Our molding service is strengthened by our extensive expertise and a wide range of production capabilities. Our industry-leading facilities allow us to handle projects ranging from micromolding (10 tons) to large projects over 500 tons. This means we’re capable of producing parts ranging from millimeters to cubic meters in size. Our production of such a wide variety of parts enables us to best meet your needs. Further, we have unique access to tooling experts with decades of experience. They are available for video conferencing and customer support. We’re united in our efforts to help you have a satisfactory injection molding experience!

The finest production mold tools start with quality raw materials, strict process control, and expert toolmakers. Only a supplier with years of experience supporting Fortune 500 companies can ensure repeatable results for your production tooling needs. Here are some of the advantages that Star Rapid offers for high-volume production tool making and injection molding services.

A family-owned company created in 1971, Paulson Training is a global provider of workforce development solutions for the plastics industry.

Plastic resins expand and contract because of temperature, mechanical stress and moisture. Our manufacturing tolerance guide gives you general information on the shrinkage characteristics of most common resin types to help guide your design decisions.

Components like circuit boards, switches, wires, batteries, and sensors must be placed in strong, lightweight, non-corrosive, and non-conductive housings to protect them while also safeguarding the user. Learn why plastic injection molding is an ideal solution to support the electronics industry.

A product developer should be looking to save money on the cost of a mold tool. In most cases, a less expensive tool is going to be of poorer quality, less durable, with looser tolerances and a bad surface finish. These are not cost-savings. Instead, they’re expensive mistakes. Rather, savings can be made long-term through production efficiency, fast cycle times, and process stability. As volumes increase, the relative cost of the tool goes down until it’s almost free.

down the final fill speed. In severe burn mark cases, it may be necessary to modify the venting in the mold. But the molder should always try the simpler solution of reducing final fill rate before taking the time (and expense) of modifying the tool.

We use plastic every day for work and play. Plastic compounds with different chemical properties are found in computer keyboards and mice, game controllers, headphones, toys, home appliances and kitchen gadgets – anywhere you look.  Learn more about plastic used for consumer products.

All orders are carefully reviewed by our tooling engineers to provide design for manufacturing optimization. We also work closely with outside design consultancies who can offer expert advice on the process of moving a product from the concept stage to production-ready.

Get 7-day standard lead times on simple parts between 0.5 in. x 0.5 in. and 4 in. x 3 in. Upload your part to see if it’s eligible.

Plastic products used in agriculture must be strong and durable, able to resist UV light and chemicals. Engineered plastic parts are used in conveyor belts, drive trains, feeders, water sprinklers, fencing, tools, and much more. Learn why plastic injection is a great solution for the agriculture industry.

Injection mold tools can be textured to provide a variety of functional and cosmetic features to molded parts. Learn how we do it in this Serious Engineering video.

Our quality-control system includes several steps to ensure safe, high-performing products for our clients. As with all of our services, we conduct comprehensive material verification and testing before molding begins. This includes the metal used in our molds and the plastics used in production. During production, we carefully control all processing conditions — including temperature and humidity — to maintain repeatable results. Many molding companies neglect to do this, which can lead to flaws in the finished parts. We also 3D scan complex shapes to ensure accuracy.

We offer more than just tool making and molding services. Our complete package includes every manufacturing process you need for a total product development solution.

The cost of a plastic injection mold tool can be a significant percentage of the total order for small volumes. However, this cost can be amortized over larger volumes so that it doesn’t become an issue. Rather, plastic resin and cycle times become the main cost drivers for larger volumes.

In this Serious Engineering video, Star Rapid CEO Gordon Styles offers some helpful strategies for dealing with weld lines and witness marks on plastic injection molded parts.

A reputable manufacturer will positively identify all incoming raw materials, and will carefully control every stage of production to ensure process repeatability. Full ISO certification is a good demonstration of their commitment to excellence.

As a general rule, the molder should fill the mold quickly to save cycle time. It’s a good rule up to the point where the fill rate is so fast that it starts to cause problems.

Paulson presents at NPE2024's General Education Session and hosts Daily in-booth Molding Simulation demos Join us for...

Get 7-day standard lead times on simple parts between 0.5 in. x 0.5 in. and 4 in. x 3 in. Upload your part to see if it’s eligible.

Plastic injection molding is the process of filling a mold tool with liquid plastic resin under great pressure. The tool may comprise a single cavity or hundreds of cavities in order to make indefinite numbers of parts. Once the mold tools have been carefully designed and manufactured, the molding process consists of the following basic steps:

Star Rapid operates a world-class manufacturing facility. Talk to our experts who will help you to make your design ideas a reality.

The problem of jetting (which is also sometimes called “worm tracks”) appears as a line in the plastic part when the injected plastic fails to form a flow front. The plastic reaches the gate then shoots straight through the cavity rather than flowing smoothly with a well formed flow front. The solution to a jetting problem is to reduce the fill rate just as the plastic reaches the gate. Once a small flow front has formed the molder can increase the fill rate.

From the plastic’s point of view there are only 4 basic variables in the injection molding process – plastic pressure in the cavity, melt temperature, plastic flow rate and plastic cooling rate in the mold. These 4 basic variables are what determine the properties of the finished injection molded part.

In Episode 11 of Serious Engineering, Star Rapid CEO Gordon Styles takes us through a closer look at four of the most common resins used for plastic injection molded parts.

Burn marks are created when air inside the mold cavities cannot escape fast enough. The air gets compressed so much that auto-ignition occurs. To fix burn marks using flow rate, the molder should slow

Once a tool is made, plastic injection molding is the fastest and most cost-effective way of manufacturing hundreds of thousands of finished plastic parts. Molded parts have excellent surface finishes with reliable and repeatable dimensional tolerances. And there are resins available to suit most common applications.

When plastic flows, the molecules orient, meaning they line up in the direction of flow. This is called molecular orientation . The faster they flow, the more they line up (orient). If the polymer molecules remain oriented, the molded part will be stronger in the direction of plastic flow but weaker in the transverse direction. If the parts crack, the cracks will form between the oriented molecules. The flow rate also affects the surface of the plastic part. A molded part defect called crazing shows up as tiny cracks. Crazing can show up days, weeks or even months after the part is molded. Crazing is caused by highly oriented plastic molecules trapped near the surface of the part.

This depends on the complexity of the tool design and the type of material the tool is made from. Generally speaking, a very basic square shape made from relatively soft steel such as P20 can be made in less than one week. Very hard steels take longer to cut and to heat treat, while complex shapes or advanced surface textures can require three or more weeks to prepare.

Some plastic injection molding suppliers offer “automated” DFM analysis, which is necessarily limited to only the most basic part designs on tools with no cooling circuits. This severely limits your design freedom. At Star Rapid, every project receives a personalized DFM review tailored to your exact needs.

We support your development goals by having no minimum order volumes or value for our injection molding production. In addition, we have a proprietary AI quoting algorithm that provides fast, accurate, and transparent pricing on every project, every time.

At the tip of the barrel, a nozzle injects the liquid resin into the cavity of the mold. Once the plastic is then cooled and solidified, the mold opens and the finished part is ejected.

Get 7-day standard lead times on simple parts between 0.5 in. x 0.5 in. and 4 in. x 3 in. Upload your part to see if it’s eligible.

Raw plastic pellets are first dried and, if necessary, mixed with coloring agents. Inside the machine the pellets are heated and mixed until the resin is semi-liquid. This liquid is then injected under high pressure through a nozzle and into the gate and runner system of the mold. Resin fills the cavity, forming the shape of the part. It’s then cooled, the part ejected, and the process begins again.

Depending on the complexity of the design and possible heat treatment, a plastic injection mold tool can be made in five days to two weeks.

As part of our design analysis, we’ll indicate any areas that might produce thermal stress, shrinkage, warping, or other avoidable defects in your injection molded parts. For more information, consult our manufacturing design guide on common defects and how to avoid them.

Thousands of companies of every size from around the globe have chosen to work with Star Rapid to help them develop new injection mold tools and finished parts. Your success is the foundation of our reputation.

A comprehensive design for manufacturing review comes with every tool and product design project. You’ll receive superior results while saving time and money.

At Star Rapid we specialize in producing high-quality plastic injection molded parts and mold tools. We offer machining and finishing services to make tools from various materials and can produce 50 to 100,000+ finished parts in a wide variety of plastics. Our international team of engineers and technicians is dedicated to making your custom parts using the most advanced equipment and techniques including Plastic Injection Moulding, CNC Machining, 3D Printing and Vacuum Casting. We’re here to make your product ideas a reality!

When any of the defects discussed here occur, the molder who understands the scientific molding principles behind the injection molding process will analyze the problems on the basis of the 4 variables and then decide which machine controls need to be adjusted to solve the problems.

A more demanding quality management system for products and services related to medical devices. Setting the bar just a little higher!

Your regulatory compliance and your peace of mind are assured with our industry-leading positive material identification department. People trust Star Rapid when the job absolutely must be right.

There are many advantages to plastic injection molding. These include the ability to make large volumes of parts quickly, high surface quality, many resins to choose from, color flexibility, and durable tooling that can last for years.

All modern injection molding machines have fill rate controls on the control panel. The molder can use these fill rate controls to vary the plastic flow rate. Because flow rate is one of the 4 basic variables in molding it has a major effect on the directional properties and surface finish properties of the molded parts. By controlling the fill rate, the molder can solve molded part defects like jetting and burn marks. Fill rate can also be used to reduce the severity of weldlines.

We make tools and dies from S136H, 2316H, H13 hardened, 2316H, P20, 8407, and NAK80 semi-hardened steels. We offer standard SPI finishes, EDM texturing, and several different types of etched textures. We also have thousands of thermoforming plastics available – contact us for details.

Star Rapid is a world-class provider of advanced plastic injection molding services. We offer a complete manufacturing solution that covers every aspect of raw material verification, tool making, part fabrication, finishing, and final inspection. Our international team of manufacturing experts is committed to providing you with the highest level of professional support for plastic injection molding services of any size or complexity.

Want to learn more about plastic injection molding and why it may be the right choice for your product? Contact our production team here at Star Rapid® for a free project review.

Unless otherwise specified, we comply with the DIN 16742 standard tolerances for injection moldings. Ensuring the highest quality is an important part of our production process. Be sure to read about the visual quality standards guide that we apply to injection molded parts.

After receiving your drawings, our engineers will analyze your custom plastic injection molding parts right away. We actively work with you to clarify all details before providing a quote that is both economical and accurate.

Plastic is very useful in the medical field. Resins are lightweight, non-toxic, inexpensive and can be reused or recycled. Applications include syringes, catheters, dispensers, tubing, and other appliances. For more information about plastic injection molding in the medical field, read our blog post.