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In combination of micro machining, laser and LiGA technologies we make molds that shape micro geometries you need. Your custom micro components molded with a synergy of modern technologies - micromolding In combination of micro machining, laser and LiGA technologies we make molds that shape micro geometries you need. GET AN OFFER Experts in micro injection molding Explore our recent projects across the industries and see a backstage of true micro molding technology. "We received parts with perfect Part-to-part or lot-to-lot consistency." READ MORE Patent pending technology - glass molds for your sub-micron features We use Nickel and Silica inserts that are precision machined and installed to our micro moulds. Laser ablation Selective Laser Etching (SLE) Multiphoton polymerization LiGA (Nickel plate inserts) Fill micro cavities with variothermal and vacuum molding Successful micro tooling is just a halfway. We use variothermal and vacuum molding to overcome polymer melt flow hesitation effects and fill thin walls Thin walls as thin as 0.1mm Through-holes with a diameter of 0.05mm Micro features as small as 0.02mm High aspect ratios of 1:10 Tolerance control at every stage of micro-molding By controlling tolerances at every stage of injection molding, we can achieve high levels of quality and consistency . 4µm (mold making) + 10µm (molding) + 4µm (metrology) + 2µm (material) ―――――――――――――――― 20µm (total) Optical metrology - a must for micro molding quality control When there is more deviation in the measurement than in the actual molded part, quality control is even more challenging. Immediate dimensional check in molding process Guarantee the consistency and repeatability of micro-molded parts Verify the intended design specifications Contact an Engineer info@micromolds.eu Tel: +370 634 44885 Nalšios g. 11, LT-14332, Vilnius

Get to know about our latest projects and success stories with our clients. Step into our shoes and see the inner world of our daily challenges that we are constantly facing and, hopefully, overcoming. Success Stories Get to know about our latest projects and success stories with our clients. Step into our shoes and see the inner world of our daily challenges that we are constantly facing. ASK A QUESTION Injection Molded Plastic Housing for 1 Channel EMG Sensor The company specializes in robotic hand prostheses end-to-end development and production. Since 1998 Company continuously and patiently... Success Stories Scarlet Grey Aug 16, 2022 3 min read "Allergomedica" Uses Moulded Plastic Cases to Enable Health Tests Kits at Home The Allergomedica (UAB Imunodiagnostika) clinic is an innovative place where not only comprehensive and professional help can be provided... Success Stories Dominic Jul 25, 2022 2 min read Uniweb Chooses Micromolds to Mould Grip Testing Device for Geriatrics We used aluminium mico molds for the mold core and cavity and steel for the precision inserts. Success Stories Dominykas Turčinskas Jul 21, 2022 2 min read Injection Moulded Plastic Chips for Droplet Microfluidics Droplet Genomics is a bio-tech company disrupting new ground in high performance analysis technologies. Success Stories Dominykas Turčinskas Apr 25, 2022 2 min read How Micromolds help Teltonika save time and costs when launching new products Teltonika Telemedic almost two years ago initiated an innovative smart watch development project in the telemedicine industry. Success Stories Emilijus Šližauskas Apr 21, 2022 4 min read Injection molding of an AirTag Holder – plastic case with overmolded bushing inserts. SUSHI bikes is a young growing start-up company. Wir dem Unternehmen bei der Entwicklung und Herstellung eines AirTag-Halters. Success Stories Emilijus Šližauskas Apr 12, 2022 3 min read MFI Medical Industrial Uses Micromolding for Electrode Plasitc Housings This cooperation itself was about injection moulding of a plastic housing for the electrode. Success Stories Emilijus Šližauskas Apr 8, 2022 3 min read Medical Device Moulding – A Test Tube with Moving Components and Membrane Cap Rapid injection molded prototypes for innovative medical test tubes to fight Covid-19 pandemic. Success Stories Emilijus Šližauskas Apr 5, 2022 3 min read Biodegradable Boule de Ferlette for MyCourant Our most recent micro injection molding project has allowed us to put our passions for challenges and sustainability. Success Stories masaitytieva Jul 3, 2021 4 min read Signed Sponsorship Agreement with Vilnius-Lithuania iGEM 2020 Team The iGEM (International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition) is the largest annual international competition in synthetic biology. Success Stories Dominic Aug 5, 2020 2 min read 1 2

Get to know about our latest projects and success stories with our clients. Step into our shoes and see the inner world of our daily challenges that we are constantly facing and, hopefully, overcoming. Micro Milling Microfluidic Chips Creating microfluidic chips is a difficult and precise process. Manufacturers have several options available for creating small channels,... Dec 5, 2022 4 min read Microinjection Molding Challenges The need for tiny, even micron-scale parts has increased over the past few years, and thus the relevance of micro technologies is... Nov 11, 2022 4 min read Molded Plastic Parts Surface Textures Texturing (also referred to as engraving or graining) is the procedure through which you add a pattern to the mold’s surface. Doing so... Sep 22, 2022 5 min read Injection Mold (Tool) Modification Process Before you start the mold injection process, you need to consider potential modifications. Due to the subtractive nature of mold... Sep 22, 2022 5 min read How to Reduce Injection Molding Costs Even though injection molding is a cost-effective mass production method, it does involve expenses that can add up over time. At some... Sep 13, 2022 4 min read Injection Molding Surface Finish How a product looks and feels can make a world of difference to its value. That’s why choosing the right surface finish for injection... Sep 13, 2022 4 min read Injection Molding Wall Thickness In injection molding, wall thickness is one of the most crucial design elements. Selecting the appropriate injection molding wall... Sep 2, 2022 5 min read Injection Mold Design Basics The injection molding process allows manufacturers to rapidly create parts. The process involves using a mold into which a melted... Aug 31, 2022 5 min read Injection Molding Flow Lines Injection molding is a precise process, meaning many things can go wrong. Everything from operator error to minor issues with the mold... Aug 26, 2022 5 min read Injection Molding Sink Marks Even minor errors can cause physical defects in a part during the injection molding process. These defects may damage the part’s... Aug 25, 2022 5 min read 1 2 Blog Your blog feed for industry 4.0 manufacturing knowledge base, in-depth insights, and expert opinions. ASK A QUESTION

Get to know about our latest projects and success stories with our clients. Step into our shoes and see the inner world of our daily challenges that we are constantly facing and, hopefully, overcoming. News Read about our latest activity across manufacturing industries and clusters ASK A QUESTION Company Arginta visits Micromolds Arginta Group originates from the Lithuanian capital private limited company Arginta with the lifetime dating back to 1991. Promising... Dec 7, 2022 1 min read Laser & Engineering technologies cluster (LITEK) meets Micromolds Laser & Engineering technologies cluster LITEK was established in 2010 but cooperation between science and SMEs continues for more than... Dec 7, 2022 1 min read Clusterisation in action This week we had guests of Directors of the Alliance of Lithuanian Clusters. On the meeting agenda was Lithuanian clusters future and... Nov 24, 2022 1 min read Delegation from Finland Nov 11, 2022 0 min read Micromolds becomes member of Cluster of Manufacturing Innovators (CoMI) During the meeting cluster members discussed on the cluster future strategy 2022-2024. The meeting agenda: goal of the cluster, value... Aug 17, 2022 2 min read

Read in-depth reports about plastic products manufacturing and micromolding technology. Get knowledge on product design and optimization, digital manufacturing in injection molding sector and grow with us together. Knowledge Base Read in-depth reports about plastic products manufacturing and micromolding technology. Get knowledge on product design and optimization, digital manufacturing in injection molding sector and grow with us together. CONTACT US Micromolding - in-depth Insights As most of modern devices are either getting smaller or requiring tinier components, the demand for plastic micro molding continues growing. Thus it is easy to guess - this article is going to dive us in peculiarities of micro injection molding technology. Cost of injection molding (includes calculator).xlsx This paper is for those who really want to understand why injection molding might be so expensive and how injection molding companies deduct their service pricing. The purpose of this piece is to take out the anxiety burden of sales engineers to tell the project cost when unprofessional RFQs are received, as well as an opposite side’s inconvenience to tell or not to tell the budget of the project. Rapid Injection Molding In today fast-moving world companies have to deal with high market speeds. 'First to market wins' is still a prevailing notion. Rapid injection molding distinguishes itself from traditional injection molding mainly in respect of tooling and digitalization. Overmolding The paper dives into details of overmolding (in both: conventional plastic injection molding and micro injection molding), reflects technologies used (insert molding, two-shot molding, low-pressure molding) and discusses benefits, applications, complexity, and innovations of overmolding. Mold cavity Mold cavity is one of the most important elements in injection molding and has a huge impact on the structural design of the molded part which must be impeccable for manufacturing process to proceed as stated in the project. This article introduces to the injection molding process for different types of cavity molds, their advantages and disadvantages, as well as the cost of injection molding. Injection Molding Prototyping In depth insights on the topic of prototyping for injection molding, reflecting the concept of injection molding prototyping itself, its relevance and process explained. Insert Molding Insert molding is a single-shot injection molding process highly applicable in manufacturing across many (e.g., medical, electronics, aerospace) industries. Even though insert molding seems to be very similar to overmolding, these two injection molding technologies differ and have their own benefits and drawbacks. Injection Molding Dilemmas: Hot or Cold Runners? One of the most common Injection Molding Dilemmas is how to make a right desicion whether to use Hot Runner Systems or Cold Runner Systems. This paper dives deep into the details of both systems and advises on how to make the best choice between hot and cold runners. Injection Mold Making: Types of Molds A mold might be the most important (and expensive) tool used in plastic injection molding. This paper explores the two main types of molds: aluminum molds and steel molds and explains the process of mold making and the most relevant things to consider. Design for Manufacturing for Injection Molding Design for manufacturing (DFM) refers to a process that optimizes the design of a component to make it less difficult to manufacture, cheaper, and more convenient to deal with. As design for manufacturing encounters the early stages, it is easier to optimize the product and reduce unnecessary steps and costs.

Modern manufacturing is all about speed - CAD drawings can be evaluated by intelligent software: recommendations for manufacturability are sent back in hours with estimated tooling costs. Optimized CAD drawings can be sent to CNC machines and production starts almost without human intervention. Rapid Injection Molding Sub-contracting micromolding company may be very beneficial for companies which are creators and innovators capturing every oppurtunity occuring in the market. Supply chain and manufacturing processes must be very fast and responsive when custom-made products are needed. Not to mention high competition emerging from smaller startup companies which can be faster and more flexible when adapting to the market conditions. Shorter and shorter product life cycles where rapid prototyping is key in saturated markets plays a major role too. To remain resilient and responsive companies sub-contract firms like ours - digital manufacturers - who are able to lessen the risks occurring from changes in the market by rapidly supplying missing manufactured product components. Speed is everything in today's manufacturing world. And this is what we can do. Thanks to digitization we are able to reduce time to market by 2 times. We eliminate worthless and time-consuming email communication to get quotations. It can take weeks to agree on terms and design requirements, especially when dealing with several potential contractors. Digital manufacturing is all about speed - sent CAD drawings can be automatically evaluated by intelligent software: recommendations and optimization for manufacturability are sent back in hours with preliminary cost of tooling estimations. Later on same CAD optimized drawings can be sent straight to CNC machines and production starts almost without human intervention.

EU Projects Installation of self-service tools - a calculator for designing molds and determining th e prices of products Our company provides a service for designing plastic injection molds. Our target customers are companies that create and innovate. To remain competitive in the international market, our quotation process for design services must be fast, comprehensive, and smooth. The goal of this project is to create an e-platform where users can submit the necessary information for mold design and parts production. Users would be able to create their own accounts, upload 3D drawings, and automatically receive comments and insights on optimizing the details for the molding process. With the collected information and optimization decisions, the system would automatically provide a commercial price offer for the design service. This automated solution will reduce the workload of engineer-salespeople, and reallocating resources will allow us to invest more in bringing in new customers. The project funded amount: 50,000 EUR. The project ends: May 10, 2023. Project number: 13.1.1-LVPA-K-860. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It is funded as a Union response to the COVID-19 pandemic measure.

A mold might be the most important (and expensive) tool used in plastic injection molding. This paper explores the two main types of molds: aluminum molds and steel molds and explains the process of mold making and the most relevant things to consider. Injection Mold Making: Types of Molds Mold is a piece of block used in the injection molding process to mold various plastic components. It might be the most expensive component used along with the injection molding machine due to its complex design, precise characteristics, and manufacturing methods. In other words, mold is a hollow metal block where the molten plastic gets injected to manufacture the desired shape. Usually, tooling is done by CNC machines. Molds are fastened to the platens of the injection molding machine. They have drilled holes and channels responsible for controlling the temperature of the mold by circulating hot water. As far as the mold's working is concerned, molten material flows into molds through a sprue and fills the cavities. After a calculated time, the molten material adopts the shape of the mold and solidifies. Then the injection molding machine pushes the ejector plate of the mold to repeat the process for further manufacturing. Table of Contents: Types of Molds used in Plastic Injection Molding Advantages of Aluminum Molds Disadvantages of Aluminum Molds Advantages of Steel Molds Disadvantages of Steel Molds The Process of Mold Making Things to consider about Mold Making Conclusion Anchor 1 Types of Molds Used in Plastic Injection Molding Mold materials must be wear-resistant and withstand many cycles, the clamping force required to hold the material set up, and the high-pressure forces to shape the liquid plastic and achieve close tolerances. While considering the materials, molds can get divided into two categories: aluminum molds and steel molds. Molds made up of these materials have their specified applications. Aluminum Molds Aluminum has been on the cards for mold manufacturing for the last few years. While being less expensive solutions of P20-tools, automotive industries are shifting molds to aluminum. Usually, aluminum molds manufacture low-volume tools or prototypes since molds are malleable and softer than conventional steel material. Consequently, wear and tear are more pronounced, and continuous use might cause marks on the manufactured product. Steel Molds Steel molds have been a conventional approach in the field of injection molding. Nonetheless, molds made up of steel are highly suitable for high-volume production because steel has a more remarkable ability to withstand internal and external stresses and remains invincible against wear and tear for a longer run. Additionally, the steel molds are highly durable with expanded options of use even after maintenance, though they cost heavily compared to aluminum molds. Anchor 2 Advantages of Aluminum Molds Here are some of the most substantial advantages of aluminum: 1. Lower Tooling Cost If compared to the molds of steel, the tooling cost for aluminum molds is much lower. Some aluminum tooling is as more economical as half of the cost of steel tooling. Although the return on investment for steel mold and aluminum mold may vary greatly depending upon their use, aluminum mold requires a meager initial investment compared to steel. 2. Reduced Heating and Cooling Times Aluminum has much higher dissipation rates than steel, so aluminum can instantly turn hot to cool and vice versa. Thus, the cycle time of aluminum mold is 20-30% better than steel molds. Keep in mind that an improved heat dissipation rate is not only appropriate to abstain from cooling and heating lines, but it also diminishes the intricacy of mold and maintenance costs. 3. Ease of Modification Aluminum is suitable for low-volume production since it is relatively softer than steel and gets worn sooner than steel. However, the quality of being soft allows engineers and manufacturers to modify and optimize the design according to advanced needs. Disadvantages of Aluminum Molds Aluminum has some disadvantages too that might cause its replacement with steels molds: 1. Less Compatibility with Materials Unlike steel molds, aluminum has compatibility issues with complex injection molding resins. For example, polymers with fiberglass cannot be used with aluminum molds even for a very few cycles. Moreover, aluminum molds are softer and gentler and more inclined to scratches/damages brought about by some special resins. 2. Low-Volume Production Runs Manufacturers must keep in mind that they cannot depend on aluminum molds for high-volume production runs due to their ability to be more delicate than steel molds. Otherwise, the quality of the eventual product gets badly affected and damaged. Anchor 3 Anchor 4 Advantages of Steel Molds Steel has been the focus of injection molding owners for a long time. Here are its reasons: 1. Perfect for Detailed Features The prominent feature of steel is its ability to be suitable for high-volume production because of its resistance against wear and tear and higher hardness and strength. At the same time, this is the reason that helps manufacturers achieve detailed features of mold. For example, steel molds tightly follow thin, non-uniform walls and rounded angles to bring a better shape to the final product. 2. Improved Durability Though steel is more expensive than aluminum, steel molds offer more comprehensive and durable services than aluminum. In addition, steel with a better ability to sustain stresses does not fall for repairing or early retirement. Also, steel is ideal for long production runs and frequent utilization of the mold throughout the long term. 3. Higher Compatibility Steel molds are highly suitable for complex and advanced injection molding resins since steel can stick to even hard-featured products, which is usually challenging with the aluminum product. Likewise, steel molds are compatible with resins reinforced with additives such as glass fiber. Disadvantages of Steel Molds Apart from its advantages, here are some of the disadvantages of steel molds: 1. Higher Tooling and Repairing Cost Steel is highly reliable and durable, but it possesses excelling costs that are not justified compared to aluminum or its other counterparts. Given that, for making the steel mold ready, there needs a higher tooling investment. Equally, steel molds, if fall for warping or some other defects, the repairing costs are higher due to their increased hardness. 2. High-Volume Production Runs Since steel molds are expansive in tooling and repair, they will be suitable and economical only for high-volume production runs. On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, aluminum molds are preferable for low-volume production runs. The Process of Mold Making The mold manufacturing for injection molding is a multi-staged process. Throughout the process, it is inevitable to consider the required dimensions of the final product. Plus, risk management to avoid mold failure and ensure its accuracy, tightness, and ventilation is also necessary. Anchor 5 Anchor 6 Anchor 7 Things to Consider about Mold Making Mold manufacturing entails accuracy and techniques and may involve block molds, glove molds, blanket molds, poured molds, and then some. The time may differ with various strategies regarding creating easy to complex geometry. The types of molds, like single or multiple cavities, can be picked as per requirements. Additionally, ensure access to adequate materials, provisions, and tools & equipment. Diverse material alternatives, such as aluminum and steel, are available, and each has specific features, capacities, and suitability. Nevertheless, the budget of the project is also one of the key things to consider, since mold making cost highly affects the final cost of injection molding . Primary Operations like Milling and Turning Typically, the drawing of the final product gets prepared before mold manufacturing. This design of the final product further leads to mold making. Metal blocks of required sizes are taken and aligned on a CNC machine. Before starting the secondary operations, CNC performs primary functions like milling, turning, and heat-treating on the metal block. During the mold making process, a selection of cutting tools gets made considering the material of molds. For steel, carbide tools get widely used because they are among the hardest cutting tools. Secondary Operations like Mold Construction and Peripheral After completing the primary operations, the metal block is all ready to go under the secondary process, which ensures the mold-making process's success. These operations may include mold construction and mold peripheral. Mold construction provides closing and clamping of molds, mold wall thickness and centering for proper heat absorption and dissipation, and mold surfaces through grinding, polishing, sandblasting, or shot peening. Besides, mold peripheral comprises ensuring mold venting, non-permanent release agents to get applied to the mold surface for improved demolding properties, permanent release coatings for better flow properties and gradient blend, and threaded inserts such as snap inserts or magnetic holders. Conclusion Injection mold making is a highly technical and skill-required task, such as process control and troubleshooting of quality defects. It needs to eliminate loopholes that may cause potential losses throughout the process. For now, the molds are revolving around two materials: steel and aluminum. Molds made up of these materials have their specified advantages and disadvantages along with their specific costs. And choosing the mold material depends on many factors, such as the cost-efficiency and product specifications to be achieved. But remember, even though the innovation has been around for a long time, the field of injection mold making keeps on developing, considering new technological improvements, market disruptions, and different social and economic aspects. Accordingly, the five key industry trends that shape the heading of injection mold manufacturing include moving towards sustainability, exploring various substitute materials, automation, machine learning, and advanced analytics. Anchor 8 Back to Top Table of Contents: Types of Molds used in Plastic Injection Molding Advantages of Aluminum Molds Disadvantages of Aluminum Molds Advantages of Steel Molds Disadvantages of Steel Molds The Process of Mold Making Things to consider about Mold Making Conclusion Explore our services: Insert Molding Insert moulding is the process when components (e.g. wires) are encapsulated READ MORE Small Parts Molding 'Micro' is not always 'micro'. If your part can fit in your hand - mold it 2x faster and cheaper with us. READ MORE Micromolding Micromolding begins when microfeatures take place and vary from 100µm to 5µm in size. READ MORE Medical Injection Molding Microfluidics, OEM solutions, clean room 8 molding, sterilization and medical grade plastics. 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One of the most common Injection Molding Dilemmas is how to make a right desicion whether to use Hot Runner Systems or Cold Runner Systems. This paper dives deep into the details of both systems and advises on how to make the best choice between hot and cold runners. Injection Molding Dilemmas: Hot or Cold Runners? A runner refers to a channel cut into the mold that helps the molten plastic flow from the nozzle to the cavity. In injection molding, the runner plays a significant role since it directly influences mold pressure filling, melting temperature, shrinkage of the material, and wrapping of residual stresses. Based on these reasons, the selection of a runner becomes a considerable portion of the process. Meanwhile, runners can get divided into different types based on their shapes. Usually, the runner's shape is parabolic, trapezoid, half-round, wide trapezoid, and quarter-round. Table of Contents: 1. Hot Runner Systems : Where and When is Hot Runner System Applicable? Conditions and Equipment Needed 2. Cold Runner Systems: Where and When is Hot Runner System Applicable? Conditions and Equipment Needed 3. Hot or Cold Runner: How to Make a Choice? Hot Runners Advantages over Cold Runners Cold Runners Advantages over Hot Runners 4. Conclusion Anchor 1 Hot Runner Systems A hot runner system comprises two plates heated with a manifold system to maintain a consistent temperature used to inject the molten material into the mold cavities. There are several categories of hot runner systems, falling into two major categories: internally heated (suitable for better flow control) and externally heated (ideal for thermal-sensitive polymers) runner systems. Where and When is Hot Runner System Applicable? The most significant hot runner system applications are found in the plastic injection molding industry, directly or indirectly, related to the automobile industry (interior designing), aviation industry, toy industry, and medical and healthcare industry. Used by mold manufacturers in the United States, Chine, and countries in Europe, the hot runner system could create a manufacturing process cycle that has enhanced overall production quality and shortened manufacturing time. The hot runner system is used only when mass production with high quality is required; it is expensive, and waste reduction is significant since there is no sprues' and runners' waste. Besides offering a shorter cycle time, it also provides balanced melt flow and easy to initiate mechanism. Alongside, it gives fewer sink marks and under-filled parts when plastic flows through it. Conditions and Equipment Needed As far as conditions for hot runner systems are concerned, the runner's temperature and pressure should get noted and maintained. And here are the equipment or parts needed for the hot runner: Inlet: During the molding process, the resin enters the injection molding process through the inlet. Manifold: Molten resin enters the heated nozzle to get injected into the mold cavity while passing through the manifold. Nozzles: Hot-runner nozzles act as the connection to the cavity. They are designed individually for every new project, which may drive the cost up enormously. Likewise, they either gate into a sub-runner that will prompt the cavity or directly into the part. Hot Runners: Hot runners transfer liquid plastic from nozzles into the mold cavities. Locating Ring: It refers to the ring whose adjustment gets decided considering the placement of injection mold. Furthermore, it is also responsible for aligning all the nozzles together. Heater Technology: Heater technology is described as a hot runner system as-a-whole. Each runner possesses the ability to manage temperature and heating systems to ensure the best performance and cost. Anchor 2 Anchor 3 Cold Runner Systems Cold runner comprises two or three plates present in the base of the mold. The molten raw material is injected into the mold from a nozzle through the sprue, filling the runners' network. Later, this network of runners leads the molten material to the cavities of the mold. Unlike hot runners, cold runners are unheated and disseminate the liquid plastic to the individual mold cavities. Where and When is Cold Runner System Applicable? Usually, the final product can be achieved using both the cold and hot runner systems. Still, it might not be economical or suitable to replace a hot runner with a cold runner or a cold runner with a hot runner system. For example, the cold runner is more cost-effective than the hot runner system, but the leading time is higher to have the final product. Similarly, the cold runner is the most suitable approach for design options and flexible gate location. While adding to its benefits, the cold runner system experiences lower thermal variations because they do not require controllers, heaters, and thermocouples to control the process. Conditions and Equipment Needed The cold runner system is a suitable choice for the low production of products. However, the condition depends on the circumstances like raw material, design of the product, and quality required. Talking about equipment or parts of the cold runner system, typically, it comprises of the following three components: 1. Sprue: It is a channel that allows the molten material to enter the mold. Sprue bushing is where the mold's nozzle itself injects the molten plastic towards the cavity. 2. Cold Runner: It refers to an unheated channel that allows the molten material from the sprue to the cavity gate. The cold runner also cools the different segments of the mold system, such as the sprue, gate, and the molded part itself. 3. Gate: Gate is a narrow and small intersection between the mold cavity and the main runner. The gate is the point from where molten material enters the cavity. There are also trimming, chilling/cooling, and metering blenders to control different parameters in a cold runner system. 4. Plates: Within this cold runner system, two or three plates are controlled inside the mold. The two-plate system is simpler to utilize, requiring an injection system to eliminate the part from the mold. In the case of a three-plate system, the runner operates on a separate plate that can be ejected independently from the runner. Anchor 4 Anchor 5 Anchor 6 Anchor 7 Anchor 8 Anchor 9 Hot or Cold Runner: How to Make a Choice? Both hot and cold runners are suitable, however, the demand should get considered. For example, if manufacturers want to reduce the lead time while ensuring a reasonable quality, a hot runner comes up with the best choice. On the other hand, if the lead time is not a problem and manufacturers require extreme quality, it is better to adopt a cold runner system. Correspondingly, if the capital investment is low, the cold runner is the option because otherwise, the hot runner is expensive. Furthermore, cold runners are a perfect option for low production volumes, such as in prototyping. Conversely, hot runners will, in general, be more financially savvy for medium to high production volumes. Hot Runners Advantages over Cold Runners Hot runner systems have many benefits over cold runner systems, including: 1. Shorter Cycle Time Cycle time is a crucial excelling point for hot runners compared with the cold runner system. The wall thickness of the part or runner drives its cooling time. Even optimized cold runners possess 50% to 100% more cycle time than hot runners. Consequently, hot runners can improve the production rate due to the reduced cycle time. 2. Improved Efficiency of the Molding System A hot runner mold is simpler to start since there are not any hardened or solidified runners to be taken out after each under-filled shot. The mold is all set to function when the operating temperature is reached. Additionally, lower injection pressures can get used, reducing the mold/platen deflection, and minimizing the flash triggered by the movement of mold components. 3. Less Wasted Energy and Material The waste in the hot runner system is much lower than in the cold runner system. Depending upon the product's design, the cold runner might be equal to 50% to 250% of the mold part weight with a minor regrinding facility of 15%. Other than that, regrinding is an additional step that can reduce the material's mechanical properties and increase energy consumption in cold runners. Cold Runners Advantages over Hot Runners The cold runner system also has its benefits associated with the process. Here are some advantages of the cold runner system in comparison to the hot runner system. 1. Useable with Wide Variety of Polymers Hot runner systems are usually vulnerable to work with a variety of polymers. In contrast, cold runner systems have an excelling edge to this point. Heat-sensitive polymers are very hard to deal with if used in the hot runner system, and most probably, the product falls off its shape. With cold runners, heat-sensitive polymers and polymers of various chemical properties are convenient to use. 2. Inexpensive to Maintain and Produce Compared with the equipment cost required for the hot runner system, the cold runner system has a clear edge over this point. Due to inexpensive parts and equipment, the overall expenses for these runners are meager. Additionally, maintenance costs are also low since the rates of components or equipment are reasonable, and there is no need to deal with temperature variations. 3. Simplistic Design Technically, the hot runner system is more complex and challenging to understand than the cold runner system. The components of cold runner systems are straightforward in their designs, so it is easy to work with cold runner systems instead of working with hot runner systems. Conclusion Plastic injection molding is a leading force to take the global economies to their culmination. Hardly, there is an industry that does not include the use of plastic injection molding. At the same time, plastic is mandatory, whether it is the health care sector, mass transit projects, aviation industries, toy manufacturing factories, or the automobile industry. However, plastic injection molding is an intricate process that involves both the hot and cold runner systems. Concerning their use, hot runner systems have more incredible and attractive benefits than cold runner systems. But in some cases, cold runner systems seem, by all accounts, to be the only solution to the problem. In short, both approaches have their importance in their respective fields, and it now depends on requirements if the hot runner is suitable or cold is a better option. Anchor 10 Back to Top Table of Contents: 1. Hot Runner Systems : Where and When is Hot Runner System Applicable? Conditions and Equipment Needed 2. Cold Runner Systems: Where and When is Hot Runner System Applicable? Conditions and Equipment Needed 3. Hot or Cold Runner: How to Make a Choice? Hot Runners Advantages over Cold Runners Cold Runners Advantages over Hot Runners 4. Conclusion Explore our services: Insert Molding Insert moulding is the process when components (e.g. wires) are encapsulated READ MORE Small Parts Molding 'Micro' is not always 'micro'. If your part can fit in your hand - mold it 2x faster and cheaper with us. READ MORE Micromolding Micromolding begins when microfeatures take place and vary from 100µm to 5µm in size. READ MORE Medical Injection Molding Microfluidics, OEM solutions, clean room 8 molding, sterilization and medical grade plastics. READ MORE READ MORE READ MORE

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