I need (or think I need) a part made. Right now I am having it machined but think that a better long term investment would be injection molded. I know it will take a while to recoup the mold price but Im sure my per part cost will go way down. PM me if you're in the biz.
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Anybody in injection molding?
- Thread starter zeroz
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Too funny!
Thank you Sirhr for the recommendation.
I am new to the industry.
All I know so far is molds are expensive. My work does build them but most customers go to China to have them done. If you have us build it we will maintain it for you. Buy a Chinese one we maintain it but at cost.
I know little about the plastics though I buy them.....Just watched 50,000 pounds get loaded in today.
I am a thief, I have stolen the career from some kid that went to school to learn it, has a strong love for the industry, and would die for the position I am in.
I belong elsewhere.
I'm going in to work tomorrow, Ill post back here with some photos.
Mold machines wont be running but the place is cool as fuck with the capability they have.
6 or 8 months ago the company was more of a custom molder and would have looked at any and all work.
What was a family business has been bought by a bigger entity and they are focusing toward Medical and using more discretion in taking jobs that will run an injection machine 7 days a week 24 hours a day.
The Leominster, Ma area is full of tool and die shops as well as plastics products manufacturers.
If you Goggle search injection molding in the Leominster area you should find a niche shop.
If you have prints and such to the point there is something solid to look at I will forward it.
They just did what I would call a custom project - a guys million dollar idea for a yard game. When I see it on the market I will be bragging how I bought the concentrate to change its designed color from gray to a black the inventor thought more pleasing.
Thank you Sirhr for the recommendation.
I am new to the industry.
All I know so far is molds are expensive. My work does build them but most customers go to China to have them done. If you have us build it we will maintain it for you. Buy a Chinese one we maintain it but at cost.
I know little about the plastics though I buy them.....Just watched 50,000 pounds get loaded in today.
I am a thief, I have stolen the career from some kid that went to school to learn it, has a strong love for the industry, and would die for the position I am in.
I belong elsewhere.
I'm going in to work tomorrow, Ill post back here with some photos.
Mold machines wont be running but the place is cool as fuck with the capability they have.
6 or 8 months ago the company was more of a custom molder and would have looked at any and all work.
What was a family business has been bought by a bigger entity and they are focusing toward Medical and using more discretion in taking jobs that will run an injection machine 7 days a week 24 hours a day.
The Leominster, Ma area is full of tool and die shops as well as plastics products manufacturers.
If you Goggle search injection molding in the Leominster area you should find a niche shop.
If you have prints and such to the point there is something solid to look at I will forward it.
They just did what I would call a custom project - a guys million dollar idea for a yard game. When I see it on the market I will be bragging how I bought the concentrate to change its designed color from gray to a black the inventor thought more pleasing.
I’m in the plastics industry myself. I sell molding machines and extruders. Along with robots and auxiliary equipment - chillers, grinders, TCUs, blenders, loading equipment, pellet storage (silos, surge bins, Gaylord tillers) and more. If I can’t find you a solution for plastics, I can find someone who can. Send me a PM if you need some help.
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My humble office....
Part of our reference room
QC
More QC and a 3D printer
Main floor left side.....
Main floor right side, clean rooms being built in back.....
Part of our reference room
QC
More QC and a 3D printer
Main floor left side.....
Main floor right side, clean rooms being built in back.....
This machine has been working sixteen hours a day for a week or more making concrete form ties. Nice to see them being built in USA...
Injection machines with robots...
A big 'un
Some of the stuff I buy....
More stuff I buy....the industry is kind of woke....the containers are "Gaylords" I mean how do they know?
Just a bunch of spare stuff laying around they should dispose of at my house.....
Injection machines with robots...
A big 'un
Some of the stuff I buy....
More stuff I buy....the industry is kind of woke....the containers are "Gaylords" I mean how do they know?
Just a bunch of spare stuff laying around they should dispose of at my house.....
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More spare stuff....
Molds in their racks......
Tool making
Molds in their racks......
Tool making
Sweet. Looks like they could whip out my little 3 step axles in a jiffy. Get that going would ya!
I moved many of those presses, they are heavy and usually soaked in hydraulic oil.
Fell through a 10" concrete floor once that we even plated, couldn't walk for almost a week.
Fell through a 10" concrete floor once that we even plated, couldn't walk for almost a week.
There is no grease or oil allowed to be on the floor in the plant.
I am shocked that the place is nothing like I thought such an operation would be. I expected tights spaces, smells of melting plastic and hot hydraulics.
The plant manager is the daughter of the old business founder.
She has done a great job transitioning from Capo De Capos to plant manager with someone else running her family business.
The place was actually pretty much women run. I kid them that they must long for the days before all the men showed up and started screwing it up.
As far as setting the machines, the building sits over a tunnel complex.
Machines get set in place. couple holes get cored, all utilities are under the plant floor.
Sweet.
The new company that has taken over pretty much created the design for the building.
I thought the family was just ahead of the curve but in plastic plants that is the way.
I designed some products a few years ago that I knew were going to be low-volume because of the target market (there might be 10,000 in the world that would want one of these things). I looked at injection molding and it was too financially risky for me so I used a commercial 3D printing service that prints them on-demand. I'm not saying that's what *you* should do but it might be worth looking in to.
It's like those graphic design companies where you can upload your own artwork and they'll put it on tshirts, mugs, mousepads, whatever, and then you can have a "store" on their site. They handle the orders, manufacturing, shipping, etc and I just get paid every month. I've sold about 500 units in the last 6 years and I was way better off going this route rather than trying to get a mold made. It is a niche product for a small population, so it was more about a hobby than about making money. Though I did make some pretty good side money.
If I was expecting to have sold like 10k units/yr it would have been a different decision.
It's like those graphic design companies where you can upload your own artwork and they'll put it on tshirts, mugs, mousepads, whatever, and then you can have a "store" on their site. They handle the orders, manufacturing, shipping, etc and I just get paid every month. I've sold about 500 units in the last 6 years and I was way better off going this route rather than trying to get a mold made. It is a niche product for a small population, so it was more about a hobby than about making money. Though I did make some pretty good side money.
If I was expecting to have sold like 10k units/yr it would have been a different decision.
Pretty weird, I know about everything you listed. I do industrial maintenance for a Korean company in the auto industry.
I sold in a lot of food/beverage and metal stamping/forming. I will say that plastics manufacturers are pretty clean and squared away. Some are shit with dirt floors and little to no ventilation.
