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A Look Inside the Quality Assurance Process in Custom Plastic Manufacturing
May 01, 2024
One of the major advantages of plastic injection molding services is the quality and consistency that the process delivers. Injection molding is capable of producing intricate products with complex designs and precision tolerances. Beyond that, though, is the repeatability of the process: build the proper mold tooling and you can manufacture tens of thousands of high-quality parts that are virtually identical.
Nevertheless, proactive quality control in plastic injection molding is crucial to ensure that the end products meet all desired specifications – from wall thickness and tolerances to surface finish and texture. At Premier Plastics, our comprehensive quality control system ensures the highest product consistency possible. Continuous monitoring, detailed inspection, and various testing procedures are essential to address any issues and establish a reliable ongoing production process.
Premier Plastics facilitates a culture of total quality by encouraging participation in quality assurance duties by all workers throughout our facility. Our robust quality control process is certified to ISO 9001:2015 standards.
An Overview of Quality Control in Plastic Injection Molding Services:
Choosing the Right Materials for the Application
The quality control process begins with the selection of raw materials. The materials used in plastic injection molding must meet certain specifications in terms of chemical composition, viscosity, melt flow rate, etc. You also have to choose the right material to exhibit the physical, mechanical, and aesthetic qualities that you want in your end product. That’s where Premier Plastics’ expertise in plastic materials science comes into play.
Proper Machine Setup and Calibration
Injection molding machines need to be properly set up and calibrated to ensure consistent production and quality. For today’s state-of-the-art machines, this is a complex process that involves setting many parameters such as temperature, pressure, injection speed, and cooling time according to the requirements of the specific part being produced.
Continuous Process Monitoring
During the injection molding process, we continuously monitor various parameters to ensure consistency and detect any deviations that could affect the quality of the parts.
Key parameters such as melt temperature, injection pressure, cooling time, and cycle time are automatically monitored using sensors and feedback systems in the injection molding machines.
Ongoing Mold Inspection and Maintenance
In many ways, the mold that we use to manufacture your custom plastic parts ultimately determines the quality of the final product. Regular inspection of the mold is necessary as production is ongoing to ensure that the tooling remains free from wear and damage. Even minor defects or contamination on the surface can drastically affect the end quality of your molded parts.
Regular mold maintenance and cleaning are essential duties in the quality control process. A clean mold helps prevent defects such as flash, sink marks, or warping in the molded parts.
Visual and Dimensional Inspection
Visual inspection is typically the first step in quality control after the products are molded. Our inspectors carefully scrutinize molded parts for any surface defects such as scratches and discoloration, or more major flaws like cracks and warpage.
Precision is absolutely critical in many plastic injection molding applications, so we perform various dimensional inspection procedures to ensure that the parts meet all specified tolerances. Our control control experts utilize precision coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), gauges, and other measuring instruments to verify dimensions such as length, width, wall thickness, and geometric features.
Testing and Validating Your Products
In addition to visual and dimensional inspection, we may conduct various tests to validate the quality of the molded parts. This could include mechanical tests, such as tensile strength or impact resistance testing, as well as material analysis for properties like hardness or chemical composition.
Documentation and Traceability
Throughout the quality control process, thorough documentation is maintained to record all relevant data and observations. This documentation provides a traceable record of the manufacturing process and helps identify areas for improvement or corrective action.
Traceability measures, such as serial numbers or batch codes, may be implemented to track individual parts or batches throughout the production process and supply chain.
Superior Quality Injection Molding Services Since 1983
Located in Omaha, Nebraska, Premier Plastics is one of the Midwest region’s leading providers of quality-backed injection molding services. Our company is an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer committed to delivering your custom molded plastics accurately, on-time, and manufactured according to your exact specifications.
From simple parts to complex assemblies, injection molding offers the ability to manufacture a wide range of plastic products efficiently and cost-effectively.
Injection molding is one of the most widely used processes in plastics manufacturing because it’s fast, flexible, and cost-effective for many products.
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