Production tooling can take many months to have built. Even then it takes time to ship to the injection mold and get up and running. Instead of waiting and losing that valuable time you could use the prototype tooling to supply parts for initial demand. And it is a good backup should your production tool be out of action for whatever reason.

Prototype injection molding is just one of the many prototyping and production services offered at HLH Rapid. We also provide CNC machining, 3D printing, and vacuum casting services. Not sure which method is best suited for your project? Get a free quote for each rapid prototyping technique by submitting your CAD and project details on our website contact form.

Overmolding enables manufacturers to create parts from multiple materials using a manual two-stage process for small production runs or an automated two-stage process for large production runs. Regardless of production volume, the overmolding process works in the following way. First, a thermoplastic injection forms the rigid substrate. After the substrate forms, another shot (generally thinner and more pliable) is injected in, on, or around the substrate. As the materials cool, they bond together, creating a unified, strong, and durable part. Bonds can be chemical or mechanical, depending on the materials as well as the design of the part or product.

Overmolding involves injecting two shots of materials to form the substrate and the overmold. Insert molding only involves injecting one shot of molten plastic, though the metal insert needs to be purchased or created separately.

The insert molding manufacturing process involves injecting molten plastic around pre-placed inserts (usually metal), forming a strong bond between the two materials and helping cut back on assembly operations and time. Common inserts include pins, blades, threaded nuts and knobs, sleeves, bushings, and the metal shanks of tools, such as screwdrivers.

While prototype injection molding offers cost and time advantages over standard tooling methods when compared with other rapid prototyping techniques like 3D printing, CNC machining, or vacuum casting, it becomes more time-consuming and costly for production quantities below 100. Project budgets are generally tight and deadlines are even tighter, so why would you invest in prototyping via injection molding? Why not go straight from you 3D printed prototype to production tooling?

Injection molding is a specialized and complex manufacturing process. If you have not fully understood and tested these intricacies, you could open yourselves up to failure down the road. Parts manufactured via injection mold tooling can help you understand how the product will perform in the production process, validating the manufacturability of the design and identifying any issues related to tooling, parting lines, gate locations, and other aspects crucial for mass production.

Insert molding and overmolding can reduce assembly costs and accelerate production, helping companies simultaneously save on production costs and generate greater profits when producing large quantities of parts. However, overmolding is more expensive than insert molding, as it involves two steps. This is particularly true when it comes to prototype or small production runs, as overmolding requires manufacturing two tools — one for the substrate and one for the overmold.

Overmolding is often used to make toothbrushes, medical instruments, disposable razors, and phone cases, or to enclose electronic circuit boards (e.g. USB flash drives).

On the other hand, insert molding is a popular option for connectors, dash panels, electric sockets and wires, dials, remote control coverings, handles, scissor grips, and surgical implements.

Prototype injection molding, also known as rapid injection molding, is a process that incorporates rapid tooling (RT) method to produce injection-molded parts quicker than standard tooling times. This acceleration is achieved from using aluminium tools, eliminating certain complicated elements, or simplifying the tooling and manufacturing process. Due to the nature of the tool, it is also less expensive to make, which makes it suitable for rapid prototyping project budgets.

What is prototype injection molding?Prototype injection molding, also known as rapid injection molding, is a process that incorporates rapid tooling (RT) method to produce injection-molded parts quicker than standard tooling times. This acceleration is achieved from using aluminium tools, eliminating certain complicated elements, or simplifying the tooling and manufacturing process. Due to the nature of the tool, it is also less expensive to make, which makes it suitable for rapid prototyping project budgets.  While prototype injection molding offers cost and time advantages over standard tooling methods when compared with other rapid prototyping techniques like 3D printing, CNC machining, or vacuum casting, it becomes more time-consuming and costly for production quantities below 100. Project budgets are generally tight and deadlines are even tighter, so why would you invest in prototyping via injection molding? Why not go straight from you 3D printed prototype to production tooling? Why use prototype injection molding (over other rapid prototyping techniques)?Prototype via injection molding is a crucial step for several reasons, even when project budgets and deadlines are tight. While 3D printing and other rapid prototyping techniques offers a quick and cost-effective method for creating prototypes, transitioning directly from 3D printing to production tooling without injection molding prototypes can lead to various challenges. Here are six key reasons why prototyping via injection molding is essential: 1. Allows testing of parts in the production-intent materialWhile processes like vacuum casting does a great job at simulating injection molding resin properties, it cannot compare to ‘true’ injection molding materials. SLA-printed prototypes may also be fine for many parts, especially if they are mainly cosmetic. However, with prototype injection molding, you can use the same materials that will be used in the final production process. This ensures that the prototype accurately represents the material properties, including strength, flexibility, and durability, this is especially critical for functional parts.  2. Enables validation of the production process Injection molding is a specialized and complex manufacturing process. If you have not fully understood and tested these intricacies, you could open yourselves up to failure down the road. Parts manufactured via injection mold tooling can help you understand how the product will perform in the production process, validating the manufacturability of the design and identifying any issues related to tooling, parting lines, gate locations, and other aspects crucial for mass production. 3. Facilitates the testing of part buildsBy using production-grade materials and manufacturing processes, these prototypes closely mimic the properties and performance of the final production parts. This enables engineers and designers to assess how the product functions in real-world conditions and identify design issues before committing to hard tooling. 4. Enables low volume production runs and market testingAs the parts are essentially the same as production components, you can use them in early builds for market testing or even introduce them to the market place and start selling. Just because it is called ‘prototype injection molding’ doesn’t mean that it can only be used for prototyping purposes. It is also a viable and competitive option for low-volume production of 100 and over.  5. Allows satisfaction of initial demand while production tooling is being madeProduction tooling can take many months to have built. Even then it takes time to ship to the injection mold and get up and running. Instead of waiting and losing that valuable time you could use the prototype tooling to supply parts for initial demand. And it is a good backup should your production tool be out of action for whatever reason. 6. Helps save on time and costsWhile prototyping via injection molding may seem like an additional step, it often leads to time and cost savings in the long run. If anything is wrong, you can fix it before investing time and money into full-scale production tooling. ‘Fail early’ is a mantra of many production design development teams, and prototype injection molding allows you to do this in a relatively risk-free and inexpensive manner. How to choose a prototyping methodPrototype injection molding is just one of the many prototyping and production services offered at HLH Rapid. We also provide CNC machining, 3D printing, and vacuum casting services. Not sure which method is best suited for your project? Get a free quote for each rapid prototyping technique by submitting your CAD and project details on our website contact form.

Prototype via injection molding is a crucial step for several reasons, even when project budgets and deadlines are tight. While 3D printing and other rapid prototyping techniques offers a quick and cost-effective method for creating prototypes, transitioning directly from 3D printing to production tooling without injection molding prototypes can lead to various challenges. Here are six key reasons why prototyping via injection molding is essential:

Insert molding and overmolding are both types of multi-material injection molding, but they each have their own benefits and drawbacks and can’t be used interchangeably. To ensure you use the best process for your part, you’ll need to be familiar with each method. If you need some help selecting the best technique to use, contact us to get expert advice on your next injection molding project.

Injection molding involves injecting molten plastic into a mold, cooling it, and ejecting it. Manufacturers can repeat the process to quickly and cost-efficiently to create thousands of identical parts.

As the parts are essentially the same as production components, you can use them in early builds for market testing or even introduce them to the market place and start selling. Just because it is called ‘prototype injection molding’ doesn’t mean that it can only be used for prototyping purposes. It is also a viable and competitive option for low-volume production of 100 and over.

In addition to a team of experts that will help you make your design reality, when you work with SyBridge, you also get access to a suite of online tools that makes designing and ordering parts easy. You can upload your part file, get DFM analysis, and start exploring production and material options, all without initiating a quote — and when the time comes, getting a rapid quote is simple. Contact us today to get the design and manufacturing insight you need to bring your next injection molding project to life.

Several subprocesses fall under the general umbrella of injection molding, including insert molding and overmolding (a.k.a. multi-shot injection molding, two-shot injection molding, or double-injection molding). Keep reading to learn the differences and similarities between insert molding and overmolding, their applications, and how to figure out which type of multi-material molding is best suited for your project.

While prototyping via injection molding may seem like an additional step, it often leads to time and cost savings in the long run. If anything is wrong, you can fix it before investing time and money into full-scale production tooling. ‘Fail early’ is a mantra of many production design development teams, and prototype injection molding allows you to do this in a relatively risk-free and inexpensive manner.

Overmolding and insert molding enable manufacturers to create multi-material products without using adhesives, help eliminate secondary assembly steps, and improve the final product. However, it’s important to note the differences between insert molding and overmolding, including:

While processes like vacuum casting does a great job at simulating injection molding resin properties, it cannot compare to ‘true’ injection molding materials. SLA-printed prototypes may also be fine for many parts, especially if they are mainly cosmetic. However, with prototype injection molding, you can use the same materials that will be used in the final production process. This ensures that the prototype accurately represents the material properties, including strength, flexibility, and durability, this is especially critical for functional parts.

Insert molding involves one shot while overmolding involves multiple, which means the insert molding cycle time is generally faster than the overmolding cycle time. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that insert molding is always the fastest option for production. In some cases, manufacturers may be unable to find pre-made metal inserts that meet their requirements, meaning they’ll need to create a custom metal insert, which can lengthen production timelines.

By using production-grade materials and manufacturing processes, these prototypes closely mimic the properties and performance of the final production parts. This enables engineers and designers to assess how the product functions in real-world conditions and identify design issues before committing to hard tooling.