Plastic injection molding is a highly versatile manufacturing process, benefiting a variety of industries by providing custom-made plastic components in mass quantities. When considering molding for your business, it's important to separate the facts from the myths to help you better understand the process. Use the guide below to explore three common misconceptions about injection molding.

3 Popular Misconceptions About Plastic Molding

1. Molding Requires Several Months of Lead Time

Steel molds are typically crafted for long production processes, including projects with 10,000 pieces or more. These molds are often created with highly precise specifications that may increase the lead time by several months. However, when alternative materials, such as aluminum or alloys, are used, the process is relatively quick, taking as little as a few days or up to one week to complete. 

2. Injection Molded Parts Can Only be Customized in Post-Production

Injection-molded parts are typically created using a neutral-colored base resin that many find unappealing. In some cases, plastic injection molding companies will tell you that custom-design elements can only be completed in post-production, costing you more time and money. However, most molds can be designed to include customizations like textures, finishes, and even Pantone color matching to create resins in nearly any color. 

3. Molds Have a Short Production Life

The durability and production cycle of your molds will typically depend on your needs. While steel molds are often developed for long-run productions, non-steel molds used in short-run productions and prototyping are still highly durable, functioning consistently over hundreds of thousands of duty cycles while producing thousands of parts. 

Find out how plastic injection molding can benefit your business by contacting Pacific Integrated Manufacturing in Bonita, CA. Operating out of a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, their knowledgeable staff has over 15 years of experience developing high-quality injection molds for the life science and medical industries. Contact them today at (619) 921-3464 to learn more about the process, or visit them online for more information about their products and services.