For bonding to occur, the two parts undergoing the two-shot molding process must be chemically compatible. Fabrik consults with customers and material suppliers to ensure proper material selection for the specific application.

Biplas has recently made significant investments in its cleanroom facility, as well as its design software, in-house toolroom and metrology department, enabling fully validated development, tooling and injection moulding for the medical sector.

Tools are manufactured with full-certification and traceability using specialist steel grades and moving parts designed to require the minimal use of lubricants. Specialist coatings can also be applied to cavities, alleviating the need for mould release agents.  Despite these special adaptations, tools are still backed by a ‘one million shot’ tool life guarantee.

At Fabrik Molded Plastics, Inc., we offer custom two-shot plastic injection molding capabilities. Other service offerings include precision plastic injection molding, insert molding, CT scanning, scientific plastic injection molding, automotive lighting, tooling transfers, and custom automation services.

Two years ago, South-Wales based injection moulders Biplas decided to develop a ‘nose to tail’ solution for their growing portfolio of medical sector clients.  Managing Director, Richard Bedwell, recognised that the company already had all of the necessary skillsets to allow the company to develop a turnkey solution to customers looking for initial design to full production within a single facility.

Biplas has subsequently made significant investments in its cleanroom facility, in conjunction with the implementation of quality systems in line with the requirements of ISO 13485, this has enabled Biplas to offer a fully validated development, tooling and injection moulding service.

Also called multi-shot or double-injection molding, two-shot injection molding is an over-molding process that adheres additional material—like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)—to plastic substrates to improve the appearance, grip, handling, environmental resistance, or impact resistance of injection molded components. Two-shot injection molding is typically performed by multi-barrel injection molding machines, which add extra material shortly after forming the substrate to create strong bonds between the materials.

Fabrik Molded Plastics, Inc. is a custom injection and insert molding provider of thermoplastic products. We use the latest molding technologies and automation equipment in our full-service offerings to ensure we compete at the global level. Because we use the latest molding technologies and a  scientific approach in our molding processes, our clients can reap the benefits of our competitive advantage. Contact us today or request a free quote to start your custom project.

Commonly used materials for two-shot injection molding include thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, and liquid silicone rubber.

The two-shot injection molding process consists of two main phases. Similar to traditional injection molding, the first phase involves injecting resin into a mold, which is then cooled to form a solid part in the shape of the mold. The second phase involves overmolding the 1st shot by transferring it to a second cavity by robot or rotating platen. The two plastic resins will form a molecular bond and, once cooled and ejected, becomes a finished multi-resin molded part.

Medical mould tool validation incorporates full installation, operational and part qualification, and is offered to both in-house moulding customers and clients only wishing to purchase production tooling.  Tool maintenance programmes can also be provided to customers that retain their tooling on-site.

Once parts have been manufactured, customers can also benefit from a choice of sterilisation procedures.  Bioburden testing is used to identify the best option for each particular product, technologies provided including:

Two-shot plastic injection molding is an injection molding process used to create multilayer, multicolor, or multi-material parts in a single process. This process is also sometimes referred to as two shot injection molding, 2-shot molding, 2K, multilayer, multi-shot injection molding, or multishot molding. Multi-shot manufactured products eliminate steps in the manufacturing process while creating a more cost-effective, enhanced finished product.

Once tooling is fully validated, Biplas can take the product into full production, its ISO 14644-1:2015 Cleanroom facility also incorporating downstream equipment and added value services such as two-colour printing and product assembly.

“More recently, we have seen increased demand for products relating to the manufacture of virus test kits, in particular the packaging required to keep them sterile until the point of use. Our ability to manage the complete production and validation process means that we can offer a more efficient solution to our clients.  In reality, this can mean a shorter route to market. ”

Richard Bedwell commented: “Biplas has always offered both technical injection moulding and toolmaking services to our customers, and our medical and pharmaceutical clients often approached us to help in the initial design of a new product.  The one service that we couldn’t provide was on-site validation, this usually being the most significant obstacle faced when taking a new product to market.

The two-shot molding process improves the final product in terms of feel, color, and functionality. There are many design opportunities to suit specific preferences. Examples of two-shot injection molded products include toothbrush handles, buttons, switches, caps and closures, and hand and power tools.

“We now manage the complete development of a new medical product, from helping to select appropriate and compliant polymer grades through to post-production sterilisation and stringent bioburden testing. Our sterile class 5 and 7 medical injection moulding facilities allow us to produce fully traceable, approved and validated products, such as medical devices and biotech packaging.