Project Introduction
I worked through the mass-manufacturing process of injection molding, from part design to mold machining and final assembly.
Problem Statement
- Design a desired part (Patrick!).
- Design and machine molds for cores and cavities.
- Inject and assemble the part.
Design of Mold Cavities
- Avoid overhangs for ease of production.
- Use draft/taper to aid ejection.
- Fit a standard block of machinable aluminum.
Computer Aided Manufacturing
- 3-Axis CNC milling.
- Decrease tool size with each pass.
- Use roughing and finishing passes with each tool.
Injection Molding
- PLA plastic pellets.
- Calculate shot-load based on object dimensions (≈200 g).
- Use ejector pins to unseat the part from the mold.
