In plastic injection molding for the medical device industry, thin-wall molding is one of the most common processes. It is for producing tools or effects that involve both function and patient comfort. The walls of the injection parts of the medical device are much thinner relative to the complete pieces. The walls are usually thinner than 1mm.

The best thing is that you get your parts made by a world-class team of engineers using the most advanced equipment, without bearing any of the costs for the same.

For DFM, analysts consider several factors based on art, science, and technology to find the most efficient design, resulting in reduced injection mold costs.

Get in touch with 3ERP today to get an injection molding quote for your project. Whether it is a simple injection molding project or something that deals with inserts or overmolding, we handle it all!

A minimal need for medical products but is important. All housing equipment or facility, or device parts that come in contact with the human body must be contaminant-resistant. They should also go through sterilization processes without damage.

Operator Costs: Regardless of the self-regulated machinery used, an operator must oversee the process. The cost of the operator is something to factor into the labor costs.

Overmolding is also a little more complex than basic injection molding. In overmolding, an initial part is created using injection molding, let us say Part 1. Then, Part 1 is placed inside another mold, and another plastic injection molding process takes place.

The strict requirements of this process require a hygienic environment for production. This environment ensures that no ambient air, dust, or moisture settles on the mold or mixture while it sets. The rubber-like substance produced through this process is highly chemical resistant.

To get a better understanding of the plastic injection molding costs for a part for different production volumes, let’s examine a typical case.

The benefit of self-mating parts is that you can use a single half mold to create the entire part. It keeps the cost of the mold low, and the plastic injection mold size is half. This method increases the volume of production.

Make full use of the molds by reusing them for various applications. You can not only use the same mold for the same part but also for similar parts as well. This can be done by making adjustments or mold mods wherever possible.

Bigger parts are not always better parts. When the size of the parts increases, so does the expense of injection molds required for the parts. If the same process can be accomplished by reducing the part size, it is a good idea to opt for it.

This is, no doubt, a big expense for any business. Therefore, most manufacturers outsource the injection molding process to experts like 3ERP with high-end injection molding machinery. Outsourcing makes injection molding a cost-effective option, in which the client can source the lowest cost for the part required and minimize the variable costs of production.

After reading this guide, you can evaluate the exact manufacturing costs that injection molding will require for your particular requirements.

Generally, atomization technology creates a powder mix from the desired metals. This powder is made into a pellet (feedstock), which includes a binding agent that makes it easier to mold.

This is the simplest type of injection molding process. The plastic is injected directly into the mold cavities to create the final piece. Of the three different molding processes, this one has the lowest cost.

This article examines the costs of injection molding. Understanding the factors that influence these costs will help you estimate your injection molding project costs.

After reading this article, you now have a better idea about the plastic injection molding cost and how it varies from project to project. You even know about the cost variations that occur due to the injection mold cost and injection mold tooling cost.

The injection molding procedure offers the widest range of options for choosing materials. Although medical injection molding narrows the scope of injection molding materials, there are still many materials that are suitable for manufacturing medical-grade components. We’ll touch on that more in the later parts of this guide.

The entire production run for this volume takes about 3 days to manufacture the finished parts. For a 100-part run, let us assume the following parameters:

The extremely high level of precision needed within the aerospace industry makes CNC machining a suitable manufacturing process for the sector.

Professional industrial injection molding equipment costs between $50,000 and $200,000. There may also be shipping costs involved. These machines are not for hobbyists and amateurs as they require skilled operators.

Medium volume production can range between five thousand to tens of thousands of parts. For this production scale, manufacturers usually outsource the mold production and molding processes.

Injection molding is a popular manufacturing process for creating many parts and components. As such, learning about the costs of producing an injection molded part is vital before considering this process for your manufacturing operation.

The application of plastic molding injection in the medical device industry is diverse. Medical suppliers go for this process as the products easily attain the stipulated standards of quality and safety. Besides, medical device plastic injection molding comes in handy in areas like:

If you want to produce high-quality machined parts with a sleek appearance, it’s essential to consider some critical factors related to CNC machining.

Silicone doesn’t react with biological tissue, making it even more suitable to implant it safely. However, this injection molding process requires many steps. This is also dependent on the properties expected of the resultant silicone product.

As stated in the plastic injection molds cost overview, higher volume means lower costs per part. This, combined with savings in mold size and number of molds, lead to significant savings in the final plastic injection mold costs.

This is one of the most creative ways to save money on injection molds and simplify the design. Self-mating parts are the parts that attach to themselves when rotated 180 degrees.

This is a little more complex process than basic injection molding. It involves positioning metal inserts in the mold. Once the metal inserts are in position, the plastic injection molding takes place.

After injection comes the removal of the binding agent through various means, including solvent, a catalytic process, thermal furnaces, or even a combination of these methods. This leaves behind injection parts with a 100% density at the end.

Injection molding is one of the most widely applied manufacturing processes nowadays. Every day, you see and touch multiple parts created by this process, like bottle caps and plastic handles.

An example of this is the soft rubber grip that you see embedded into plastic and rubber products, such as toothbrushes.

Repair Costs: Injection molding is a mechanical process requiring multiple types of equipment. Therefore, there are bound to be repair and maintenance processes that result in expenses.

As a result, the resin ends up looking misshapen, ugly, and weaker structurally than it should due to the sink marks. Gas-assisted injection molding is the solution to this problem of making plastic injection molding medical parts.

Always consider the material’s area of use before selection. For instance, single-use materials like syringes, needles, tubing, and connectors should be transparent, flexible, and easy to sterilize. Likewise, surgical injection parts should be lightweight and ergonomic.

The process of medical injection molding edges out similar production procedures in the industry. With its smooth and seamless operation, there are numerous advantages the process offers, and they include but are not limited to:

Devices produced with this injection molding type include wearable devices, surgical tools, and catheter ablation tools.

The way the medical plastic injection process is set up helps cut unnecessary injection molding costs — massive production deliveries and high-volume manufacturing help to maximize the process. Hence, whenever there is an extraordinary volume of medical injection parts being produced, the injection molding process can reduce the cost per part.

Manufactures providing injection molding services use different plastic molding techniques to produce medical-grade parts. But here, we will be looking at the 4 common types, which include:

Just like CNC machining, EDM also has high accuracy. However, while CNC machining can be used for materials other than metals, EDM is only suitable for metal molds.

Multi-cavity molds and family molds allow you to multiply the production rate and reduce the cycle time. This can reduce the cost of the entire operation by a significant margin, especially in medium to large production runs.

Large volume production deals with hundreds of thousands of parts. For this comparison, let us assume we are producing 100,000 parts of the same type.

Generally speaking, to get an injection mold cost quote, you need to choose the manufacturer who can provide you with the best results at the cheapest rates. 3ERP is your answer in this regard.

Plastic injection molding offers a certain degree of versatility concerning the plastics you can use as the injection material. Some examples include ABS, PU, PE, PP, and PC.

In this regard, you can eliminate any features that are just for the sake of cosmetic finishes. This will end up saving money.

This cost can vary based on the process used to create the molds. Usually, three processes are employed for this purpose:

3ERP provides every injection molding service you might require, from low-cost injection molding to mass production parts. There are even material options, such as thermoplastic, thermoset silicone, and metal injection molding.

Now that you know the various costs associated with injection molding, one vital question remains unanswered. What will be the cost of injection molding for my project?

You might have seen that manufacturing costs per part become less when the production takes place in large quantities. The same idea holds true for injection molding as well.

For low production quantities, manufacturers create molds of 3D printed polymer resin since it is cheap and doesn’t have to go through a long production cycle.

CNC machining has a little drawback in terms of the machine cycle for making molds. These machines require setup time for the tooling and changing the tools for different cut shapes.

Setup Costs: There are specific setup requirements for every step of injection molding. For instance, when making the molds, some setup of tooling is required. And setting up the mold and configuring the equipment during injection molding all involve an operator’s time.

Some medical devices like tubes and respiratory masks are quite difficult to keep hygienic. So, liquid silicone injection molding is generally the most suitable in producing equipment like these.

Highly complex designs with more cavities and high mold polish result in extra costs. Such designs require research, development, and technical expertise. For this purpose, you can hire a professional or outsource the design process. Both options incur expenses.

This process creates plastic parts with metal inserts fused directly into them. An example of this is the metal fasteners that you see inserted in plastic components.

Most steps involved in injection molding are automated and run by software systems. For instance, CNC machines are run by Computer Numerical Controlled software, 3D printers run on their own software, and injection molding also has automated processing.

In the process of plastic injection for the medical device industry, exceptional accuracy is a must. Due to the tight tolerance margin, every inch, millimeter, or centimeter count can influence the whole molding development. Besides, it is essential to use skilled injection molding facilities to achieve this high-level accuracy.

The process of plastic injection molding for medical devices is critical, with a high probability of failure. Thus, there are some factors one needs to consider before and during the design, planning, and operational procedure. They include:

Are you considering using injection molding service for your next project? Then send a query to 3ERP at our contact email, and our team will reach out to you with the best price available for your requirements.

The base cost of an injection mold is not a fixed number that will be the same for every application. It is a varying value that can fall between a couple of hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Family injection molds also have multiple cavities inside them. However, the part cavities are for different parts, so a family mold can simultaneously create different shapes of injection molded parts.

One way of producing durable and reliable medical-grade components that meet FDA standards is through medical injection molding. The process is now the go-to procedure for manufacturing state-of-the-art medical equipment because it offers countless advantages.

Every injection molding material has its specific benefits. The perfect material for your injection mold will depend on your requirements and budget constraints.

This is a very wide price bracket. The exact value fluctuates based on several components involved in the injection molding process. These factors that influence the cost are:

Think of the best laboratory facility and medical devices, made with top quality finish, and it’s undoubtedly through the medical plastic molding process. One good thing about the procedure is that it is both cost-efficient and delivers with exceptional accuracy and consistency. Besides, it comes in handy when the volume of productions is high and requires a masterpiece level of construction.

This is a more complicated molding type. When carrying out regular molding, the thicker parts tend to dry or solidify slower than the thinner walls. The reason is that there isn’t enough pressure to pack the resin properly and make it even.

Plastics have a wide range of use in the medical field. They are almost indispensable in creating plastic injection molding medical parts and tools like Syringes, surgical gloves, IV tubes, catheters, etc. These products are for one-time use only, erasing the need for sterilization and reducing the spread of highly contagious or virulent diseases.

There is small-scale injection molding equipment that businesses keep in-house. Then there are large injection molding machines typically used by service providers and those in the large-scale manufacturing industry with large production volumes.

The injection mold cost of 3ERP will come as an exact quote that matches your precise requirements. Therefore, you will not be paying extra for something you do not require.

A single part can be approached through different CAD designs. However, not every design idea is ideal. Some designs for the same part may lead to time and resource wastage. Therefore, simplifying part complexity through efficient CAD design ensures the best utilization of resources.

A known fact about plastics used in injection molding is that it is ruggedly durable. These materials provide dogged strength and resistance to adverse environments and usage. Therefore, the products of this process can comfortably withstand heat, blunt force, and vibration without any incidence of cracks or breakages. Also, when they undergo sterilization in autoclaves, they don’t cave to the heat.

Medical-grade plastic materials are simply plastics designed to create medical products.  It is also suitable for manufacturing Vitro diagnostics and primary packaging products. These products help preserve and contain medicines to avoid contamination in pharmaceuticals.

Low volume production can be considered anything between a hundred to a couple of thousand parts. For these low-volume applications, manufacturers usually produce the molds in-house and do the molding themselves.

The process results in a final assembly with greater strength than mechanically fixing the plastic and metal parts together.

The cost of material for plastic resin pellets used in the injection molding process is from $1 per kg to $5 per kg. The final cost of injected material will depend on the amount used, which, in turn depends on the design required.

Similarly, the labor costs per part also decrease for larger production volumes. While the final cost of production increases for higher production volumes, you will incur significantly lower per part expenses.

If you’re looking for an injection parts medical manufacturer, you can visit RapidDirect’s Injection Molding Services for more in-depth information. RapidDirect, an ISO 9001 certified industry, is a renowned name in the injection parts industry, offering you a rich experience in making injection molded parts, including medical injection parts. Also, we provide custom injection molding services at a competitive price and detailed reports of inspection and material tests.  You can stand to get an instant quote and free automated DfM feedback after you upload a CAD file.

Specialize in CNC machining, 3D printing, urethane casting, rapid tooling, injection molding, metal casting, sheet metal and extrusion

Equipment made in this manner has a high requirement for its material. While the walls are thin, the device or tool maintains its integrity and durability to an extent. As a result of these requirements, its base materials tend to be plastic (especially LCP or Polypropylene, or even nylon).

The size and design of the part will considerably affect the cost. Large injection molded parts require greater material costs and larger molds. Similarly, complex designs may require a multi-step molding process.

The process involves running gas through the channels built into the mold.  The gas (Nitrogen gas) passes through the middle of these thicker sections. Also, this creates the pressure necessary to press the resin tightly against the mold, making a smooth, structurally sound part with zero sink marks.

The gas-assisted injection molding method is not suitable for creating tools with sharp corners in their design, because gas pressure will reduce if it doesn’t flow in a straight line. However, this type is more suitable for producing complex parts.

For example, you can manufacture the top and bottom ends for a plastic container in a single-family cavity injection mold. This type of mold cavitation is a more expensive option in terms of mold cost. But they make the overall production process faster and cheaper.

Single cavity molds have one cavity inside. So they make one part per cycle time. While the cost of the mold is less, the production rate of parts is slower. This leads to higher part costs.

The materials utilized in this production process easily withstand the invasion of contaminates. Also, they don’t need much sterilization to stay germ-free. Because of this factor, the material easily meets the FDA standards and other stipulated requirements.

For medical component manufacturing, FDA requirements are the standards to aim at in all processes. The regulations for sterility and cleanliness are stringent and require strict observance. In all the stages of productions, ensure all inputs meet or surpass the laid down standards. For medical-grade approval, the factory must pass the standards in the components and production process.

The materials used in production are greatly dependent on the object being made. These molds (prototypes) go through extensive rounds of testing to ensure their usability.

As you can see, the injection molding costs per part decrease significantly for high-volume production. Therefore, high-volume projects have the best cost-effectiveness for injection molding costs.

Medical injection molding is a cheaper and more efficient method of making medical and pharmaceutical parts, including medical devices, laboratory tools, equipment, and testing instruments. Medical parts made from this method reach a high level of precision, quality, and accuracy.

The second process creates Part 2, which contains Part 1. This process is similar to insert molding, with the difference that, instead of a metal insert, both parts are created with plastic injection molding.

While the molding equipment is a one-time investment, creating the mold and mold base for the part costs money. It is an expense for every different part produced. Therefore, tooling costs are one of the most important driving factors for injection molding.

If the manufacturer needs additional services such as polishing or secondary finishing for the product, these represent an extra expense. While it is not a part of the injection molding cost, the service provider might consider it an added cost.

Many established brands such as BMW, Lamborghini, and Electrolux already use the injection molding services offered by 3ERP.

The ability to withstand adverse conditions is a crucial consideration for plastic molding materials. They must be reliable and durable when subjected to heat, corrosives, liquid, vibrations, and other human body movements. Most of the plastics used in this process come out tops in this requirement.

Not at all. Injection molding is one of the cheapest manufacturing processes. Even so, you can still lower the injection molding costs per molding cycle by following the tips suggested in this guide.

Complex features can call for complex molds and extra steps in the injection molding process. Therefore, eliminating unnecessary features results in a lower cost for injection molds.

DFM stands for Design For Manufacturing. DFM in injection molding refers to producing a part that serves the purpose of the customer and is within their stipulated budget.

Multi cavity molds have multiple cavities inside, so they can make more than one part simultaneously. Although this type of mold has a higher initial cost, it leads to significantly lower part costs. It is a cost-effective solution for large quantities.

When you are fulfilling a large production volume, you will require a corresponding large number of molds. However, the cost of the molds does not increase linearly. For example, if the cost of a mold is $1 per part for 100 parts, the cost for 5000 parts can be about $0.5 per part, and for 100,000 molds it can be $0.25 per part.

What is the cost of injection molding? This is a commonly asked question by people wondering about adopting this technology.

The medical injection molding process uses a vast range of material options to manufacture medical and pharmaceutical parts. There are various plastic injection molding materials used that give the process high efficiency. Some of them are:

Using technologies like insert injection molding and overmolding helps save costs in the long run. For instance, insert molding eliminates the need to create threads on the plastic for attaching it to metal parts.

While the process is cheap compared to its alternatives, you can further reduce the costs. For that purpose, here are some pointers that you need to take into account:

CNC machining is usually employed for metal molds. A stainless steel mold or an aluminum mold would be typical. For example, machining an aluminum mold uses cutting tools to remove material from an aluminum block. This method of machining creates aluminum molds with unmatchable preciseness.

There should be no breakable plastics in manufacturing devices to avoid or minimize biohazards in the medical field. Hence, each selected material should have a satisfactory durability index before being put to use.  More so, they should be able to exhibit a high level of tensile strength.

With the level of results of this process, it’s no surprise that it serves as the medical prototype development approval process for the FDA. Here, we explain what this medical injection molding process entails and its role in the medical industry.

Electrical Discharge Machining is also known as EDM. This technology is utilized for creating molds with intricate shapes. It is accomplished by using electrical discharges to melt and bend the metal workpiece and give it the desired shape.

The use of metal in medical device manufacturing is a technique that we cannot overlook. The reason is that metal equipment plays a significant role when it needs equipment with high density, small size, and maneuverability. This doesn’t detract from the numerous uses and advantages of traditional 3D printing, medical plastic molding, or gas-assisted molding.

The features of the final product also impact the injection mold cost. If the product has complex features, these might require small components made by a separate injection molding process. One way to lower costs is to eliminate unnecessary features during the design stage.

3D printing is one of the cheapest and fastest ways of making molds for injection molding. This process requires nothing but a 3D printer, so the expense is considerably less. Additionally, there is no need for skilled operators, saving labor costs.

The innovative medical injection molding process is a ground-breaking invention that has swept through the industry. The manufacturing of medical injection parts not only satisfies laid down industry standards but makes the usage process smooth. This article explained some of the rudiments of the process and other important details.