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Desktop Injection Molding Tips

Plastic will shrink from when its melted state to its solid form. To compensate and have the part be the correct size, the mold should be made slightly larger, so that it shrinks to the correct size.  In addition, it should be noted that the mold will expand when it is heated very slightly, and for high precision situations, this should also be factored it.

Plastic is typically manufactured in natural color or black.  If you want a different color you need to add colorant. The colorant comes as pellets, and doesn't necessarily mix well in your machine.  To get a good consistant color the plastic needs to be mixed, extruded, and chopped into pellets. Companies that do this for you are called compounders. 

• Advanced Elastomer Systems: Source of thermoplastic Elastomer (moldable rubber)
• Bayer Plastics Business Group: Makrolon^® polycarbonate, Bayblend^® polycarbonate/ABS blend
• Dupont Plastics: Delrin acetal, Zytel nylon, etc.
• Lanxess: Lustran ABS
• Polyone Distribution: Provides more than 3,500 grades of resin to more than 5,000 plastic processors across North America
• RTP Plastics: Compounder; huge selection of fill/resin combinations; excellent selection of bearing resins

• Accek Color: Custom formulated coloring systems for plastics
• Chase Plastic: Full-service specialty engineering thermoplastic distributor serving plastic processors throughout North and Central America
• Interfacial Solutions: Plastic additives and specialty compounded resins
• Compounding Solutions: Specialty compounder for the medical industry

Daycounter specializes in contract electronics design.  Do you need some help on your project?  Contact us to get a quote.