Any mold maker around?

[kanankeban]

Hi,
I'm starting to think in going into the injection mold making business. Any comments on that matter? Is it a good business, a hard one, difficult one? where to start? Take into account that I'm starting from 0 so any type of comments are really appreciated. Really what I need is a thread...that its title should say "How to start a small mold making business and not die in the effort"

[Scott_bob]

The mold and die machining discipline is the most difficult of all tool making processes. Plastic injection molds are the most precise and highest quality molds. The only molds that are more precise or have a higher degree of finishing skill would be for optics...

Ask people to list the machines needed, and the supporting tools and technologies for being successful at it...

It is a good buisness only, if you're good at it.
Reputations follow performance and a reputaion can be affected by very little gone wrong.

This discipline is definetly NOT for the inexperienced...

[metlmunchr]

If you've got a million dollars, you'll probably be able to set up a small mold shop. Add a couple employees with 15 to 20 years each of moldmaking experience, and a mold designer with a like background, and you'll be ready to watch the work go to China at warp speed. Seems it was Ross Perot who described this phenomenon as "The giant sucking sound".

[whiteriver]

I used to be a material handler for Keytronics in Spokane Wa. They make keyboards for computers like the micrsoft natural and the ibm thinkpad. I was the guy that mixed and dried the plastics and put them in the machines. Well most of the machines went to mexico. Thats the way of the world. Why pay me at that time $7/hour when you can pay someone else $0.20 and get a tax break on shipping from our government.
Enough on that. Anyway If you could do one off stuff small production runs then you could make it here in the US. The machines are not cheap and the molds are very spendy. If you have good machinist skills you can learn to make the molds. There is alot to it more than just cuting out a shape.
Wish I could be more help but alas thats about the exent of my knowledge on the subject.

Donny

[Klox]

I came into contact last year with moldmaking, as Scott Bob says it is the most difficult discipline of toolmaking. On press tools there's a margin to "default" on tolerances, but on molds you must keep in mind the shrinkage of the moulded material, the flow of the material, where to split the mould, hot & cold spots in the mold & the runners as well. Sometimes there's a need for a "hotbox" when the runners are long.....
Well i have mentioned just a few things, but all in all i find molds much more challenging than the run of the mill type press tools, the only press tool that makes my toes curl of joy is progrssive press tools, but these type of jobs does not come my way often!

Klox

[kanankeban]

Originally Posted by Scott_bob The mold and die machining discipline is the most difficult of all tool making processes. Plastic injection molds are the most precise and highest quality molds. The only molds that are more precise or have a higher degree of finishing skill would be for optics... Ask people to list the machines needed, and the supporting tools and technologies for being successful at it... It is a good buisness only, if you're good at it. Reputations follow performance and a reputaion can be affected by very little gone wrong. This discipline is definetly NOT for the inexperienced...

I know that mold making is one of the most difficult of all tool making processes. Maybe in the states this is the case, but here in Mexico yo can find really bad quality plastic products, like buckets, cups, etc... that's the kind of molds I'm aiming to...not high precision molds like the ones used for celular phones, or high quality appliances, Got the idea? I want to make my own molds for this kind of cheap plastics prodcuts and not pay 100K for a nasty bucket mold .I know that to get to high precision mold making you need millions of dlls for getting cnc machines, mold software for the design, and really experienced people. My idea is to be realistic and start from the bottom, I'm not in a hurry and I am pacient and my goal is cheap not precision molds, well that's for the start, maybe in 20 years I will be making aircraft parts or something like that
Regards...
Hector

[kanankeban]

Originally Posted by Klox I came into contact last year with moldmaking, as Scott Bob says it is the most difficult discipline of toolmaking. On press tools there's a margin to "default" on tolerances, but on molds you must keep in mind the shrinkage of the moulded material, the flow of the material, where to split the mould, hot & cold spots in the mold & the runners as well. Sometimes there's a need for a "hotbox" when the runners are long..... Well i have mentioned just a few things, but all in all i find molds much more challenging than the run of the mill type press tools, the only press tool that makes my toes curl of joy is progrssive press tools, but these type of jobs does not come my way often! Klox

Hi...
I like difficult things... and I also like reading I just got about 10 different books about that difficult things you mention about mold design, I'm aware of that, and I know I'll have to learn lots of things and log time passes before I acomplish the simplest well done job...but that's the fun part of the learning process
Keep the comments coming...know that I made clear my intentions, remember... I'm not aming on the super high precision molds!
Regards...
Hector

[High Seas]

Hector- I was going to ask what sort of mold making you were interested in - but now you have clarified that.
About 5 or 6 months ago there was a thread here that discussed (or started to) low pressure injection molding. It was a process that used recyclable plastic like soda (Coke) bottles and such.
I think the Gingrich/Gingray/or something like that (spelling - sorry) fellow has a set of plans and one of the Zone members was maybe going to give it a go. Sort of surprised that member hasn't popped in - maybe dropped out. I suspose you have done a search on the CNCZone might look for the other fellow on the web too. He has a whole heap of various plans for simple approaches to similar backyard manufacturing.
Looking forward to hearing your progress!
Cheers - Jim
Here - try this site - might get you close (its GingEry)
http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/inject/index.html

[Stevie]

I'm a tool and diemaker by trade; but I worked for 7 yrs in the local mold town(about 30mins down the road)
I have made trim dies; press dies; draw dies; I made the prototype mold and production molds for the Prowler Ins panel/dash re-enforcement beam (Mag/diecast; full width of the car) I made from the Ford drawings (which I had at home on my CAD) the Prototype and production/trim dies for the beverage holder in the 92'ish Mustang (pulled up out of the center console)
I re-built many times the T Truck center diff gearbox (Ford again) made a few other interesting molds when I lived in Calgary Alberta; winter bases (the phones to listen to underground reflections from the Oil industry crews)
Made a Motorcycle brake/cluch lever (that folded up when you fell going uphill/dirt bike) called the Champ lever; not sure if it's still around; and many many others
I think you need to think about joining a shop to learn the ropes; then work up to thinking about starting a shop in maybe 15yrs
I loved the 4 color Mustang tail light mold; the reflex (stuff that refects the light back) is soooo cool; but at $1,000/sq in you dont screw any of it up

[DLMACHINE]

Ok, highend molds aside what about a simple pour mold like for rubber or silicone or a layup mold fiberglass or carbon fiber. Machine time isn't an issue at this point, I'm just comparing thoughts or ideas on different types of molds.

[kanankeban]

Originally Posted by High Seas Hector- I was going to ask what sort of mold making you were interested in - but now you have clarified that. About 5 or 6 months ago there was a thread here that discussed (or started to) low pressure injection molding. It was a process that used recyclable plastic like soda (Coke) bottles and such. I think the Gingrich/Gingray/or something like that (spelling - sorry) fellow has a set of plans and one of the Zone members was maybe going to give it a go. Sort of surprised that member hasn't popped in - maybe dropped out. I suspose you have done a search on the CNCZone might look for the other fellow on the web too. He has a whole heap of various plans for simple approaches to similar backyard manufacturing. Looking forward to hearing your progress! Cheers - Jim Here - try this site - might get you close (its GingEry) http://www.lindsaybks.com/dgjp/djgbk/inject/index.html

Not quite a backyard manufacturing I'm planning to nail a used VAN DORN 150 ton Injection Molding Machine but the parts I intend to start with are not precision molding, just plain cheap plastics gadjets...like bukets or small trash baskets or so...

[kanankeban]

Originally Posted by Stevie I'm a tool and diemaker by trade; but I worked for 7 yrs in the local mold town(about 30mins down the road) I have made trim dies; press dies; draw dies; I made the prototype mold and production molds for the Prowler Ins panel/dash re-enforcement beam (Mag/diecast; full width of the car) I made from the Ford drawings (which I had at home on my CAD) the Prototype and production/trim dies for the beverage holder in the 92'ish Mustang (pulled up out of the center console) I re-built many times the T Truck center diff gearbox (Ford again) made a few other interesting molds when I lived in Calgary Alberta; winter bases (the phones to listen to underground reflections from the Oil industry crews) Made a Motorcycle brake/cluch lever (that folded up when you fell going uphill/dirt bike) called the Champ lever; not sure if it's still around; and many many others I think you need to think about joining a shop to learn the ropes; then work up to thinking about starting a shop in maybe 15yrs I loved the 4 color Mustang tail light mold; the reflex (stuff that refects the light back) is soooo cool; but at $1,000/sq in you dont screw any of it up

How much$? for a 1 or 2 months mold making camp training, I love Canada, and will work for free