We’re excited to announce that we’ve expanded our capabilities in plastic injection molding with the recent addition of two new Babyplast horizontal micro molding machines. This demonstrates our commitment to providing the most agile manufacturing services for customers who need small, precision plastic parts.
Let’s look more closely at the advantages of micro molding and why it might be the right solution for your next injection molding project.
Why Are Parts Getting Smaller?
There is an increasing focus on miniaturized products for niche applications that include medical devices, microfluidic pumps and applicators, sensor housings and other cutting-edge solutions that combine electronics and traditional mechanics on the small scale. This trend is only going to continue with the widespread adoption of drones, wearables and other mobile and IoT products.
Our new Babyplast machines are ideal for parts in the centimeter to millimeter scale. This will be a great help to our customers because using a larger machine for smaller parts represents a waste of excess capacity. This smaller machine operates more efficiently with a lower operating cost, less material waste and a faster cycle time. All this represents a real savings for our clients.
Reduced Tooling Cost
The Babyplast 10/12 has a unique design for the moving and stationary platens. They contain integral bolsters that provide rigid support for small mold tools. This in turn simplifies the construction of those tools, reducing how much they cost and how long it takes to make them compared to larger, more conventional tools.
On average, micro molding tools made from P20 steel are about 40% less expensive than full-sized tools.
Digital Controls
The fully digital control system saves the set-up parameters of 1,000 jobs, making changeovers very quick and foolproof. Also, because the injection cylinder is very compact, it’s easy to clean out material from one job and prepare a different resin for the next with little downtime.
The system is also easily connected to a WLAN to support an integrated smart manufacturing production line for even greater efficiency.
Hot Runners
Single and four-drop hot runner systems are integrated into the machines. How does this help you? Hot runners allow more precise temperature controls for multi-cavity molds, improving part quality as well as reducing cycle times.
Versatility
We like the portability of the Babyplast because it makes optimal use of floor space. A single well-trained operator can manage several machines at one time when using automated ejection and inspection systems. This again saves overhead costs.
Competitive Quotes
At Star, we’re committed to being a leader in lean and intelligent manufacturing. To do this we’ll continue to invest in technology that bring your product ideas to life even faster. If you’re ready to start your next project or if you’d like to find out more about our new micro molding service, contact our team today or simply upload your digital CAD files for a free quotation today.
