What Are The Classifications Of Injection Molds?

Single-cavity and multi-cavity and serial injection molds

Injection molds can be divided into three main categories: single cavity, multi-cavity, and series.

Single cavity injection mold

Single-cavity injection molds have only one cavity that can be used to produce one product at a time. They are an efficient and cost-effective option for production operations with low order quantities or very large or complex parts. Single-cavity molds allow operators to pay more attention to each individual product to ensure there are no air pockets, unfilled parts of the mold, or other potential defects. These molds also cost less than multi-cavity injection molds for the same part.

Multi-cavity injection mold

Multi-cavity injection molds have multiple identical cavities. They enable manufacturers to inject molten plastic into all cavities at once and produce multiple products simultaneously. As a result, they offer shorter lead times for bulk shipments, increasing production efficiency, reducing delays, and lowering costs for high-volume or rush orders.

Home Injection Mold

Home injection molds are very similar to multi-cavity molds. However, instead of having multiple identical cavities, each cavity has a different shape. Manufacturers can use these molds to produce prototypes or different products that are sold together in single-variety packages. This type of mold facilitates the production of different products made from the same elastic material. However, careful arrangement and sizing of the cavities is required; if the family mold is not balanced, the fluid will not be injected evenly and may cause production defects.

When to Use or Look for Custom Injection Molds

While there are many standard injection molds available, not every project has a suitable existing mold. Custom injection molds are often required when an organization needs to have a part or product that:

Strict standards. Custom molds can be built to produce components that meet a customer's exact requirements and constraints. This is critical for parts and products used in highly regulated markets, such as aircraft components or medical devices.

High precision is required. Custom molds are specially designed to meet the customer's product and production needs, so they are more likely to manufacture the required components according to the necessary specifications and quantities.

complex design. Custom tooling is not limited to producing standard component designs. They can be customized to fit components of virtually any shape or size, so they can be used to produce highly unique or complex parts and products.