Plastic mold injection has a wide range of applications across various industries, such as in the construction, food, medical, and automotive industry. You can use the plastic injection molding process to produce automotive components (car dashboard, bumpers, and housing), medical components (surgical products, dental products, and medical testing kits), construction components (fasteners, hand tools, and shelves), and components in food industry (food containers, food processing equipment, and food conveyor system). 
This guide will give you valuable information about how to design high-quality plastic injection molded components for any industry.
Tips for Creating High-Quality Design for Plastic Injection Molded Components
To get the best quality plastic injection molded components, you need to start from the design aspect of it. With the right design strategy, you can produce the plastic injection molded components that meet your expectations, which have all the features you want to get while eliminating any potential defects and errors in your design.
Follow these tips to create high-quality design for your plastic injection molded components:
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Compatibility with other components
Most plastic molded components are not standalone components, so you will need to create these components so that they are compatible with other components. Keep this in mind when designing the plastic injection molded components. Future-proofing the use of the plastic injection molded components with other components not yet produced is also important for your design.
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It’s best to avoid undercuts
When creating the tooling for the plastic injection molded components, undercuts are not recommended. It’s best for you to avoid creating undercuts for the plastic molded components, as they will only complicate your design further. It can also lead to errors or mistakes in your design, which you will need to fix later.
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Use rapid prototyping to create variations for the final components
Rapid prototyping, as is the case with rapid manufacturing, is an important aspect in your design phase. Rapid prototyping allows you to create prototypes for your plastic molded components in a short time, allowing you to create different variations of your design and test them out for mistakes or problems. Rapid prototyping can also help you add and remove features of your design based on your tests.
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Use radius and drafting in your design
Drafting or creating draft angles for your plastic injection mold design can help you remove the finished components from their molds with little to no issues. Radius can also be applied with drafting, making it even easier for you to remove your components from the molds later. Of course, you will need to use draft and radius as you see fit and avoid using it unnecessarily.
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Keep the design as simple as possible
Plastic injection molding supports the complex geometric design and a wide range of design variations you can apply. However, it doesn’t mean that your design needs to be too complex. More complex design doesn’t always mean better, especially when you think about usability and other factors later. So, it’s best for you to keep the design of your plastic molded components as simple as possible. Create a uniform design for more simplicity and better compatibility with other components.
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Apply the best surface finishing options
You also need to apply the best surface finishing options for your plastic molded components, as there are various options you can choose from. Think also about the branding you would like to add to your surface design and the materials you would like to use for the surface finish.
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Consider the materials you will use for the plastic molded components
The materials you will use for the plastic molded components will also affect how you will design your components. Some plastic materials will give you a lot of flexibility in your design, while some others not so much. You also need to think about whether the plastic materials will be elastic or rigid and create your design by considering the material’s qualities.
Mistakes You Need to Avoid in Your Plastic Mold Injection Design Phase
Having the right design is important for your plastic injection molded components, as it will affect the result you will get when you mass produce the components later. Thus, it’s important for you to avoid the common mistakes in your plastic injection molded components.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid in your plastic mold injection design phase:
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Bad drafting and wall thickness
Draft your design well, so that you can remove the components from the mold without any issues later. The right wall thickness will also make the component much more durable when it is in actual use. Bad drafting and wrong wall thickness will still allow you to make a good plastic molded component, but it won’t be as good as when you do the drafting and measure the wall thickness the right way.
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Complicated design that doesn’t fit with other components
The component design that is too complicated can make it difficult for you to fit the component with other components later. For instance, when you need to fasten the components or combine different components with a locking system, it’s preferable to use a simpler design to make the process go smoothly. Complicated designs will also make it more difficult for you to assemble and disassemble the components later.
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Bad airflow and ventilation system
Airflow and ventilation system is important for any plastic molded components, especially if you are building a container for electronic devices. A bad airflow and ventilation system will create problems with the electrical components, as it can cause overheating problems that can be damaging for the electronic components you will put inside the container.
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No room for additional processes
It’s also important for you to provide room for additional manufacturing processes, which can be a part of further assembly processes for the components. Future-proofing the plastic molded components will make it easier for you to add different design elements to your primary design later.
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Wrong material selection
This is a common mistake that you can make in your plastic injection molded design. Having a wrong design for a wrong material selection can be detrimental for your project, as you will need to redo all your design work later. Be sure to know about your plastic injection mold materials before you work on your design to avoid this problem later.
How to Find the Best Plastic Injection Molding Service
The best way to go through the plastic injection molding process is to use the best plastic injection molding service that can provide all services related to the plastic injection molding process, including designing, prototyping, assembling, and manufacturing your plastic injection molded components.
To find the best plastic injection molding service, you will need to find the company that can give you the step-by-step guide to help you with the plastic injection molding process from start to finish. Make sure that the company can provide excellent customer service for you and is approachable at any time. The company should also provide you with a wide range of plastic injection molding services you can use based on your needs.
Conclusion
Designing the plastic mold injection components is the first step you need to do to get functional and high-quality plastic injection molded components for any industry. It is always best for you to follow the right design strategies to avoid any mistakes or defects in your final products later. It is also important for you to avoid the potential mistakes in your design to ensure superior component quality, which will be durable and usable for the long-term.