Whether to use plastic machining or plastic injection molding

On a regular basis, we find ourselves in discussions with clients who are unsure whether to use plastic machining or plastic injection molding to create the custom plastic parts they require.

Although the decision is difficult, answering a few simple questions can help you determine which plastic manufacturing process is most appropriate for your project.

What Is the Difference Between Plastic injection molding and Plastic Machining?
"After that, the pellets cool in the mold in which they were formed. Precision plastic machining is the process of reducing a larger block of solid plastic to the desired dimensions through the use of sophisticated machinery. When it comes to manufacturing processes, injection molding and machining are both viable options.

What number of custom plastic parts do you require?
Therefore, if you only need a few hundred or less plastic parts, it is more cost effective to machine them. In contrast, if you anticipate thousands of jobs, you will most likely save money by using plastic injection molding instead of other methods. The exact quantity required to make injection molding economically viable for your project should be determined by consulting with an industry expert.

If the design of your custom plastic part needs to be changed, what will you do?
If you intend to make changes to your design, it is recommended that you machine your parts. Not only will you save thousands of dollars on a mold that you will no longer use, but you will also have the flexibility to change the design at any time. Plastic machining is well-known for being a more adaptable manufacturing process than other processes.

What level of precision do you require in your custom plastic parts?
The greater the degree to which you require your plastic parts to adhere to your design specifications, the more likely it is that you should machine them to achieve the desired results. In the end, your decision will be determined by whether or not looser tolerances are acceptable for the nature of your product. Plastic machining is frequently chosen by clients in the telecommunications, aerospace, and medical equipment industries because of its high level of precision. Minor inconsistencies do not make a difference in the benefits of plastic {anchor}, and other industries can and should take advantage of them.

How precise do you require your plastic components to be?
For example, when the mold is removed, the gates of the mold leave a slight flaw, as do the knockout pins used to remove the part, which leave small depressions in the part. Achieving perfect surface smoothness can also be a challenge when creating custom parts using plastic injection molding techniques. Plastic machining is likely to be preferable if your custom plastic parts are required to be free of even minor cosmetic flaws in their design.
Do you require the use of a high-performance specialty plastic?
Lastly, when using {anchor}, your options for plastic materials are generally more limited than when using other methods of manufacturing. Rubber and other flexible materials are ideal for molding, but a large number of harder, high-performance specialty plastics are only suitable for machine processing. In the case of a specific advanced plastic in mind, machining may be the only option available.

Whether to use plastic machining or plastic injection molding as a final conclusion
Tolerances as close to zero as possible
The quickest turnaround times
Optimal cost efficiency when dealing with small quantities
Design with the greatest degree of adaptability
There are no visible cosmetic flaws (ejector marks, parting lines, etc.).
The broadest range of advanced specialty plastics is available.
Moreover, even if you intend to use plastic injection molding to produce thousands or even millions of parts, you may still want to experiment with plastic machining to create prototypes of your design before investing in a mold.