Stack molds in plastic injection molding offer advantages for a wide range of plastic injection molded parts and products. One of the key benefits of stack molds is lower part costs. Stack molds reduce the need for multiple molds and multiple presses, providing immediate and exponential cost savings.
Stack molding delivers the ability to mold multi-component assemblies, or a family of parts, in one shot on one plastic injection molding machine. Without changing your molding press or tonnage, a stack mold increases productivity and reduces your part costs by using a stack of multiple mold layers — two, three or four.
As a result, stack molds are one of the most cost-effective ways to increase output by up to 100% with a relatively low additional investment or disruption. This cost savings not only improves the bottom line but also allows companies to become more competitive in the marketplace.
Up to 20% Cost Savings
Stack molding improves productivity, lessens the manufacturing time, and reduces the cost of production processes. These are great benefits in general, but they are even more advantageous if your company is producing quantities into the millions. Stack molds increase output capacity without increasing the number of molds or machine size. This contributes to the lower cost of operation. Since a stack mold only needs half the tonnage to produce twice as many products, the cost of operation is significantly decreased.
A study on the combination of injection compression molding and stack molding using a stack molding machine with four-by-four cavities reported the reduction of material unit costs by up to 20% savings, along with these benefits:
- Significantly increases productivity
- Allows high flexibility in part shape, appearance and decoration
- Delivers 99.98% synchronicity between the mold, machine and automation system
- The process is performed at a low pressure which prevents tension in the material
- Cavities are partially filled in only 100ms with extremely even results
Stack Mold Savings for Multiple Products
Every industry can benefit from cost savings when using stack injection molding in the production of their products and parts, for example:
Medical device — Perfect conditions, state-of-the-art technologies and compliance are the keys to medical molding-making. Examples of medical devices produced with injection mold include:
- Implantable components
- Beakers, test tubes and other containers
- Surgical equipment
- Drug delivery equipment
Industrial Products — Durable and innovative solutions are the hallmark of the industrial marketplace. Examples of industrial devices produced with injection molds include:
- Control panels
- Gumps
- LED fixtures
- Electrical housings
Packaging — The demands for plastic packaging are high: pieces must be light, engineered for strength, use less material and meet precise thickness specifications. Examples of packaging that use injection mold packaging include:
- Food packaging
- Cosmetic packaging
- Industrial packaging
- Medical packaging
Consumer Products — Because injection molding can be used to fill almost any mold design, the list of consumer parts and products made with injection molds is unlimited. Some common examples are:
- Televisions
- Computers
- Remote controls
- Telephones
- Printers
- Toys
Not sure if your part qualifies for stack molding — and the resulting cost savings? Ask us. Our engineers will provide expert advice on the ideal injection molding process for your needs.
