plastic injection mouldings frequently asked questions.

Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about plastic injection mouldings.

For more answers to other FAQ, click the yellow tabs above. Alternatively, view our help pages.
Plastic Injection Mouldings

Q: Which method is most suitable for my parts, plastic injection moulding or vacuum forming ?
As a guide - use vacuum forming if your parts thickness is uniform, A4 paper size or more & the annual quantities needed are low (10-5000) OR use plastic injection moulding if your parts wall thickness differs, is less than A4 paper size & annual quantities needed are medium-high (1000-100,000+)

Q: I have CAD files of my plastic mouldings, are the files of use to you ?
Yes, we can use them to carry out a quote, create tool drawings & even make mould tools saving you both time and money - DXF, DWG, IGES, Parasolid, Pro-Engineer, STEP, SAT & SolidWorks are all usable.

Q: I have existing injection moulded parts but no CAD data, can you still quote ?
Yes, we need a sample, sketch, drawing or photo of your parts with sizes plus details of any existing tooling. Please also confirm the plastic material types needed OR properties you need the parts to have e.g. UV light resistance, working temperature of XXºc and the batch quantities, colours or transparency needed. If you prefer, contact us or complete our Express Quote Request Form which lists the information we need.

Q: steel mould tools or alloy plastic injection mould tools - which type do you recommend ?
As a guide - If you need millions of very complex plastic mouldings, have few cost restraints, or need a tool with mechanisms which constantly rub against each other to make the mouldings, steel mould tools are best. If you need 100 - 500,000 simple to complex plastic mouldings on a budget & quickly, alloy mould tools are best. Please note that we can also make tools from a combination of alloy & steel.

Q: I've got existing mould tools - can you fit them in your moulding machines & make parts for me ?
Yes, we can adapt a range of tools to to run automatically or semi-automatically in our plastic injection moulding machines: soft aluminium, prototype, steel & tools with load in inserts, as well as Austin Allen, Boy & Manumold mould tools. Having your existing mould tool adapted to run automatically will save you time & money (no operator required) and you'll get better quality plastic mouldings & longer tool life due to stable moulding
conditions.

Q: I'd like product identification, text instructions or logos on my plastic parts - is this possible ?
We can do this for both vacuum formed & injection moulded parts in a number of ways. Text or logos can be engraved on mould tools to be either recessed or stood up on the vacuum formings or injection mouldings or it can be hot foil or pad printed on the parts after moulding or forming.

Q: What is the maximum size of plastic injection moulding that you can make ?
Our largest 180 ton lock injection moulding machine can make plastic mouldings up to 300 mm2 or approx. 370 g in weight.

Q: I need a particular finish on my injection moulded parts - is this possible ?
Provided the finish is in a suitable area, we can add matt, gloss or other textures to the injection moulding tool to do so.

Q: I need metal inserts in the finished plastic mouldings - is this possible ?
Yes, inserts can be put in the finished mouldings during or after the plastic injection moulding process. We can also encapsulate parts and even produce mouldings inside metal parts - view examples.

Q: I'd like my injection mouldings in different colours & materials - what options are available ?
We can make mouldings in clear materials, a range of standard colours or a specific colour to match a mating part ( view examples ) and we offer very competitive colour solutions for plastic injection mouldings, even in low quantities.
Different materials are also possible & we've experience of :- ABS, CAB & CAP, COP, EVA, HDPE & LDPE, PA6 6.6 10 11 & 12, PBT & PET, PC & PC/ABS, PES, POM, PMMA, PP, PPO & PPS, PS, PVC, PVDF, SAN, TPE & TPR.

Q: Can I schedule delivery of my plastic mouldings if I place an order for e.g. 3 months supply ?
We'll make your annual mouldings requirement¹ stock them then deliver as required up to 6 months from your order date, thus reducing downtimes, setup+stock holding costs (¹ = Not always available for large injection mouldings)

Q: What is your best price & lead time for 250 kg of Hostaform C9021M POM material ?
We don't sell plastic materials, we use them them to make vacuum formed and injection moulded parts and so we can't help you - try searching on the web for plastic material suppliers.

Q: Can you confirm ROHS / WEEE / Reach compliance for the plastic mouldings you make for me ?
Yes, we only buy ROHS / WEEE compliant plastic materials from suppliers in the EU. As they import the materials, they are responsible for the Reach compliance, but we can check and confirm compliance to you upon request.