If you need plastic parts for your Minneapolis business, you have two basic ways to produce them. You can use injection molding equipment to create what you need, or you can turn to machining plastic parts. So which method is right for you? Let’s take a look at each one to help you decide.
Injection Molding
The injection mold process works with metal, glass, or plastics. The material gets heated until it’s melted and then special equipment injects or forces it into molds. The melted material quickly cools, and the molds separate leaving the finished product. By injecting the molten materials into molds, you can get greater part precision and better definition than simple casting
CNC Machining
CNC machines are best for machining plastic parts in Minneapolis today. CNC means computer numeric control and the machining process takes place with as many five different axes. Each axis performs a specific task like grinding, boring, or threading. CNC machines can do intricate work faster and in greater detail than most manual operations.
Injection Molding Benefits
It’s cheaper to injection mold parts if you have the right equipment. On the other hand, this kind of equipment is a major investment and something to consider.
Downside of Injection Molding
Once you create a piece, it’s done. If you need to make changes, you may need to scrap it. Also, you cannot create highly precise parts with molding.
CNC Benefits
Machining plastic parts offer many advantages in Minneapolis. You get more accurate results than molding. The startup investment is much lower, and so are the tooling costs. You can create many kinds of parts including prototypes, and you have no flashing to trim.
CNC machining can give you quicker turnaround times so that you can get projects to your customer faster. Also, since machining is more accurate, you’ll deliver a higher quality product.
