We are proud to be a leader in polypropylene plastics manufacturing, capable of providing custom plastics to customers across numerous industries. Our clients know we offer the durable, long-lasting products they need while providing competitive pricing and fast lead times. We work with businesses in North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Tennessee, Georgia, and Virginia.

Often used as a less expensive alternative to polypropylene injection molding, pressure forming plastics allows us to achieve higher levels of detail and sharp edges than with vacuum forming. Once the polypropylene is fitted around the tool, the plastic is blasted at high pressure with air, pushing it against the tool and creating the sought after design and detail. Because it’s low electrical conductivity, polypropylene pressure forming is used for manufacturing scientific instruments and medical equipment.

At Advanced Plastiform, Inc. we design and manufacture custom plastics for industries and businesses across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. In order to ensure that we are producing highly-durable plastics that can fulfill the needs of our customers, we work with numerous thermoplastic materials to provide the best result. Due to its versatility and multitude of uses, we are a leading polypropylene plastic manufacturer.

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:

In addition to its versatility, it’s also one of the lowest cost plastics, making it a popular option for mass producing plastics across the automotive, furniture, and material handling industries.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Since 1988, Advanced Plastiform, Inc., has been providing superior custom plastic molding and fabrication services to companies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, Georgia and Pennsylvania. Contact us to make an appointment Mon-Fri 8-5.

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.

Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is one of the most widely used plastics worldwide, second only to polyethylene. It was created in 1951 by petroleum chemists and was quickly used in large-scale commercial production.

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.

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.

Polypropylene injection molding is a method of manufacturing in which polypropylene is melted to its liquid state, then injected into a double-sided mold. Injection molding is ideal for small components and parts or plastic pieces that require intricate detailing and varying thickness throughout the item. While the up-front cost is more expensive and has a longer lead time than thermoforming, for high volume orders or orders that will be fulfilled regularly, the per-unit cost is actually very cost efficient.

Polypropylene thermoforming is a lower-cost, efficient way to manufacture large plastic goods and components. We heat the polypropylene until it is malleable, then fit it around a custom tool and finish the product using one of three methods:

It’s not much of an exaggeration to say polypropylene is used for everything. It’s easy to customize, has a high melting point, high flexibility, and is water resistant so it’s most commonly used for:

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.

Twin sheet forming is a complex method of polypropylene plastic manufacturing, requiring high levels of precision and care. It involves heating two plastic sheets at the same time, then fitting them together and fusing them. Because the plastic must be matched with pressed points where the fusion occurs, there’s no room for error or the integrity of the product is weakened. Twin sheet forming is ideal for manufacturing double-walled and hollow products, like air ducts, chutes used in material handling, and bed liners.

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.

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?

Elevate your projects with consistency, quality, precision, and efficiency in custom plastic manufacturing with parts made from polypropylene.

Vacuum forming is the simplest method of polypropylene thermoforming. Once the plastic is heated and fitted around the custom tool, a high-powered vacuum removes air and draws the plastic more tightly against the tool. This method is best for plastic components that don’t require sharp edges, defined corners, or intricate details, such as car dashboards and shipping trays.