Selecting Materials for Your Custom Plastic Injection Mold

Since there is a wide variety of material options for custom plastic molding, it is most helpful for product engineers to focus on the primary function and working environment of their parts. This allows a narrowing down of the right material for your custom injection molding project.

At Xiamen Ruicheng we are happy to provide consultation to help customers find the right plastic material choice for their custom molded parts.

 Hardness

Choosing the right material hardness depends upon the part’s intended use, environment, required abrasion resistance, and how a user will interact with it. Plastic hardness is measured and represented by number values on “shore 00”, “shore A” or “shore D” scales. For example, a gel shoe insole might have a hardness of “30 shore 00”, but a construction worker plastic hard hat might have a hardness of “80 shore D”.

Flexibility & Impact Resistance

Different from hardness, flexibility or stiffness indicates how much or little a material will resist stress. Impact resistance is another specification to consider for plastic materials that might see tough conditions across wide ranging temperatures.

Part Weight

The mass or density properties of plastics can vary widely. In turn, for any given part volume in cubic cm the part weight can vary widely simply by picking a different plastic material. Keeping in mind that plastic raw materials are sold by the pound, unnecessary costs can add up very quickly throughout a product life cycle if the wrong plastic material is chosen.

Material Cost

Fitness for the product application should be the primary concern when choosing the plastic type for a particular custom molded part. Cost per pound should only be considered where there is a choice of suitable materials.

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