The type of plastic injection mold depends upon various factors- whether it is needed for prototyping, mass production, or a unique purpose. Injection mold manufacturers often hear this question: is it worth making custom molds, or will the standard one work fine? While both kinds of mold have their own advantages and limitations, knowing when to fabricate custom mold and when to use standard eases the process, enables informed decision-making, saves time, and reduces the risk of wrong mold creation. This detailed blog will share the manufacturer’s insights on the differences, suitability, and advantages of custom and standard mold.
Understanding Both Injection Mold Types
Custom Molds
Custom molds are designed according to specific dimensions, shapes, volumes, and other intricate configurations tailored to specific product designs used for particular functions or branding requirements. It has complex geometries and tight tolerances.
Standard Molds
Standard molds are predesigned molds readily available for mass-volume production of simple to medium-complexity parts. It offers a delicate balance between quality, cost, and production volume. Due to the standard design, these molds are widely used to mass-produce simple plastic parts.
Advantages of Both Types
Both kinds of molds have distinct advantages and limitations, knowing which we can choose the best-suited mold for our needs.
Advantages of Custom Molds
Custom molds allow design flexibility, making them feasible for unique shapes, sizes, and configurations. These usually give better performance because they are tailored to exact specifications. Brands differentiate themselves using specifically designed custom molds. There are numerous examples of this type of mold. Some of these are:
- Beverages Bottles
- Car dashboard and panels
- Electronics
- Protective gears
Advantages of Standard Molds
No additional design is required in these. Hence, standard molds are an affordable choice for mass-producing simple plastic parts. They are readily available, so time is also saved on mold development, and the receiver of these molds can immediately begin mass production. These are most suitable for commonly used plastic parts with simple configurations. Some of the examples of standard molds are:
- Medical syringes and needles
- USB Pen drives and adapters
- PET Bottles
- Ice Trays
- Sports Equipment
What Injection Mold Manufacturers Recommend
When to Choose Standard Molds: Standard molds are a better choice for low to medium production because businesses need a quick turnaround at a lower cost. These molds are suitable for uncomplicated parts and don’t need unique customization.
These are particularly helpful for new businesses whose budget constraints are tight. They can initially use standard molds to grow customers and then transition to custom molds as demand grows.
When to Choose Custom Molds: For high-volume or specialized production, custom molds are ideal as they require high precision, unique specifications, and precise product performance. They are widely used for branding purposes because of their distinct nature. While these may cost more initially, they have long-term benefits.
Custom molds are also used to meet regulatory compliance in medical, automotive, and aerospace sectors because these domains have a broad set of guidelines and performance norms which can be met by custom molds only.
Conclusion
Both standard mold and custom mold have their unique advantages, and the differentiating factors that one should consider are volume, design, and budget. Standard molds are affordable and ensure quick production, while custom molds provide design flexibility and performance advantages. The ultimate decision relies upon the specific needs of the business. Northern Plastics is a renowned company that is equally deft in both types of injection molding. Their design also includes detailed guidance to the businesses to help them determine which injection mold suits their needs. As a dedicated solution provider, Northern Plastics is a preferred choice for all types of injection molding parts.
