up to 70%~90% of the total cycle time. A typical mold change takes about 30~60 minutes, but with a quick-change system, you can cut it down to as little as 10~25 minutes.

 

Here are 5 FAQs to quick mold change systems.

 

  • How to evaluate the costs of quick mold change and typical mold change ?

 

When evaluating the costs of a typical mold change versus a quick-change system, you need to consider how much time will be saved by using the quick-change system. This can vary depending on how many times you need to make a new tool each day, but it's typically around 30~60 minutes (the time it takes for a standard tool change).

 

  • How do I calculate the costs associated with the mold change option so I know exactly what I'm getting into before making any decisions?

Below is the formula for you to calculate based on your actual operation.
 

  Typical Mold Change Quick Mold Change 
Time required for each mold-change  50 minute / changeover 20 minute / changeover
Frequency of mold-change per day 5 times / day  5 times / day
Total time required for mold-change per day  250 minute / day  100 minute / day 
Total time saving  150 minutes = 2.5 hours / per day 
     
Required workers per hour 3 / hour 1 / hour
Minimum wage per worker (USA) US$7.25  / hour US$7.25  / hour
Average working week (USA) 34.5 hour / week  34.5 hour / week 
Total cost saving (USA) US$750.38 US$250.13
Total labor cost saving  2 labor cost per week =  US$500.25 / week

 

  • How does quick mold change work to reduce the cost of the injection molding process ?

 

By using quick mold change systems, you can reduce your costs in several ways:

   ◘  Reduce production downtime for mold change-over

   ◘  Reduced inventory carrying cost

   ◘  Reduce labor costs overall

 

reduce labor cost for injection molding process

 

  • How much will it cost me?

The quick mold change system can be anywhere from US$10,000 to US$15,000 for a standard injection molding machine. If you require a quick mold change system to meet your custom injection molding machines, then the  cost will be higher.
 

  • What other costs should I consider when deciding whether or not to invest in a quick-mold change system?

 

As you've probably already figured out, there are a number of advantages to investing in a quick-mold change system. You'll be able to cut down on your labor costs, reduce downtime during production runs due to mold changes, and increase throughput with minimal downtime.
 

There is no other additional cost. The quick-mold change system itself is all that's needed to implement this process into your current process.
Read also : Quick Mold Change 101 : Overview , Buying Tips, Case Study (with video)

 

 


The Easiest Way to Reduce Cost in Injection Process
There are three factors for injection molding: high quality, competitive price and time efficiency. If you can choose the right material for your project and design a mold with efficiency, then you will achieve a competitive price. Last but not least, the quick-mold change system is the best answer to reduce your project cost in the plastic injection molding process.

 

download e-catalogue of quick mold change

 

For more information about the quick mold change system , please contact us today! 

Author:FORWELL PRECISION MACHINERY CO., LTD.

Forwell Machinery Co. Ltd., was established in 1987 and specializes in the production of quick die/mold change systems, die/mold cart systems, PCB fine piercing systems and automatic die clamping systems. The wide range of customizable quick change systems and automatic clamping systems can be used for many different types of machines such as: press machines (mechanical and hydraulic types), plastic injection molding machines and die casting machines. Forwell has been a market leader for many years and has been widely acknowledged for the high quality and functionality of their products. With a strong emphasis on research and development, the core principles of quality, service and innovation are strongly enforced, fostering the development of innovative customized products in line with customer requirements. Thanks to a strong performance and an increasing customer base, Forwell has a strong global presence and is the leading manufacturer of quick die/mold change systems both in Taiwan and mainland China. Furthermore a gigantic 12,000 square meter factory is under construction, and is due for completion in 2015 in Jiangsu, China. This plant will focus on strengthening Forwell’s R&D capabilities and driving substantial business growth in the years to come.