Low Volume Plastic Injection Molding Services

Increase Product Development Efficiency with Low Volume Injection Molding Services

With more than four decades of experience in injection molding services, we have developed an efficient manufacturing operation supported by skilled personnel and advanced equipment. Our broad range of tooling and molding capabilities allows us to support everything from prototype development to production runs.

Our custom injection molding and custom plastic injection molding capabilities are ideal for customers who require flexibility, speed, and precision. Through our High Mix Low Volume (HMLV) approach, we can accommodate a wide variety of products, tooling requirements, and order quantities.

We understand that our clients may have different production requirements from high to low at any given time. No matter what sector you belong to or what your volume or mix requirements, we’re committed to fulfilling all your requirements in-house, from the design to production tooling and manufacturing. Here is the number of ways you can enjoy the flexibility of low-volume injection molding:

1. High Variety - With our high mix, low volume you can opt for a high variety of products in small quantities.
2. Time Efficiencies - Low Volume production leads to faster production throughput, which can help save significant time.
3. Design Flexibility - Injection molding prototypes are faster to build with low volume injection molding, allowing you to make design changes faster and without incurring heavy expenses.

What Is Prototype Injection Molding?

Prototype injection molding is a type of low-volume injection molding that is used to quickly produce functional plastic parts for testing, validation, and design refinement. A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a final product.

Through the use of prototype injection mold tooling, our team of engineers can assess and validate the design, functionality, and manufacturability of your product during its development phase. Injection molding aluminum tooling created with CNC machining is ideal for small-volume injection molding because it heats and cools faster than steel molds. This reduces the standard lead time for small quantity injection molding so rapid prototyping is more efficient.

Why Is Low Volume Injection Molding Used?

Companies choose low volume injection molding for several reasons:

1. To produce small quantities of plastic parts for product testing and evaluation
2. To accelerate product development and shorten lead times
3. To create a prototype before scaling to higher volumes.
4. To reduce upfront tooling investment while maintaining part quality.

Injection molding prototypes are faster to build with low-volume injection molding, allowing you to make design changes faster and without incurring heavy expenses.

What Are The 4 Stages Of Injection Molding?

Low-volume injection molding is a four-step process:

1. Clamping
2. Injection
3. Cooling
4. Ejection

Each step in the Low-Volume injection molding process is important in order to create high-quality parts. For automotive injection molding and Low-Volume injection molding, it is important to have a reliable and experienced partner who can help you through each step.

What Is The Process Of Low Volume Injection Molding?

First, the plastic is clamped inside the injection molding machine. Second, the molten plastic flows through the mold and fills all of the spaces inside. Once the plastic has cooled and solidified, the mold is opened and the part is ejected. Finally, excess material (flash) is trimmed from the part.

Why Is Injection Molding The Best Choice For Low Volume Plastic Parts?

Injection molding is the most common manufacturing process for low-volume plastic parts because it offers a number of advantages:

1. It is very precise and can produce high-quality parts.
2. It is economical for low quantities.
3. The parts are robust and can withstand high temperatures and pressures.
4. Flash can be easily trimmed from the parts.

What Is Insert Molding?

Insert molding is a specialized custom injection molding process that incorporates a pre-positioned metal or composite insert into the mold before plastic is injected. The molten plastic surrounds the insert, creating a single integrated component with enhanced strength, conductivity, or functionality.

This process is commonly used when custom plastic injection molding projects require screws, pins, clips, or other embedded hardware.

What is Overmolding?

Overmolding or two-shot molding is a manufacturing procedure that encompasses the injection of multiple distinct materials into a singular mold. In the process of overmolding, a substrate, which can be either pre-molded or machined, is inserted into a mold.

Subsequently, a different material is injected into the mold, forming an encapsulated bond with the substrate. The primary objective of overmolding is to produce a unified component composed of multiple materials, each possessing distinct properties.

Overmolding enables the creation of intricate components using various materials in a single manufacturing cycle, thereby streamlining assembly and enhancing product dependability. Nevertheless, it is crucial to carefully assess material compatibility during the overmolding process, as successful bonding between the two materials is imperative.

Benefits of High Mix Low Volume Manufacturing

High Mix Low Volume manufacturing allows companies to produce a wide variety of products in smaller quantities while maintaining flexibility and responsiveness.

Our HMLV plastic injection molding services help customers:

RCO Engineering serves as your partner from concept through manufacturing, delivering custom injection molding, tooling expertise, and high quality parts backed by advanced technology and experienced personnel.

Quality Certifications

We are a low-volume injection molding company with ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certification . We also carry numerous industry-specific quality and testing certifications.

What is AS9100D?

AS9100D is a quality management standard specifically developed for the aerospace, aviation, and defense industries. It is based on ISO 9001:2015 but includes additional requirements tailored to the complex, high-stakes needs of aerospace and defense manufacturing. It focuses on areas such as product safety, counterfeit part prevention, and risk management.

What is ISO 9001:2015?

ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognized quality management standard that applies to any organization, regardless of size or industry. It provides a framework for consistently meeting customer and regulatory requirements while fostering continuous improvement. Its key principles include customer focus, leadership, process approach, and evidence-based decision-making.

Comparison of AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015

Application to Injection Molding Production

ISO 9001:2015 ensures consistent product quality in injection molding by standardizing processes and promoting continuous improvement to reduce waste and enhance efficiency. It emphasizes customer satisfaction, which is crucial for maintaining long-term client relationships.

AS9100D, on the other hand, applies specifically to aerospace and defense applications of injection molding. It mandates strict traceability of materials to ensure compliance with rigorous aerospace standards. Additionally, it requires thorough testing and validation to meet safety-critical requirements, along with detailed risk management processes such as failure analysis and mitigation. AS9100D also enforces measures to prevent counterfeit materials and parts, which is vital in high-stakes industries like aerospace and defense.

Both standards are valuable, but AS9100D is essential for aerospace and defense industries, whereas ISO 9001:2015 suffices for general manufacturing

• IATF

  16949:2016

• AS9100D with

  ISO9001:2015