Boeing has recently seen the impact of poor quality control processes. A contracted manufacturer was responsible for some of the reported violations.
Getting your components from a manufacturer with robust quality control is essential. Plastic injection mold tooling is one aspect of your production that should have strict standards.
Learn more about quality control for plastic molding and why it’s so important.
Benefits of Quality Control in Plastic Molding
Quality control helps ensure you get the best possible molded plastic parts. Quality control processes verify that the tooling and the finished products will meet your specifications.
Key characteristics to inspect include:
- Dimensional stability
- Color
- Gloss
- Molding defects
A variety of parameters affect these features.
Dimensional Stability
Dimensional stability affects how well your component fits together with other parts. If a part is too large, too small, or has the wrong shape, it won’t fit. This can cause downtime in an assembly line or make the product unusable.
Good quality control measures catch and address any issues related to production tolerances.
Color
You expect your plastic parts to be the same color. Production parameters like temperature and pressure can affect the color of your parts. Color can be added to the resin as well.
Quality control helps ensure that the product color is consistent and follows your design.
Gloss
Gloss can affect how consumers perceive your product. The right level of gloss can make your product more attractive to consumers.
The temperature and time in the mold affect the gloss. Materials in the resin also play a role. The surface finish of the mold is another variable.
Molding Defects
The most common defects in molded parts include:
- Flow or weld lines
- Sink marks
- Short shots
- Burn marks
- Flashing
Any of these defects lowers the quality of your product. However, some defects may be allowable depending on the final use of the component. For example, flow lines may not matter for an internal component that won’t be visible after assembly.
Steps in Quality Control for Plastic Injection Tooling
Quality control for plastic injection mold tooling has four main steps:
- Optimize the mold design
- Inspect the mold before production
- Inspect the mold during production
- Inspect the mold after production
The tooling design has a major effect on the quality of your finished components. A simpler design makes achieving tight tolerances easier. When complex parts are necessary, the tooling design must account for the extra variables.
Injection mold inspections rely on non-destructive testing methods, including:
- Visual inspection
- Measurement using calipers, micrometers, coordinate measuring machines, or other tools
- Pressure testing
- X-ray testing
- Magnetic testing
- Infrared testing
- Digital microscope
A robust testing process helps identify problems quickly and find a solution.
Choose the Right Partner for Your Plastic Injection Mold Tooling
Quality control for your plastic injection mold tooling is the key to having high-quality products. It helps prevent problems with your plastic parts. If an issue comes up, good quality control measures will identify it before it gets worse.
Nova Stevensville is a world-class producer of injection-molded plastic components. We have expertise in the automobile industry as well as other industries. We’ll work closely with you to design and produce a product that exceeds your expectations.
Contact Nova Stevensville today to discuss how our processes can make your production more competitive.
