Micro moulding - precision parts
What is micromoulding?
When we speak about moulded plastic parts weighing a fraction of a gram we probably enter medical injection moulding boundaries. To define micro moulding it is good to have in mind that tolerances for microfeatures vary from 50µm to 5µm. There is no surprise that such precision parts are widely used in medical and dental industries - a lot of surgical instruments in these fields are invasive. To mould such micro components complex mould machining tools and methods are required, as well as custom configurations of precision plastic injection machines because for micro parts, shrinkage management is even more sophisticated. On the other hand, precision moulding basic principle is the same as conventional injection moulding - liquified plastic is injected in mould cavities.
It's more 'small' than 'micro'
The nieche of micro molding is getting more and more demanded by not only medical parts manufacturers' but also by other industries, which sub-contract micro moulders for the so called 'small injection molding'. Small moulds with few cavities can win against traditional big moulds with many cavities in cost and speed sprint race. Not a marathon though - micromoulding can break even at lower levels of production and serve as a great supply chain risk buffer in sudden market changes, pilot launches or at initial product development phases like prototyping.
However, this works only within some limits. Micro is still micro and that means really small: part volume should not exceed 15cm³ and should fit within a projected mould area of ⌀80mm circle perimeter. Maximum depth from parting line can reach up to 40mm (2-3° draft).
Other applications
Micro-optics and microfluidics are the fields in need for micro plastic parts also. Small optic devices which are minimally invasive surgical tools require high precision plastic parts with micron-level tolerances. Overmoulding and insert moulding is also possible at micro scale. You can find more information about overmoulding and insert moulding here.
Quality and Packaging
Quality assurance starts at the beginning of every project. Right from DFM stage our engineers use Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) to launch new production batches with 0-faults and errors. Qualty checks are done on random parts by using high or low tech. measuring tools to inspect for any deviations or errors.
Packaging comes as a latter priority when talking about manufacturing. However, when working with such small scale parts it can become first priority as failure in automated packaging can lead to failure of the whole project. Wide range of secondary services might be performed to complete this stage successfully. Here at 'Micromolds' we take this step seriously and ensure smooth production, packaging and shipping to our clients.
Materials
Almost any polymer you can find in the world can be used for conventional injection moulding. However, for high precision mouldings special materials might be needed. Please visit our material's page to find out more about choosing right engineering-grade compounds.
Micro moulds
Precision parts are made with precision moulds. We design micro parts and their moulds independently and locally right from product idea to G-code and machining. Please read more about our CNC milled aluminum micro moulds for micro injection.
Mold with us now!
1
2
3
4
To start just upload CAD file of your part
In few hours DFM and prcing is performed
Once an order is placed manufacturing begins
Parts are shipped in 1-2 weeks