Prototype Tooling: To Help Speed Up The Production Process

Prototype tooling is often thought of as an extra step that is not necessary, adding to expenses and delaying development and production. However, it’s amazing how frequently projects are finished without the use of a prototype tool. The reverse is actually true. Without a prototype tool, custom injection molding frequently necessitates numerous alterations to the production tool that are both costly and inconvenient. The apparent cost advantages of skipping prototype tools quickly disappear, and the increased possibility of part faults might result in additional expenditures such as legal fees.
Prototype tooling often accounts for 20-40% of the total production tooling expenses, depending on the project’s complexity. While it represents a significant initial investment, the benefits it offers far outweigh the drawbacks when considering the overall advantages.
At Sungplastic, you can enjoy this service about prototype tooling.

Prototype Tooling Considerations Using Injection Molding

Prototype tools are crafted using softer tooling materials and typically employ a simplified, single-cavity design instead of the multi-cavity structure used in production tools. These prototype designs provide original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a valuable glimpse into the potential of their applications. Collaborating with an experienced custom injection molder, and viewing the nuances through the lens of prototype injection molding, aids in gathering crucial information before making final decisions. Here are key aspects to consider:

Testing Various Plastic Materials

Prototype tooling is intentionally designed to support low-volume production. Consequently, it allows for efficient performance testing of different plastics under consideration. This approach facilitates comparative assessments without significant financial commitments. The ability to physically evaluate materials is a significant advantage in making informed material selections.

Validating Part Geometry Feasibility

This phase provides the perfect opportunity to ascertain whether the part fills correctly without defects such as voids, weld lines, flow marks, burning, or sinks. In case issues arise, it is relatively straightforward to adjust the prototype tool through cuts or welds.
Additionally, fine-tuning part geometry for production may necessitate alterations to wall thickness, ribbing, or radii. Prototype tooling allows for the application, testing, and verification of these new dimensions. Unlike final production tools built for long-term use, prototype tools are primarily aimed at data gathering.

Optimizing Gate Locations

Gating plays a pivotal role in the quality of molded parts, as it connects material runners to the tool cavity. Injection molders experienced in Design for Manufacturability (DfM) analysis can offer insights into proper gate placement, along with guidance on welds and cuts in prototype tools to make necessary gating adjustments. This approach, executed within the scope of prototype injection molding, eliminates the costs and time associated with modifying production tools, while preserving their performance and lifespan.

Assessing Complex Part Geometries

Tooling components like lifters and slides, which are used to create undercuts in production tools, are intricate and expensive. Therefore, it’s often impractical to include them in a prototype mold. However, for testing purposes during prototype injection molding, hand-loaded inserts can substitute for actual lifters, slides, and other challenging geometries.

Reducing Production Time

Making modifications to a prototype tool is generally quicker and more cost-effective compared to altering a production tool.

Sungplastic boasts the resources and expertise to design, construct, and revise prototype tools in-house, providing a competitive advantage in the industry. The insights gained during prototype injection molding:
Contribute to a final design with fewer revisions required for the production tool.
Save time and money in the later stages of the project.
Optimize cycle times and reduce overall production costs.

What about Using Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing for Prototype Tooling?

In recent times, there has been a growing fascination with rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing. However, it’s essential to recognize that prototypes produced using these methods may not provide the same level of valuable production data as those created with prototype tooling. This data includes crucial insights into ideal gate locations, fill rates, cooling rates, and more.

The concentrated results obtained from prototype tooling play a pivotal role in equipping engineers with the necessary information to identify and rectify any potential challenges in part design or production. This invaluable data is gathered well in advance of the production tool’s creation or the commencement of the initial batch production run.

Rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing refer to advanced technologies that enable the quick and precise creation of prototypes or parts through layer-by-layer additive processes.
These methods are known for their speed and versatility in producing prototypes with complex geometries, making them popular choices for proof of concept and design iteration.
While they offer advantages in terms of speed and flexibility, they may not fully replicate the production conditions and data obtained through traditional prototype tooling.

Prototype tooling involves the creation of molds or tools specifically designed for producing prototypes in a manner that closely simulates production processes.
The data collected from prototype tooling helps engineers optimize various aspects of part production, including gate placement (where material enters the mold), fill rates (how quickly the mold cavity fills), cooling rates (how efficiently heat is dissipated), and other critical parameters.
By addressing these factors during the prototyping phase, engineers can make informed decisions, streamline production processes, and reduce the likelihood of defects or costly modifications during full-scale production.

Perhaps one of the most significant advantages of prototype tooling is the early detection of potential challenges or issues in part design or manufacturing processes.
Engineers can use the data from prototype tooling to fine-tune part designs, adjust tooling configurations, and make informed decisions that lead to more efficient and cost-effective production.

By addressing these challenges proactively at the prototyping stage, the risk of costly revisions and delays in full-scale production is minimized.

Prototype Tooling Manufacturing at Sungplastic

With our professional designers, engineers and skilled workers, we can eve your ideal prototype tooling design and manufacturing.

As a leading plastic injection molding OEM service provider in China, we also provide custom prototype services, including injection molding prototyping, CNC prototyping, 3D prototyping, rapid prototype mold fabrication, support low volume production or high volume production, whether small parts manufacturing or large parts manufacturing.

If your project needs, please contact us and we will provide a quote and detailed information.

Related Resources:

CNC Prototyping from Custom Prototypes to Production

3D Prototyping: Guides To 3D Rapid Prototypes Manufacturing

Injection Molding Prototyping Service