In our process, there is no tangible difference in the parts.  Some prototype molders may take shortcuts, like rounding off corners or eliminating water lines in the mold in an effort to reduce costs.   We do not make these compromises.

We've run several projects through Rapid Molding since 2016. I've yet to find a mold maker/molder that can meet our early R&D needs, then roll straight into production, all within budget.

Rapid Molding has been providing rapid injection molding services for over 30 years! With tens of thousands of successful projects in our portfolio, we are the first and last partner you'll ever need.

One of the greatest barriers to injection molding is the high price of the mold itself. We provide several options to lower you capital expenses including free molds for high volume projects and low cost prototype molds.

Redesigning the part to remove undercuts or moving the part line can be possible solutions to make the design more feasible.

The outer diameter of the boss should be 2x the nominal diameter of the screw or insert and its inner diameter equal to the diameter of the core of the screw.

Yes, in 2023 we changed our branding to better reflect the full-service nature of our business, which is building rapid molds and providing rapid injection molding services.

When certain sections cool (and as a result shrink) faster than others, then the part can permanently bend due to internal stresses.

No more missed production deadlines. No sacrificing quality to fit your schedule. No long term expenses that pile up. Just on time, every time high quality parts.

When you need high quality, injection molded parts for a reasonable price, we are the partner you can count on. This is why our customers keep coming back, over and over again.

Bridge molding utilizes a bridge tool to accomplish low to moderate volumes of molded parts quickly and cost efficiently.  There are small sacrifices in tool longevity with a bridge mold versus a production mold, but often times a bridge tool has more life than many projects need (300k+ cycles).  Whereas rapid production molding spares no expense when it comes to tooling and is therefore the king of low cost, high-volume production injection molding.

When even the maximum recommended wall thickness is not enough to meet the functional requirements of a part, ribs can be used to improve the strength and stiffness of a part.

As pioneers in the rapid injection molding industry, we’ve used our research to develop faster, lower cost methods for manufacturing injection molds. Our relentless pursuit of process optimizations reduces human labor, resulting in industry-leading delivery, cost efficiency, accuracy, and tool life. Experience the Rapid Molding advantage — your shortcut to faster, more cost efficient injection molding.

Commercially, injection moulding offers a flexible, consistent and cost-effective process of manufacturing that allows for rapid production of parts in a range of materials. Once the process has been set up and tested, machines can produce thousands of items per hour and once the mould is created (which is the most expensive element) the cost of production per component is relatively low.

• High volume production • Parts in 4-8 weeks • Capable of millions of cycles • Unlimited part complexity • Optimized automatic production • Highly competitive pricing

Here at UNSW we have 2 CR Clarke desktop injection moulders great for learning, testing and experimenting with the process!

Rapid Molding prides itself on swift turnarounds.  Typically prototype injection molding lead-times are are 1-4 weeks.  Whereas bridge tooling and production tooling lead-times can run 3 to 8 weeks depending on the size and complexity of the parts.   In general, we deliver production molds 50% to 70% faster than industry standards, ensuring your projects hit the market without unnecessary delays.

When adding text choose embossed text over engraved text as it is more economical when creating the mould. Raising the text 0.5mm above the part surface will ensure the letters are easy to read.

I send all my plastic parts to Rapid Molding for prototype molding and/or bridge tooling. I get accurate parts for testing and the price is right. Plus their bridge tools often satisfy our production molding requirements.

We started using Rapid Molding because they could make our parts quickly without compromising our designs and at a fair price. We've come back because they are dependable and the quality is excellent.

Ready to revolutionize your product development and production processes?  Experience 100% on-time delivery, backed by over 30 years of industry experience.  Join thousands who trust us for high-quality injection molded Parts at the best prices.  Don’t let mold costs hold you back – let’s bring your projects to life with precision and efficiency.  Request a Quote now to get started.

No, due to the limitations in accuracy associated with this file format it is not a viable option for building injection molds.

When designing ribs, use a thickness equal to 0.5 x the main thickness, define a height smaller than 3 x the rib thickness and use a base fillet with a radius greater than 1/4 x the rib thickness. Also make sure to add draft angle!

Injection moulding typically produces parts with tolerances of +/- 0.25mm. Tighter tolerances can be possible in certain situations but increase the cost of manufacture dramatically.

Bosses consist of cylindrical projections with holes designed to receive screws and other fasteners and assembly hardware, they are very common in injection moulded parts as they are used as points of attachment or assembly.

The uniform wall thickness limitations also applies to edges and corners; the transition must be as smooth as possible to ensure good material flow through the mould.

The team at Rapid Molding is amazing! They helped me improve my design to produce better results with injection molding versus machining and 3D printing. We are already working on our next project with them!

Rapid Molding, formerly Rapid Molds (RapidMolds.com), began with an idea, to cut mold build lead-times in half.  In 1993, that simply meant high-speed machining, better EDM technology and optimized manufacturing routing (no part of the mold sits idle, until it’s complete).  Additionally, we considered all options for every project, like proprietary mold systems and 3D printed cores and cavities.  Over time the pursuit of lower costs and shorter lead-times drove us to employ improved high-speed machining techniques and faster, more precise machining equipment.  Additionally, we developed no-polish EDM techniques and worked with our support network for specialty components and custom mold bases to improve their lead-times.

Trapped air in the mold can inhibit the flow of the material during injection, resulting in an incomplete part. Good design can improve the flowability of the melted plastic.

As an engineer, precision is everything. Rapid Molding not only delivered the desired accuracy, they did not require making changes to my parts. That was a huge advantage over the previous prototype molder.

We've been working with Rapid Molding for nearly 10 years. They're so dependable that this has become our standard process for getting to market quickly.

Yes, we have provided plastic product design services for over 30 years and have engineers on staff that are very knowledgeable about injection molded part design.If you need assistance with 3D CAD creation or modifying your part design for better results with injection molding, inquire with your CSE (Customer Service Engineer).

When the interior of a part solidifies before its surface, a small recess in an otherwise flat surface may appear, called a sink mark.

• Moderate volume production • Parts in 3-6 weeks • Capable of 300k+ cycles • Family and multi-cavity molds • Automatic undercut details • Automatic unscrewing molds • Fully automatic production

Undercuts refer to part features that cannot be manufactured with a simple 2-part mould because material is in the way while the mould opens or during the ejection of the part. Avoiding undercuts all together is usually the best options as they add cost, complexity and maintenance requirements to the mould.

Today we offer a full range of injection molding services that utilizes these three decades of experience to deliver everything from prototype injection molded parts to high volume custom injection molding, all with greatly reduced lead-times and competitive pricing.

Injection moulding is a manufacturing process that melts, injects and sets plastic into a metal mould. The plastics used by injection molding processes are relatively cheap and can be used to achieve a wide variety of properties, so injection molding is popular for creating many packaging and consumer products, like LEGO!

To avoid warping and sink marks on the part as the melted material cools down it is important to have uniform wall thicknesses and avoid thick sections if possible.

When 2 flows meet, small hair-like discolorations may develop. These knit lines affect the parts aesthetics, but also they generally decrease the strength of the part.

If sections of different thicknesses are required, make the transition as smooth as possible using a chamfer or fillet. This will allow the material to flow more evenly through the mould.

We've used Rapid Molding on several projects in the past few years. They're our secret weapon for projects on tight timelines. They make us look good!

Thick sections can lead to various issues such as warping and sinking. Reducing the maximum thickness of the design can be achieved by making the thicker sections hollow is essential. To improve the strength of these sections, ribs can be used to create structures that are of equal strength and stiffness but with reduced wall thickness and weight.

For interior edges, use a radius of at least 0.5 x the wall thickness. For exterior edges add a radius equal to the interior radius plus the wall thickness to ensure constant thickness everywhere. This can also help to stop stress concentrating in the sharp corners which can cause weaker parts.

Our preferred 3D CAD format is STEP, as it imports into all of our CAD/CAM/CAE software smoothly.  We can also accept IGES, IGS, STP, X_B and X_T, but we must have actual 3D CAD to provide accurate proposals or provide a molded product.

• Low volume production • Parts in 2-4 weeks • Capable of 10k+ cycles • Undercuts & unscrewing details • Square corners • 55 to 1200 tons

Nothing, the term "tool" is a broad term that could refer to many different tools or dies, but in our process it is interchangeable with the term "mold".

Absolutely! We have decades of experience with complex molding projects.  We are well equipped to handle even the most intricate molds. We've successfully tackled diverse projects, providing precision and efficiency for both simple and highly complex parts.

Draft angle is a taper applied to the vertical walls of the component to be moulded to assist with releasing the part. Walls without draft angle may become stuck in the mould and will have drag marks on their surface.

At first I wasn't happy to have a new vendor pushed on me by our engineering department, but after 2 years of on time deliveries with zero quality issues, I have added Rapid Molding to my preferred vendors list. Thank you John!

As the plastic shrinks, it applies pressure on the mold. During ejection, the walls of the part will slide and scrape against the mold, which can result to drag marks.