5 Design Considerations To Improve Success Rate Of Multi-Cavity Molds

By Proto Labs, Inc.

It may seem that making a change from single cavity molds to multi-cavity molds is a fast and easy way to increase production volume and reduce part costs. Unfortunately, the process is much more involved than copying the CAD file for a single-cavity mold multiple times. The physics involved in the process becomes much larger and more complex, while factors like thermal variations and the distance that the plastic must travel become more of a concern. It is important to recognize that parts behave differently in multi-cavity tooling unless tweaks are made to the part, the process, or material.  Download the full article to learn how to use adjustments such as holding the gate, employing side-actions or pick-outs, utilizing family molds, and using easy-flow materials to successfully upgrade single cavity molds to multi-cavity molds.