Rapid Injection Molding: Fast Tooling for Quick-Turn Parts

What is Rapid Injection Moulding?

You have a completed design, and some printed prototypes. You have taken your part as far as you can with traditional prototyping practices. Now, you want to have a moulded part for more accurate functional testing. Our standard lead time for moulded parts is 15 days, and depending on the size and complexity of the part it could be as short as one day.

The rapid injection moulding process begins as it does for any moulded part: You upload your CAD file for a quote. Our design for manufacturing (DFM) analysis offers recommendations so you can make early adjustments to your model. Once an acceptable CAD file is ready to go, it’s time to create the tooling (the mould) that will form the parts. That’s done by machining aluminium mould blocks to form the cavity in which the part is created.

Traditional moulds use steel as the base metal. While steel is tough and long-lasting, that toughness means that it is a much longer process to create the mould cavities. If you need parts fast, that might not work for you.

By switching out steel for aluminium, you have a material that is easier to mill, and that speed is crucial to getting parts faster. While aluminium moulds have a shorter lifespan than those made from steel, you can easily get about 2,000 shots from each one, which will easily see your product through its infancy, or if you need bridge production, which we'll describe in more detail later. 

After the mould is created, and the parts are approved, our standard lead time for production parts is 10 days, and we often have expedited delivery available. That could get you lead times as short as one day, depending on the size and complexity of the part. 

We have secondary (post-moulding) operations available too, which include: 

Mould texturing and engraving Machining Pad printing

UV printing Assembly Adding threaded inserts

Laser engraving Part cleaning Packaging

Learn more about secondary operations for injection moulded parts here. →

What are the applications for Rapid Injection Moulding

There are four primary situations in which rapid injection moulding can save you at a critical time. 

Rapid Prototyping: Because aluminium moulds can be cut in much less time, moulded parts arrive without slowing down your product development process. 

Short-run production: When you need low quantities of a particular part (less than 2,000), the aluminium moulds can crank out the necessary parts without issue at low cost and quick turnaround time. That scenario applies equally to on-demand production, which tends to require higher quantities, over 2,000 parts. 

Line-down: One of the more critical situations you may face that can affect your supply chain is a line-down (or other issues your manufacturer might be facing). Rapid Injection Moulding can step in to keep your product in the market, and thus uphold revenue streams.

Bridge production: Maybe you want to transition from prototyping to production but want to it to happen at a more gradual pace. This is a prime example of when you can employ bridge production to navigate between phases of a part's lifecycle.

How can Rapid Injection Moulding meet industry specific needs?

It's not only about speed. With rapid injection moulding, you also reduce costs, simplify iteration, and can quickly move from prototyping to production-level manufacturing. Below, we focus the advantages of rapid injection moulding in four major industries but know that the points noted apply equally well to all four industries. 

Medical

Injection moulding plays a vital role in the medical industry. It's a reliable method for producing complex, high-quality parts in large quantities. A major advantage of injection moulding parts is the ability to produce liquid silicone rubber (LSR) parts quickly, which is crucial during the FDA gating process. Using aluminium moulds adds to that speed, therefore accelerating approvals and ultimately make the move to production quantities.

Automotive

Injection moulding is integral to the automotive industry, enabling manufacturers to produce lightweight, durable, and high-precision components at scale. 

As the automotive industry continues to evolve with recent pushes towards electric and autonomous vehicles, suppliers are relying on rapid injection moulding to prototype new designs and accelerate product development. 

High Precision and Consistency

Injection moulding ensures tight tolerances, which are critical for the precise fit of automotive components. Parts can be produced consistently with high accuracy, ensuring that every piece fits perfectly into the larger assembly, which is essential for safety and performance. 

Efficient Prototyping and Design Iteration

For new automotive designs, injection moulding allows manufacturers to quickly prototype and test parts before committing to full-scale production. This is particularly useful for innovative designs or custom parts, enabling efficient testing and modifications. 

Aerospace

The aerospace industry benefits from injection moulding's ability to quickly create prototypes for testing and validation. Engineers can rapidly iterate designs, optimizing components for strength, weight, and aerodynamics before moving to full-scale production.

Consumer Electronics

Electronics components, particularly housings and internal fittings, require high precision to assemble correctly with sensitive internal hardware. Injection moulding's ability to produce parts with tight tolerances ensures the reliability of fit, contributing to the longevity of devices.

Rapid Injection Moulding at Protolabs

Our process is simple, and every part of our digital process is build for speed. With this in mind, we have some requirements that standard moulders may not have and you'll want to consider in your designs. 

We use a standard set of mills and cutters to create the moulds, so there may be wall section thickness and depth requirements that differ from what was designed in your model. Don't worry, though. Any advisories that we need addressed are highlighted in the quote that you receive after uploading your model. 

If further clarification is needed, you can call our customer service team on +44 (0) 1952 683047 or eMail [email protected], and request to speak with an applications engineer.