Injection Molding Service

Design for Manufacturing (DFM) is an analysis technique that can pay dividends for a vast array of manufacturing processes, one of which is injection molding. DFM allows for personnel from engineering design and manufacturing engineering to come together and optimize a part from both perspectives. This alignment, in the design phase, is crucial to ensuring a part or assembly which is not only manufacturable but is cost-effective to manufacture. Consulting with the injection molding process experts when designing a part for injection molding will ensure your parts follow the simplest manufacturing processes possible. Experts in injection molding may also be able to provide insight on material selection, tolerancing, and finishing operations.

Failure Mode Effects Analysis or FMEA is a tool commonly utilized within the DFM process. FMEA is specifically an excellent method to assess risk, identify and address problems and review manufacturability. Within the scope of FMEA is an ability to check for, maintain documentation about and determine corrective actions for potential failure modes before a part even enters the manufacturing processes.

For a more software-based analysis approach, engineers often seek out simulation software to see the injection molding process come to life and receive feedback about key characteristics of the molding process. As part of the Dassault Systèmes My3DEXPERIENCE platform, the Plastic Injection Engineer role allows you to seamlessly perform design optimization for any injection molded plastic part. You start from SOLIDWORKS and connect easily to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Then select the Plastic Injection Engineer role to assess the warpage, filling, packing, and mold cooling phases of the injection molding process. This built-in moldability analysis feature allows product engineers to assess potential failure modes such as air traps, sink marks, short shots, or weld lines. Feed circuits and cooling circuit designs can be evaluated and optimized. A design change can be quickly made in SOLIDWORKS and then the analysis can be run again in a streamlined fashion.