Plastic Injection Molding Tool Transfer Guide
Transferring an injection mold tool doesn’t have to be stressful or overly expensive. There are several key questions to consider during the injection molding tool transfer process.
What are the benefits of an injection molding tool transfer?
It’s important to assess manufacturing capabilities and quality requirements as early as possible to make sure the partnership is a good match for both parties. Transferring a tooling asset can be a chance to realign capabilities and requirements. The transfer process is also a chance for a third party to conduct a thorough assessment of the mold’s condition.
What are the cons of an injection molding tool transfer?
In many cases, it can be hard to get accurate and detailed tooling records for older assets. However, in today’s digital age, tooling records (both build and ECN) are much easier to access.
What are some best practices for injection molding tool transfers?
- Plan a reasonable time buffer, if you can, to ensure enough supply is available throughout the transfer, evaluation, modification, and re-qualification stages of the process.
- Share why the transfer is taking place.
- Create a transfer checklist to make sure you provide or receive up-to-date information. This checklist can be lengthy, but it should always include part drawings, 3D files, last shots, dimensional records, quality gauges, maintenance history, quality history, tooling drawings, any auxiliary or robot needs, etc. Download a helpful checklist to get started here.
- Allow the new injection molder at least one week to perform their own tooling evaluation and to replace fittings, couplings, and connectors as needed for their processes. For example, PCI’s team often needs time to route channels in the ejector plates for pressure sensor wiring.
- Do a full dimensional layout after the transfer. Note: This is a great time to re-evaluate the plastic part’s condition and dimensional outcomes.
What should a manufacturer look for in a new injection molder?
- Financial stability.
- A strong track record of following a clear process plan that will be reviewed step-by-step and documented. The plan should educate everyone from sales and engineering to production about what to expect before the tool arrives at the facility.
- A solid design for manufacturing (DFM) process that demonstrates the value lost if design, prototype, and production are handled separately instead of being fully integrated into a single manufacturing chain.
- Mold simulation software (e.g., SolidWorks). Injection molders who use mold simulation tools such as SolidWorks Plastics Premium software provide up-front design validation that offers insight into plastic part geometry that would be difficult, expensive, or even impossible to predict through traditional methods.
- Manufacturing – it’s critical that the injection molder has both the production capacity and existing machines that meet the requirements (tonnage, barrel size, platens, etc.).
- Quality – the new injection molder should have the necessary quality systems in place to maintain and control top part quality.
- Materials – the injection molder should have processing and logistics skills in the proper resin categories.
- Value-Add Requirements – the injection molder should have the equipment and workforce needed to ensure the part can be shipped as required.
What should you expect from program management team roles?
Your team will include an account manager, account engineer, program launch manager, and tooling and quality reps. This team is responsible for all parts of the takeover process—managing the timeline, tool review and assessment, sampling, and PPAP submission. They’re there to move your transfer programs forward efficiently and on schedule.
What are the phases of an injection mold tool transfer process?
- Partnership: Key to the success of the project in establishing and maintaining defined communication channels.
- Assessment: During this time, the team works with the customer to thoroughly understand production functions from order entry to shipment.
- Schedule: Based on the on-site assessment, a transfer schedule will be developed.
- Safety stock: Six weeks is a typical time frame for safety stock allotment.
- Validation: The goal of validation is to obtain customer approval on each part that will be produced in the new injection molding facility.
- Production molding: Once part validation is complete, the new injection molder’s production team will begin to produce the plastic components.
All phases of the plastic injection tool transfer process are critical – particularly the validation phase. Working with an experienced injection molding team that uses the latest technology and innovative manufacturing processes will mitigate associated risks and get your part to the production molding phase faster. Working with a team that has depth in their technical backgrounds will be an integral asset to the commitment and investment made to the transfer process.
Are you looking for the right partner to help facilitate an injection mold tool transfer? Plastic Components, Inc. is here to help. Download our tool transfer checklist here – or contact one of our experienced engineers to discuss your immediate needs.
Injection mold tool transfers require organized, up-front planning, communication, and investment to make sure all project goals and expectations are met.
