Forget typical cycle times. We’re pushing the boundaries of conformal cooling.  While traditional approaches deliver reductions, at SyBridge, we see further.  By combining our expertise in 3D printing, mold tooling design, and in-house manufacturing, we engineer conformal cooling solutions that unlock the true potential of this transformative technology. Our unique synergy allows us to not just achieve impressive results, but to truly test the limits of what conformal cooling can accomplish for your product.   

Conformal cooling improves throughput 

SyBridge uses conformal cooling designs–either in retrofitting older tooling or as an initial design element–to enhance cooling efficiency, reduce cycle times, and increase productivity (Figure 1).  

In one redesign, after a mold flow simulation revealed hot spots on the tips of the parts, SyBridge experts engineered precision water channels to enhance cooling efficiency. Their unique design focused on cooling the front tip of the part, which enhanced the cooling of the rest of the part. This design change substantially reduced mold-open time. Figure 2 dives deeper into the results of these conformal cooling design enhancements. 

It takes experience to design effective conformal cooling 

Additive manufacturing (AM or 3D printing) is an excellent avenue for designing conformal cooling. AM enables intricate and complex structures that closely conform to every shape of the part in a way that–depending on the part geometry and complexity–is not always possible with subtractive manufacturing. During the design phase, long before the part is molded, SyBridge engineers use mold flow simulation, virtual testing, and digital integration to configure and test the conformal cooling capacities.  

Can we help you reduce cycle times? 

As conformal cooling experts, SyBridge engineers know how to help you get the cycle times and efficiencies your product needs. Contact our team to explore how solutions like conformal cooling can improve your injection molding process.

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Ron Maillet, General Manager of SyBridge Technologies in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, is an injection molding expert who started as an apprentice nearly forty years ago in Fitchburg, Leominster, Clinton, and surrounding areas. 

For the past twenty-four years, Maillet has been working in the same building, in many roles and increasing responsibilities, and even through ownership changes. Now in the leadership role at SyBridge Technologies-Fitchburg, he helps oversee a well-established apprenticeship program with students from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (“Monty Tech”) to learn the art, science, and craft of mold-making. 

“It’s fitting that this area would be home to a thriving apprenticeship program in plastics and mold-making,” said Maillet. “One hundred years ago, Foster Manufacturing – famous for Foster Grant glasses – pioneered plastics and injection molding five miles away in Leominster,” said Maillet. The industry has had a presence here ever since.  

SyBridge Technologies in Fitchburg has partnered with Monty Tech for seven years, bringing students into apprenticeship programs and then on into full employment. All the students that have started as apprentices under Maillet are either still in apprenticeship or are now employed by SyBridge, a testament to the staying power of the training and the industry. 

Kim Curry, Coordinator of Co-operative Education and Placement for Monty Tech, explained the breadth of the apprenticeship program. Monty Tech serves 18 cities and towns in the area and offers 21 vocational programs, including “Advanced Manufacturing.”  For a student to be considered for the co-operative education program, the student must be a junior, maintain grades of 75 or better, and be free of any discipline issues. The co-operative education program has seen a steady growth in interest from students since 2018. 

“It’s been a great partnership between SyBridge and Monty Tech,” said Curry. “When I do site visits there, I see my former students in mentorship and supervisor roles—and it is such a delight!” 

First comes the blueprint 

Every SyBridge apprentice starts in the same way Maillet began: reading a blueprint. From the blueprint, they sort out the cuts and angles, note the dimensions and tolerances, and then schedule the order of each process. The apprentice then moves to a manual milling machine, where they install the tools, calculate cutting speeds, and make their first test cuts.  

“I started reading blueprints,” said Jake Rickan, a 2023 graduate from Monty Tech who recently signed on as an employee of SyBridge. Rickan became interested in tool design and machine tech during his exploratory section in school, where he learned about different functional areas. He had been tinkering with after-market car parts, which involved machining, and the work of the apprenticeship program “caught his eye.” 

“I had always been infatuated with machining,” said Jake. His parents were both educators, but for Jake, machine technology and the finished, machined piece of steel has its own appeal. “It’s very cool to see the finished piece and be like, ‘Hey, I’m the one who did that,’” said Rickan. 

Step by step through the apprenticeship 

“Once they show us they’ve [mastered a particular skill], then we move them on to the next stage,” said Maillet, “For instance, after showing they can run the manual machines, we move them to milling equipment with numerical controls. Then they start programming with computers; using 3D files created by our engineers, they start actually cutting steel.” Eventually, they get to the 16-tool changer and the higher-end work. And then on to another department. 

Along the way, apprentices meet with both the experienced staff at SyBridge and with Monty Tech faculty to review expectations. Each step of advancement through the apprenticeship comes only after demonstrating the ability to perform previous steps.  

“Students record each of the skills they learn every day,” said Maillet. Those records become a valuable reference document throughout their journeys as apprentices, and as they move into full-time employment. 

The Monty Tech/SyBridge apprenticeship program enrolls one student per year. The program alternates weeks students spend attending school and working at SyBridge, so skills can be reinforced in both the apprenticeship program and classes. 

“It’s cool to be able to come to the workplace and say, ‘Oh, what they’re teaching us [at school] is actually very useful,’” said Rickan.  

Learning outside the lecture hall 

One of the highlights of the apprenticeship program is that former students pass on the skills and habits they have learned to newer students. Students share the tacit knowledge they pick up from experienced mold-makers and machinists, like securing workpieces, locating the zero point (starting position) on the workpiece, and keeping their work area very clean. This is especially important for the precision work that SyBridge is known for; starting with a clean mill ensures debris from previous jobs will not alter tolerances for the next job. 

“We have a very strong emphasis on making sure the part [in process] falls within certain tolerances,” said Rickan. In addition to setting up the workspace properly and having the specialized equipment required for precise tolerances, “we need to know how to get the part within those tolerances.” 

Toward expertise that invents tomorrow’s tooling  

Maillet likes to say that while most people divide an inch into quarters, eighths, and sixteenths, he and the highly specialized journeymen machinists at SyBridge divide an inch into 10,000 sections.  Here, tools are regularly manufactured with .0002” tolerances (as compared to a standard sheet of printer paper which is about 20 times thicker at .004”). Observing and maintaining tolerances is critical to any machined part moving forward. That ability to work with very tight tolerances is an uncommon one; it’s also why the new apprentice enters the program only after being vetted by Monty Tech staff and instructors. Throughout their program, class subjects dovetail with real-world experience at SyBridge to reinforce skills that will prove useful over a lifetime.  

Training students with experienced machinists has proven to be very productive for Maillet. Maillet noted that when he ran an ad for an experienced machinist, “90% of people don’t even know what a machinist is.” Meanwhile, Monty Tech (which is half a mile from SyBridge) has 25 potential students who are already interested and poised to learn new machinist skills. The bottom line is that Maillet can train and then hire experienced workers right into his shop —resulting in a scenario that benefits the students and the company.  

“As an industry, we are actually in a time of rebuilding our skills here in the US,” said Maillet. “Tooling and mold-making were strong in the 1980s and 1990s, but then moved offshore for a lot of years.” After COVID-19 and the renewed focus on supply chain management, Maillet noted that interest in skilled mold and tool making had surged.  

Rebuilding the craft of injection mold tooling means students remain in the community, earn a good salary, and help advance the art and science of mold-making. 

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In today’s competitive landscape, manufacturers are constantly seeking ways to streamline their processes, reduce costs, and increase output. At SyBridge, we understand these challenges and are dedicated to partnering with you to achieve your manufacturing goals.

Our expertise in design, engineering, and tooling for injection molding goes beyond simply creating high-quality molds. We are your strategic partner, offering expert guidance to optimize your entire process, resulting in measurable improvements to your bottom line.

Case Study

Optimizing a Pail Mold for Increased Efficiency and Cost Saving

A recent collaboration with a client perfectly exemplifies the value SyBridge brings to the table. We were tasked with re-engineering an existing pail mold. The original design presented several challenges, including:

• Average cycle times: The initial cycle time was 20 seconds, limiting overall production output.
• Limited output: The mold could produce 1 million parts per year; however, growing demand required additional output.

SyBridge’s Expertise Delivers Remarkable Results:

Our team of engineers meticulously analyzed the existing mold and identified optimization opportunities. By leveraging our expertise in precision tooling and complex high-cavitation tools, we were able to:

• Reduce cycle time by 15% (3 seconds):
  This seemingly small improvement translates to significant production volume increase over time.
• Increase output by over 30%:
  The new design allows for the production of 1,350,000 parts per year, exceeding the client’s initial requirements.
• Consolidate production:
  The optimized mold’s increased efficiency enabled the client to manufacture at the same rate as four presses while using only three, eliminating the need for additional equipment and tooling costs.

The Impact

Measurable Cost Savings and Increased Profitability

These improvements translate into tangible financial benefits for our client. They were able to:

• Avoid the significant expense of purchasing and integrating a new injection molding press.
• Eliminate the cost of additional tooling required for a four-press operation.
• Realize increased production capacity to meet growing demand and potentially capture new market opportunities.

Beyond Efficiency

Maintaining Product Integrity

It’s important to note that these improvements were achieved while maintaining the product’s critical performance requirements. The new mold design successfully met all drop testing, shipping testing, and leak testing specifications, ensuring product integrity without compromising efficiency.

SyBridge

Your Partner for Optimal Injection Molding Solutions

This case study is just one example of how SyBridge’s expertise can help manufacturers optimize their injection molding processes and achieve significant cost savings, increased output, and improved profitability. Our commitment to precision engineering, innovative solutions, and collaborative partnerships makes us your ideal partner for navigating the ever-evolving landscape of injection molding.

The post Optimizing Your Injection Molding Process for Cost-Effective Manufacturing Excellence appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, efficiency is paramount. Every second shaved off a cycle time translates directly to higher profits and a competitive edge. And when it comes to injection molding, tooling design is often the foundation upon which everything rests. At SyBridge, we understand this, and it’s why we’ve become the industry leader in design, engineering, and manufacturing of injection mold tooling.

Our expertise goes beyond simply creating high-quality tools. We are experts in optimization, and our dedication to understanding your specific needs allows us to craft solutions that streamline your entire injection molding process.

A Real-World Example

Supercharging Production

One client, a manufacturer of plastic dosing scoops, faced a common challenge: production couldn’t keep up with demand. They were running four 175-ton injection molding machines 24/7. Each existing 12-cavity tool had a 9.5-second cycle time and produced 110,000 parts per day, but it simply wasn’t enough.

Phase 1

SyBridge engineers evaluated the customer’s existing equipment, systems, and output needs, then designed a new 12-cavity tool using innovative solutions for filling and cooling the component. Upon installation, they realized a remarkable 5.0-second cycle time, a 47% reduction from their previous 9.5-second cycle time. This translated into an 88% increase in daily production with the same machine, producing an impressive 207,000 parts per day.

Phase 2

But SyBridge didn’t stop there. Building on this success, we engineered another tool, this time with 16 cavities; as before, the cycle time was at 5-seconds, and the higher-cavitation tool was still able to run in the same 175-ton presses. This powerhouse pushed daily production even further, reaching 275,000 parts – a 150% increase from the original tool.

The Proof is in the ROI

The impact was undeniable. The manufacturer not only met demand but was also able to get ahead of it, opening up opportunities for new sales growth. SyBridge tooling solutions delivered such significant production gains that the customer was able to recoup their tooling investment in less than 6 months, a testament to the immediate value delivered by SyBridge expertise. But even beyond the initial investment payback, with the increased output, the customer was able to better schedule planned maintenance, extending the life of the tools and leading to additional long-term financial benefits. This is just one example of how SyBridge empowers our partners to achieve remarkable results. Our commitment to precision engineering, coupled with our in-depth understanding of the injection molding process, allows us to:

• Reduce cycle times through innovative tool design, leading to greater output and increased production efficiency.
• Lower your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through more efficient tooling that drives lower direct and indirect material costs for molded products.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your injection molding process?

At SyBridge, we are more than just toolmakers; we are your optimization partners. We understand the unique challenges you face and are committed to developing solutions that not only meet your needs but exceed your expectations.

Contact us today to discuss your specific needs and discover how our expertise can help you achieve breakthrough results:

• Faster cycle times
• Increased production output
• Reduced total cost of ownership
• A competitive edge in the marketplace

The post How SyBridge Expertise Optimizes Your Process and Lowers Costs appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Defects can reduce the speed and cost-efficiency of the entire product development process, and can potentially shorten product life spans if left unchecked. Injection molding issues and defects can be caused by a host of reasons, including poor design, production process mistakes, quality control failures, and more. As such, it’s important to take a proactive approach to risk mitigation throughout the product development process so as to reduce the chances of potential injection molding defects.

Here are a few of the most common defects that may occur in plastic injection molding — and how product teams can avoid them.

1. Flow Lines

Flow lines are off-color lines, streaks, and other patterns that appear on the surface of a part. These are caused by the shot of molten plastic moving at different speeds throughout the injection mold, which ultimately causes the resin to solidify at different rates. This is often a sign that injection speed and/or pressure are too low.

Flow lines can also appear when the thermoplastic resin moves through parts of the mold with different wall thicknesses — which is why maintaining consistent wall thickness or ensuring that chamfers and fillets are an appropriate length is critical. Placing the gate in a thin-walled section of the tool cavity can further help to reduce flow lines.

2. Sink Marks

Sink marks appear as depressions, dents, or craters in thick sections of a part. Thicker sections take longer to cool, which can have the often unanticipated side effect of the inner portions of the part shrinking and contracting at a much different rate than the outer sections.

Though most often an indicator that the plastic needs more time inside the mold to properly cool and cure, sink marks may sometimes be remedied by reducing the thickness of the thickest wall sections, which helps to ensure more even and thorough cooling. Inadequate pressure in the mold cavity or higher-than-desirable temperatures at the gate can also contribute to the development of the defects.

On the design side, the risk of sink marks can be minimized by ensuring proper injection molding rib thickness and wall thickness. These actions can also help to increase the overall strength of the part.

3. Surface Delamination

What is delamination? Delamination is a condition that causes a part’s surface to separate into thin layers. These layers, which appear like coatings that can be peeled off, are caused by the presence of contaminants in the material that do not bond with the plastic, creating localized faults. An over-dependence on mold release agents can also cause delamination.

To encourage delamination repair and prevention, teams should increase mold temperatures and tailor the mold ejection mechanism to be less dependent on mold-release agents, since these agents can increase the risk of delamination. Properly pre-drying the plastic before molding can also help.

4. Weld Lines

Also called knit lines, these defects mark where two flows of molten resin came together as they moved through the mold geometry. This happens around any part of the geometry that has a hole. As the plastic flows and wraps around each side of a hole, the two flows of plastic meet. If the temperature of the flow isn’t just right, the two flows won’t properly bond together and will instead cause a visible weld line. This reduces the overall strength and durability of the component.

Raising the temperature of the molten resin can help to prevent the solidification process from beginning too soon, as can increasing injection speed and pressure. Resins with lower viscosity and lower melting points are less prone to developing weld lines in injection molding, which can also be eliminated by removing partitions from mold design.

5. Short Shots

“Short shots” refer to instances in which the resin doesn’t entirely fill the mold cavity, resulting in incomplete and unusable parts.

What causes short shots in injection molding? Typically, they are the result of restricted flow within the mold, which can be caused by gates that are too narrow or have become blocked, trapped air pockets, or insufficient injection pressure. Material viscosity and mold temperature are also contributors. Increasing mold temperature and incorporating additional venting into mold design to allow air to properly escape can help prevent the occurrence of short shots.

6. Warping

Injection molding warping refers to unintended twists or bends caused by uneven internal shrinkage during the cooling process. Warping defects in injection molding are generally the result of non-uniform or inconsistent mold cooling, which creates stresses within the material.

Preventing warpage defects in injection molding is a matter of guaranteeing that parts are given enough time to cool — and at a sufficiently gradual rate — to prevent internal stresses from forming and damaging the piece. Uniform wall thickness in mold design is crucial for many reasons, critical among them being that it helps ensure that the plastic flows through the mold cavity in a single direction.

It’s worth noting that materials with semi-crystalline structures are more likely to develop warping.

7. Jetting

Jetting defects in injection molding are another potential result of an uneven solidification process. Jetting occurs when an initial jet of resin enters the mold and has enough time to begin setting before the cavity fills. This creates visible, squiggly flow patterns on the piece’s surface and decreases the strength of the part.

Reducing injection pressure is often the best way to ensure more gradual fills, but increasing the mold and resin temperature can also help to prevent any jets from preemptively setting. Placing the injection gate so that the flow of material runs through the shortest axis of the mold is another effective means of minimizing jetting.

Prevent Injection Molding Defects and Causes

Injection molding can be a highly efficient manufacturing method for producing highly repeatable plastic parts, but, as with many processes, producing high quality end-parts requires a high level of attention to detail and a proactive approach to risk management. Everyone involved in the product development process — from the initial design and proof-of-concept stages all the way to fulfillment — needs to do their due diligence to ensure products meet the highest quality standards and avoid these common plastic injection molding issues.

Choosing a manufacturing partner like SyBridge, who is well-versed in common defects in injection molding and their troubleshooting, can mean the difference between high-quality parts — produced on-time and within budget — and those marked with weld lines, jet, flash, sink marks, and other defects. In addition to being an experienced on-demand manufacturing shop, we also provide design consulting and optimization services that ensure we’re able to help every team create functional, elegant, high-performance parts as efficiently as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our injection molding services.

The post 7‌ ‌Common‌ ‌Injection‌ ‌Molding‌ ‌Defects‌ ‌and‌ ‌How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Avoid‌ ‌Them‌ appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

The terms “thermoplastic” and “thermoset” appear in many of the same conversations regarding plastic part manufacturing, but they’re not interchangeable. This article breaks down the major differences between thermoplastics and thermosets, as well as key advantages and best applications for each material.

Thermoplastics: What You Need to Know

Mechanical/Chemical Properties

A thermoplastic is any plastic material with a melting point that becomes molten when heated, solid when cooled, and can be re-melted or molded after cooling. The process is completely reversible, and doing so will not significantly compromise the material’s physical integrity. 

Thermoplastics are usually stored as pellets to facilitate easy melting during the injection molding process. Common examples of thermoplastics include acrylic, polyester, nylon, and PVC.

• Nylon: Nylon provides a unique combination of strength and wear resistance that makes this family of materials well-suited for a range of applications.
• TPE and TPU: When product designers and engineers want a part to have certain properties like shock absorption, flex rebound, or high impact strength, they often turn to polymers made out of thermoplastic elastomers. 
• ULTEM (PEI): ULTEM® is one of the only resins approved for use in aerospace settings. It is also among the most versatile plastics on the market. 

Advantages of Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics are strong, shrink-resistant, and relatively easy to use. Their inherent flexibility makes them an excellent choice for manufacturers who require shock-absorbent products that can withstand wear and tear while retaining their shape. 

Thermoplastics are generally more cost-effective than thermosets because they’re easier to process. This is because thermoplastics are made in higher volumes and don’t require post-processing. Plus, thermoplastic molds can be made from affordable materials like aluminum. Thermoplastics are highly compatible with injection molding processes, and are ideal for making repeatable parts in high volumes. 

Additionally, thermoplastics are some of the more environmentally friendly plastics on the market as they are highly recyclable by design. As an added benefit, manufacturing with thermoplastics produces fewer toxic fumes than working with thermosets. 

Common Thermoplastics Applications

Manufacturers often use thermoplastics for prototyping because if the final product doesn’t meet certain standards, they can easily melt the part down and start over without producing a lot of scrap material.

Beyond part prototyping, thermoplastics can be used to create a range of familiar consumer products, as well as medical devices, automotive components, and more.

Thermosets: What You Need to Know

Mechanical/Chemical Properties

In contrast to thermoplastics, a thermoset is any plastic material that hardens once cured by heat and cannot be reshaped after the curing process. During curing, valence bonds in the polymer cross-link together to form three-dimensional chemical bonds that cannot be undone, even under extreme heat. 

Thermosets are usually stored in liquid form in large containers. Common examples of thermosets include epoxy, silicone, and polyurethane.

• Epoxy (EPX 82): An additive material developed by Carbon for its DLS process. This material is ideal for automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. 
• Silicone (SIL 30): SIL 30 is an additive material developed by Carbon® for its digital light synthesis (DLS). Also known as SIL 30, this silicone urethane offers a unique combination of biocompatibility.
• RPU 70: Known for its toughness, strength, and ability to withstand heat, RPU can be used across multiple industries including consumer products, automotive, and industrial. 

Others like Phenolics are available as a granular product.

Advantages of Thermosets

Thermosets offer a wide range of benefits; overall, they are strong, stable, chemical-resistant, and have outstanding electrical properties. They won’t warp, degrade, or break down easily in extreme temperatures. 

Due to their strength and durability, thermosets are often used to reinforce another material’s structural properties. Among the most impact-resistant materials on the market, they are frequently used to seal products to protect them against deformation. 

Common Thermosets Applications

While thermoplastics offer a more diverse range of high and low functionality applications, thermosets can be used to create high-performance products in a wide variety of industries. 

Thermosets are ideal for building anything that comes into contact with extreme temperatures on a regular basis, such as kitchen appliances and electronics components.  

Start Building With Us

The crucial difference between thermoplastics and thermosets boils down to how they react to heat. Thermoplastics can be molded and remolded in the presence of heat without losing structural integrity, while thermosets can be molded only once. Of the two, thermoplastics are better suited for all-purpose products that need to be strong and flexible, while thermosets make better high-performance products. An experienced manufacturing partner can help you decide which material best fits your needs. 

When you partner with SyBridge, you partner with a dedicated team of engineers and manufacturing experts who will help you take your project to the next level. We’ll match your vision with optimal materials, manufacturing processes, and post-production services to ensure that you end up with a product of unmatched quality. Contact us today for a quote.

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One of the most important factors to consider when manufacturing with plastic is durometer or shore durometer, which speaks to the hardness of a given material. Here’s everything engineers and product teams should know about this important measurement:

What is Durometer?

Durometer is a standardized way of measuring the hardness of materials like rubber or plastic. Hardness is a measure of how resistant a plastic is to deformation caused by mechanical indentation or abrasion.

Engineers can test a material’s hardness using a durometer tester. The apparatus looks like a round tire pressure gauge and has a needle on a calibrated spring extending from one end. To test for durometer hardness, an engineer places the needle against the elastomer or plastic and applies pressure. Once the needle has penetrated the material as much as it can, the measurement needle indicates the corresponding durometer hardness on the appropriate scale.

Although durometer can be measured on a scale of zero to 100, it’s not a unit of measurement. It’s actually a dimensionless measurement, meaning durometer numbers measure how hard or soft a material is relative to other materials that have been measured using the same durometer scale. Lower numbers indicate softer plastics, while higher numbers indicate harder plastics. For example, 90A polyurethane tubing is harder than 70A polyurethane tubing.

Different shore hardness scales were invented so that engineers and product teams could discuss the hardness of materials using a consistent, universal, and reproducible reference. The three most common shore hardness scales are shore 00, shore A, and shore D. Shore 00 is only used to measure the hardness of extremely soft rubbers and gels, shore A measures flexible rubbers that can range from very soft to hard, and shore D is only used to measure hard rubbers and plastics.

Product teams should know that durometer hardness doesn’t directly correlate to the flexibility of the end part. Rather, it’s an indirect measure of stiffness that teams can use to better understand the general feel of a material at a glance. Product teams should also know that they cannot compare materials that lie on different shore hardness scales. Durometer numbers are relative to the materials on their specific scale, meaning there’s no direct relationship between hardness on one durometer scale and hardness on another.

For example, a material with a durometer hardness of around 80 on a shore 00 scale is about as hard as a pencil eraser, but a material with a measurement of 80 on the shore D durometer scale has the hardness of a hard hat. Clearly, these measurements aren’t equivalent, although they share the same number, so product teams must remember to only compare the hardness of materials on the same scale.

How Durometer Hardness Factors Into Material Selection

When evaluating elastomers or plastics, engineers and product teams should think about their product’s end-use application and the project requirements. These factors will help narrow down the pool of potential materials and give product teams a clue as to what shore durometer scale they should focus on. If the part must be able to support a lot of weight over an extended period of time, for instance, teams should bypass the shore 00 scale altogether and only consider materials between the 70 and 100 range on the shore A hardness scale and/or the entire range of the shore D hardness scale.

Engineers should also balance desired hardness with other considerations like cost to determine which trade-offs they’re willing to make. For example, harder metals can be more expensive or difficult to machine. To work around this, engineers can use post-process hardening treatments to achieve higher durometers while maintaining ease of machining.

Still, material hardness is not the only factor that matters, and hardness is not necessarily indicative of other properties like strength or corrosion resistance. Stiffness and compression modulus measurements will give a more accurate reading on the sealing performance of a certain rubber than its durometer hardness.

To do their due diligence and select the best material for their specific requirements, product teams should evaluate options against a range of mechanical properties, including density, compression force deflection, application force, and thickness, in addition to durometer hardness.

Durometer Considerations for Injection Molds

The hardness of materials is especially important to consider when working with molds. Engineers must choose a mold rubber that will allow them to easily extract the original model and any subsequent castings from the mold once it has been cured — and shore hardness will have a direct impact on that.

For example, it wouldn’t be wise to use a 70A durometer elastomer to make a mold for a part with thin segments that stick out at different angles. A 70A durometer rubber is as hard as a car tire and doesn’t offer the flexibility necessary to extract such a delicate part without breaking it. An elastomer with a 30A shore durometer or lower would likely be flexible enough for this application.

Durometer Considerations for Additive Manufacturing

It’s also important for product teams to consider materials’ hardness when using additive manufacturing technologies. Many product teams aren’t as familiar with additive manufacturing materials, but if you know the durometer of an additive material, you can compare it to the durometer of more traditional plastics used in injection molding. This will give you a general idea of how the additive material will perform and provides a frame of reference.

Note that some additive materials have two durometers — an instant durometer and a five-second durometer. For example, a part produced using the Carbon Digital Light Synthesis (DLS) process likely won’t perform as expected until after it has been cured. Product teams using at-home printers or manufacturing in-house will notice a difference, but if you work with a manufacturing partner, you don’t need to worry about a material’s instant durometer because you’ll only see the final product. Still, it’s good to know that some materials require additional curing and post-processing to achieve their final durometer, so initial measurements are subject to change.

Get Started With SyBridge

To sum it up, durometer is a dimensionless but standardized measurement used to indicate the hardness of an elastomer or plastic relative to other elastomers or plastics on the same scale. Materials with higher durometers are harder, but teams should be careful not to compare materials across different scales because there’s no direct relationship between a given number on one scale and the same number on another.

Engineers and product teams should consider durometer during material selection, especially if their applications have specific hardness or softness requirements. However, evaluating shore hardness alone is insufficient. Teams should carefully consider all relevant design and performance requirements in order to select the best-fit material or materials. A seasoned manufacturing partner can simplify material selection and streamline the entire product development process.

At SyBridge, we specialize in helping product teams ensure their final products meet their needs. We know how crucial material selection is, and partnering with us means gaining access to our collective years of manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain expertise. By working with an experienced manufacturing partner like SyBridge, product teams can make the material selection process simple and stress-free, while accelerating project timelines and keeping costs low. Contact us today to get started.

The post What is Durometer? Understanding and Evaluating Plastic and Elastomer Hardness appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Reduced Risk of Part Warpage

During the molding process a part cools from the exterior surface to the inner core of the plastic, ideally at the same rate for all areas of the part when it is designed with consistent wall thickness. When injection molding simple, uniform parts conventional cooling typically doesn’t pose any challenges, as all areas of the part generally cool at a similar rate.

However, if a part design is geometrically complex, then the part may not cool at an even rate in all areas, resulting in potential warpage or longer cooling cycles to ensure solidified parts before ejection. The truth is that in today’s world with increasingly complex part geometries, perfectly uniform cooling rates are difficult to attain. In the case of low volume runs, the inefficiencies of having a slightly longer cooling cycles can be negligible and tolerable for molders. However, in the case of high volume runs, these efficiencies can be opportunities to improve productivity or reduce waste. The resulting efficiency of conformal cooling depends on many factors, from the design of the cooling channels, the design of the part, the mold design and even the molding recipe. When done properly, conformal cooling solutions can improve tooling output by 50% or more. 

Conventional Cooling

Conformal Cooling

Including conformal cooling channels in the mold tooling will help address hot spots that result in warpage, resulting in better quality parts with less material waste and fewer defects. 

Faster Cycle Times

In addition to achieving a better quality end result with a lower risk of defects, conformal cooling channels often significantly decrease mold cycle times. In the example below, conformal cooling was used to reduce the cycle time of this high-volume plastic component by almost 40%, increasing mold productivity by nearly 50%.

Is Conformal Cooling Right for Your Needs?

Including conformal cooling channels in injection mold tooling is popular across industries and product types, particularly in the life sciences, and consumer products sectors where parts with complex geometries or high mold volumes are common. If you plan to produce a large volume of parts via injection molding and are concerned about warpage, designing your injection mold tooling with conformal cooling may be the right solution to help with cycle times and lower part costs. In order to ensure that the channels are properly designed for your part’s geometry and specific application, it is imperative to work with an experienced tooling designer who is knowledgeable about how to integrate these novel approaches into high precision tooling.

At SyBridge, our engineers are experts in the injection molding and tooling design processes, and have worked with companies across diverse industries to help them achieve incredible results when it comes to improving mold productivity, reducing defects, and producing higher-performing parts. Whether you already have a mold design that you believe would benefit from the addition of conformal cooling channels or you’re working on the design for a new part or product, our team is here to help.

Contact us to speak with an injection mold tooling design expert and discover if conformal cooling is right for your injection mold tooling needs.

The post Conformal Cooling: Higher-Quality Parts, Faster Injection Molding Cycle Times appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.

Since its development in the mid-20th century, polycarbonate (PC) has been an increasingly popular material in manufacturing. Today, around 2.7 million tons of polycarbonates are produced each year globally. Over the years, various companies have created different formulas for polycarbonate, so there are several industry grades of polycarbonate to choose from. Some forms have more glass fiber reinforcement, while others have additives like ultraviolet stabilizers for protection against long-term sun exposure.

Strong and versatile, this amorphous thermoplastic is resistant to heat, impact, and many chemicals. As such, polycarbonate is ideal for components that need to be tough or repeatedly sterilized and is often used in the automotive and medical industries.

How Polycarbonate is Manufactured

Each company manufactures polycarbonates slightly differently, but polycarbonate materials have traditionally been created via the condensation polymerization of bisphenol A and carbonyl chloride. However, many companies have started to use diphenyl carbonate instead because carbonyl chloride is extremely toxic.

Regardless of whether carbonyl chloride or diphenyl carbonate is used, a bisphenol A solution in sodium hydroxide is required and then mixed with the carbonyl chloride or diphenyl carbonate solution in an organic solvent so polymerization can take place. When the polycarbonate forms, it will initially be in a liquid state. The solution will be evaporated to form granules, or ethanol will need to be introduced to precipitate the solid polymer.

Once created, polycarbonate is often sold in rods, cylinders, or sheets and can be used in various manufacturing processes. Polycarbonate is compatible with thermoforming, extrusion, and blow molding, but it’s most often used with injection molding. After all, as a thermoplastic, polycarbonate can be melted, cooled, and reheated without burning or significant degradation, making it an ideal injection molding material.

During injection molding, polycarbonate needs to be processed at a high temperature and injected into the mold with high pressure because polycarbonate is quite viscous. The melt temperature should be between 280°C and 320°C, and the mold temperature should fall between 80°C and 100°C. However, those numbers can vary depending on the grade of polycarbonate being used. For example, a high-heat polycarbonate will require a melt temperature between 310°C and 340°C and a mold temperature between 100°C and 150°C, whereas a PC-ABS (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) blend’s melt temperature only needs to be between 240°C and 280°C and its mold temperature can fall as low as 70°C and up to 100°C.

Properties and Mechanical Specifications of Polycarbonate Material

While there are several grades of polycarbonates, each with their own molecular mass, structure, and properties, all polycarbonates have a few things in common.

For one, they are known for their toughness and high impact resistance. As a result, polycarbonate is often used for applications that require reliability and high performance.

Despite their toughness and strength, polycarbonates are light weight, allowing for extensive design possibilities and relatively easy installation when compared to other materials.

Polycarbonates are also very resistant to heat and flames. A polycarbonate can maintain its toughness in temperatures up to 140°C, which means polycarbonate parts can withstand repeated sterilization. Polycarbonates also have light transmittance rates above 90% and good chemical resistance against diluted acids, oils, greases, aliphatic hydrocarbons, and alcohols.

A polycarbonate’s properties depend on its molecular mass and structure, so each material is slightly different. To give you an idea of what you can expect, here are some typical key characteristics and specifications:

• Specific gravity: 1.21
• Melt temperature: 295 – 315°C
• Mold temperature: 70 – 95°C
• Heat deflection temperature: 137°C at 0.45 MPa
• Tensile strength: 61 MPa
• Flexural strength: 90 MPa
• Shrink rate: 0.5 – 0.7%
• Rockwell hardness: 118R

As you can see, polycarbonate manufacturing has plenty to offer. However, there are a few things you’ll want to be aware of before selecting this material for a project. For example, its mechanical properties can degrade after prolonged exposure to water over 60°C. Polycarbonate is also susceptible to scratching, more costly to manufacture than many other materials, and vulnerable to diluted alkalis and aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons. Additionally, the polycarbonate formulations without UV stabilizers can sometimes yellow over time when exposed to UV rays.

Common Uses of Polycarbonates in Everyday Life

Polycarbonate’s toughness and high impact resistance make it a popular material choice for automotive industry manufacturers, particularly when it comes to parts that must be clear or translucent and are subject to frequent impact, such as headlight and turn signal lenses.

In the medical industry, polycarbonate can be found in everything from incubators to dialysis machine housings. After all, polycarbonate is tough, resistant to heat, dimensionally stable, and able to withstand sterilization via FDA-approved methods including autoclaves and irradiation. Polycarbonate can be used in blood filters, reservoirs, and oxygenators, as well as surgical instruments. Plus, given its transparency, polycarbonate enables doctors to more easily monitor blood and track the administration of fluids.

Polycarbonate is also a material of choice in many household appliances, such as mixers, hair dryers, refrigerators, and electric razors. Other common uses for polycarbonate include exterior lighting fixtures, machinery guards, protective gear, bullet-proof glass, fuse boxes, television housings, roofing, skylights, greenhouses, suitcases, eyeglasses, and beverage containers, such as baby bottles, sippy cups, and refillable water bottles.

Getting Started With Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a strong and impact-resistant thermoplastic that’s used across a variety of industries. However, there are several different kinds of polycarbonate on the market, each with its own characteristics. Working with an experienced manufacturing partner like SyBridge can make all the difference for product teams who are unfamiliar with polycarbonate or are looking to manufacture parts and products with materials that may be more suitable for a specific application. Want to see if polycarbonate is the right material for your next project? Create an account and upload your part files or contact us today to get started.

The post Know Your Materials: Polycarbonate (PC) appeared first on SyBridge Technologies.