Where to Mold My Invention

Not sure where to mold your invention or not sure that the cost of injection molding is?

This blog post if for people who are new to injection molding.

If you have no experience with injection molding, this post may help you understand the business a little more.

At United Molding, we get calls  everyday from inventors or people who have great ideas for an invention. We love and support creativity. We have even invented a few things ourselves. However, the manufacturing process can make anyone confused, especially when it comes to the time consuming process of engineering.

English: Detail of a Lego injection mold. Photo taken at "Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit" at Mannheim, Germany (Mannheim State Museum for Engineering and Work) Deutsch: Detail einer Lego Spritzgussform. Aufgenommen im Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit Mannheim. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Making a mold for your product is one of the most expensive steps in the manufacturing process. This is where inventors bail out and usually get dissapointed.

There is a lot of sophisticated engineering and precision when it comes to make a mold. Don’t think of the mold as a Jello mold. Think of it as blocks of steel or aluminum with holes for injecting hot plastics, cooling water, knockout pins, runners, cavities, and so on.  Lost yet?

Before you even consider producing a mold, it’s always good to have a few things ready for the company you are considering working with.

Always have a non-disclosure to protect yourself.

If you are getting a quote from overseas, use caution because piracy is huge when it comes to manufacturing overseas. Always protect your idea or design.

Do you have a solid model or CAD drawings?

Do you have prototype?

How much will your part weigh?

How many parts do you want to manufacture?

Do you have an existing mold?