Producing molds can be very expensive for a manufacturer. The more complex a part is, the more expensive a mold will be. In some cases, these are built for a single part. But is it really cost-effective to have molds that can only be used for a single part? This is where family molds come in.
It is a new molding variation that offers multiple parts in one single injection mold, eliminating the need for expensive and time-consuming secondary operations. This is an ingenious solution for manufacturers that are seeking to optimize their production efficiency without sacrificing quality.
What is a Family Mold?
Family mold is one of the process injection moldings that combines multiple pieces into one mold base. Due to its flexibility, it also helps manufacturers be cost efficient in building parts that are used together as opposed to making a single mold dedicated to one specific part.
One of the drawbacks that family molds have is the parts may have low precision and it can be hard to control the process parameters, but the structure is not overly complicated so it is more streamlined, and the rate of productivity is higher, which makes the price of plastic parts lower. It is an excellent tool for mass-producing small-sized plastic parts.
Family Mold, Single Cavity, and Multi-Cavity
Single cavity injection molds: While a single cavity injection mold tool is generally the most affordable option for producing a product, its loss of efficiency and predictability makes it ideal as an early-stage prototyping tool only. The shorter lead time and reduced costs of production make a single cavity injection mold tool attractive to aspiring entrepreneurs looking for the cheapest way possible to adjust their product before testing market demand for mass manufacturing.
Typically easier to balance, whip, and control stability part filling and therefore better cosmetic and dimensional control. Single cavity injection molding will only produce 1 part at a time. If, for example, you need to produce various mouldings in high volumes, it can become extremely difficult and expensive due to the amount of time and cost that goes into the creation of each unique mold.
Multi-cavity injection molds: Multi-cavity mold injection molding is used to produce identical sets of parts. Multiple individual cavities are machined into a single mold. Rather than opening and closing the mold for one part, it opens and closes to create multiple duplicates simultaneously.
This process allows manufacturers to pump out large quantities of the same part with ease. Although a lot of consumers like multi-cavity molds, the practicalities of mold production definitely need to be considered before creating a decision, because while it is more cost-effective to produce plastic in multi-cavity mold, it is also much more expensive to create these kinds of molds as opposed to a single cavity or family molds.
Family Molds injection molds: Is an injection molding that creates two or multiple parts at once. It can greatly reduce the number of different tooling operations needed to make the finished product by eliminating the need for two or more molds because it was already done together in one single mold.
When it comes to creating differently colored parts of a single product, family mold injection molding is the ideal process. This is especially true when producing packaging, consumer goods, or components for automotive needs.
Unfortunately some molds are not symmetrical as the others, there may be an imbalance when it comes to filling out the parts that can lead to defects and repetition of the process.
What are the Benefits of Family Molds?
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Cheap tooling cost
Tooling is an essential part of the injection molding process, especially for manufacturing plastic parts. The process of making a mold for plastic parts is very time-consuming, complicated, and costly. One family mold will not only save you money but also lower costs in comparison to creating multiple, single-cavity molds and paying tooling costs multiple times.
2. Cheap production cost
One advantage that a family mold gives that a manufacturer found attractive is that production costs are reduced due to the fact that there is no need to change out the molds. Having multiples of the same part created in one go can cause good cost-savings and lower price points if produced on a large scale, which means the per-piece price will be reduced also.
3. Scalability
Using multiple cavities can be very advantageous in terms of releasing one million parts from a mold but this does tie up machines and resources for days or weeks depending on the length of each injection cycle. Considering an investment in a family mold is worth the cost if the intention is to drastically reduce production costs and turnaround times.
Key Takeaway
It is important to remember that family molds are also much more economical for the same reasons listed above. If a company needs to produce multiple parts in one go, then this option would be highly recommended over making multiple individual molds.
Also, with this type of process injection molding, there are fewer setup times and mold changes required which means less time wasted in-between productions and is great for a large project that requires the task of producing several identical parts at once.
