Prototype Injection Molding vs. Traditional Injection Molding, Understanding the differences

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Prototype injection molding is mainly used in the new product development stage, while traditional injection molding serves for high-volume production, both of them play a crucial role in plastic product manufacturing.

So, what are the differences between them and how to select the right mold for production? Read through this article about each manufacturing process, benefits, and drawbacks, you can pave the way for efficient and successful production processes tailored to your specific project needs.

What is Prototype Injection Molding?

prototype injecton molding

Prototype injection mold, also known as rapid injection mold, is made of aluminum or soft hardened steel. It is a good choice for the demand of low-volume production. This method can shorten the process time, and reduce cost in the tooling phase while maintaining quality standards as mass production. Some industries like consumer electronics, automotive, and medical devices commonly use rapid injection molding for its efficient prototyping and low-volume production capabilities.

What is Traditional Injection Molding?

traditional injection molding

Traditional injection molds are made of high-hardness steel, with a lengthy and costly manufacturing process. These molds have longer lifespan, enabling the production of high-quality, precise products at scale, and can reduce the manufacturing cost of plastic products. They are extensively applied in various industries, offering compatibility with a wide array of materials for injection and production choices.

Key Differences Between Prototype Injection Molding and Traditional Injection Molding

  • 1. Lead time: it takes about 15-20 days to finish one rapid tooling, but traditional injection mold usually takes about 45-60 days, depending on the complexity.
  • 2. Material: rapid injection mold is made of aluminum or soft and semi-hardened steel, while traditional injection mold is processed with high-hardness steel like H13, S136.
  • 3. Cost: in general, rapid mold’s cost is much lower than traditional injection mold, sometimes related to the complexity of design.
  • 4. Manufacturing Volume: the quantity ranging from a few hundred to less than ten thousand pieces is ideally suited for rapid injection molding, while large volumes exceeding ten thousand pieces are more suitable for traditional injection molds.
  • 5. Post-Processing: the final parts that come out from prototype injection molding will need deburring, but traditional injection molding parts only require removing water outlets slightly.

Prototype Injection Mold vs Traditional Injection Mold, How to Choose？

Traditional injection molds provide the efficient and precise mass production of plastic products, with accurate dimensions and complete structures. However, these molds are relatively complex in design and with higher costs. But no doubt, they can quickly produce mass products in a short time, making the unit price of products affordable while maintaining high quality. As such, they remain an excellent choice for you when demanding high-volume production.

Rapid mold can save your time on verifying the injected quality products, and shorten the launching period to markets. Furthermore, if the launching product q’ty is small-volume, choosing prototype injection molding is affordable and cost-effective.

At GT, we have experts in molding design who can assist you in reviewing designs, evaluating structures, and providing optimal adjustment suggestions. With our wealth of experience in every stage, from prototyping to production, we offer robust support for your projects. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding molding or prototyping.

FAQ

1. Can you offer an injection molding design?

Yes, our service can be from molding designing to molding manufacturing.

2. What’s the injection molding cost?

rapid molding may cost a few thousand, but traditional injection mold could be triple or more.

3. What kind of mold is suitable for low-volume injection molding?

The soft mold: aluminum, P20 will be a good choice for low-volume injection molding if the materials are not engineering plastic.

4. What are soft tooling and hard tooling?

Soft tooling is also known as rapid tooling (prototype injection molding), and hard tooling means traditional injection molding.