What to Consider When Choosing Resin for Your Plastic Injection Molding Project

When you begin working with a plastic injection molding manufacturer, you need to first select the right injection molding resin so your project proceeds successfully. There are thousands of resins available in the market that you can choose from. You need to consider the look, fit and performance of your finish product when determining which resin will work best. Correct resin selection from the start ensures that you do not get trapped with one that does not fulfill project requirements. Below are tips on how to choose the right resin for your plastic injection molding project.

Product Look

When it comes to choosing resin, the final look and feel of your finished product greatly influence what type you should go with. You need to work with a resin that will ensure customers get what they expect from you. A durable texture will also allow you to make undercuts and hide parting lines to enhance aesthetic appeal. Also, if the product you are looking to produce requires grip, the resin should deliver the same.

If the final product is going to be painted, a good plastic injection molding manufacturer will advise you to consider the paint adhesion of the resin. It is important to choose a resin that allows gases to escape during the injection process so that they don’t get trapped and interfere with the final design.

Once you’ve settled on the surface finish of your design, you’ll be well on your way to choosing the right resin for production. Treating the surface finish as an afterthought can cost you a lot of money in mold corrections. The resin you choose also affects the other materials you use for the production. All materials need to be compatible to ensure that you end with a seamless product. Be sure to discuss all the details of your project with your mold designer up front.

Product Purpose

The characteristics of each resin determine what it is capable of achieving. Different resins are suitable for abrasion resistance, high-impact applications, holding hot or cold liquids, flexibility or rigidity, for example. Once you figure out the intention of the components of resin, you can narrow down your choices and settle on the right resin. This can be made easier by listing all the criteria your product needs to fulfill. As yourself, “Does my product need to hold up against abrasion? Does it require flexibility? Will it need to withstand temperature variations?” The characteristics of the resin you choose should be compatible with the requirements of your final product.

Resin Flow

When choosing a plastic injection molding in California or elsewhere, be sure to hire a company that can advise you on resins and perform a mold analysis to determine if a certain resin flows properly within a mold. You need to be sure that the resin you choose will fill the cavity correctly during the injection. Only after this test should you proceed to work with the specified resin.

The success of a plastic injection molding project greatly depends on the resin you choose and picking the right resin will save you time and money. Contact Valencia Plastics to know more about plastic molding.