http://www.kdcapital.com/Machines.cfm/ID/4009
http://www.injectionmolder.net/order_items.htm
buy injection mold here for around $1500
http://www.amazon.com/plastic-pellets-Lustran-Sinking-filter/dp/B007X5YL7S
10 lb. bag of resin pellets for $15.00
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http://www.techkits.com/pim/index.htm
make a home injection mold with these parts, all you need is a drill press, its easy!!!
order for only $595
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http://www.wisegeek.com/which-types-of-plastics-can-be-recycled.htm#
site that tells you how to identify plastic type that you find, each item has a code that tells you what kind of plastic it is.
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Desktop Injection Molding
Micron smooth plastics are an indicator of professionalism in consumer
products. Anyone with a credit card can have a 3D print made at a great printing service, but the cost and
complexity of injection
molding keeps it limited to professionals. At least that is what I thought
until reading Chris Anderson’s new article about Atoms being the
New Bits. He talks about BrickArms a one man operation that makes
period authentic weapons for Lego Minifigs using a bench top injection molding
machine.
In the article Anderson mentions that early prototypes are made with a mini mill and a hand powered injection molding machine. I was unaware that these machines existed, but a quick google search shows they are available for under $1,500.
If you are unfamiliar with the process, I’ve included a video below, but it is the manufacturing technique used to make most consumer products. Your alarm clock was almost certainly injection molded.
These tools have serious limitations in size and quality. To be effective it will also need to be paired with a CNC mill to make nicely polished mold. The biggest limitation is probably size, but if you are looking to do short run prototypes of a fairly small device, the injection molding process is a great way to make your product seem more professional.
If $1,500 is too steep, you might have some success hacking an old Kenner MoldMaster if you can find one. The MoldMaster was an injection molding toy sold in the 1960′s that allowed boys of the time to manufacture their own toy soldiers, tanks, and other playthings. It required the use of scalding metals and plastics so it didn’t last long on the market, but the basic principle is the same as the professional models. Unfortunately, none are currently available on Ebay.
In the article Anderson mentions that early prototypes are made with a mini mill and a hand powered injection molding machine. I was unaware that these machines existed, but a quick google search shows they are available for under $1,500.
If you are unfamiliar with the process, I’ve included a video below, but it is the manufacturing technique used to make most consumer products. Your alarm clock was almost certainly injection molded.
These tools have serious limitations in size and quality. To be effective it will also need to be paired with a CNC mill to make nicely polished mold. The biggest limitation is probably size, but if you are looking to do short run prototypes of a fairly small device, the injection molding process is a great way to make your product seem more professional.
If $1,500 is too steep, you might have some success hacking an old Kenner MoldMaster if you can find one. The MoldMaster was an injection molding toy sold in the 1960′s that allowed boys of the time to manufacture their own toy soldiers, tanks, and other playthings. It required the use of scalding metals and plastics so it didn’t last long on the market, but the basic principle is the same as the professional models. Unfortunately, none are currently available on Ebay.
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Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
It depends heavily on the complexity of the design. Also on how many parts you want to make. For a short run, and aluminum mold is a lot cheaper than a steel one, but it is only good for a couple of thousand parts. A steel mold would cost around $10k - $50k. (Actually they are known as dies, not molds).
The best way to get this done is to go to an industrial design house (google one near you). They will make the NCD files, have the mold fabricated, and give you the best options for offshore production.
A hand operated injection molding machine can be procured for a couple thousand dollars, and high end machines go up to several million. It all depends on what you want to do. The reference is a small automated machine for $7,900 used.
Source(s):
http://cgi.ebay.com/88T-BATTENFELD-PLAST…
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