Prototype & Pre-Production Molds

A plastic injection molding prototype mold can be very important in the development of a new product, offering a fast, low-cost tooling solution for producing parts for fit and function testing prior to production. Development of prototype molds offers the advantages of testing the molding process and molding with the production material, so any process or material-based design flaws are discovered early on, saving time and money in development. Additionally, prototypes can be created to resemble the finished product design, including color and decoration, for sales and marketing use prior to the availability of production parts.

Plastic Parts, Inc. injection molding prototype mold capabilities include:

  • Quick lead time tooling/rapid prototypes
  • Single-cavity to multi-cavity bases
  • Short-run molds
  • Simple or complex geometrics
  • One cavity pull-up in a multi-cavity base
  • Master Unit Die (MUD) Inserts
  • Aluminum or hard tool steel

We offer traditional CNC machining, FDM, a rapid prototyping additive manufacturing process.

We have access to 3D printing capabilities that include:

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
A method used in-house that extrudes material layer-by-layer to create a prototype. FDM is ideal for producing conceptual and engineering models and functional testing of prototypes.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)
A process whereby laser to sinter powder-based materials together, layer-by-layer, forming a durable, solid prototype model ideal for functional parts in a variety of applications. SLS enables the production of injection molding prototypes with snap fits and living hinges.

Stereolithography (SLA) 
Employs a UV laser and liquid UV-curable photopolymer resin to produce prototypes quickly, one layer at a time. SLA injection molding prototyping is ideal for reviewing the part size, fit and function, and for the development of sales and marketing prototypes.

At Plastic Parts, Inc. we work with our customers to research and develop injection molding prototypes that will make your project a success including achieving the inevitable demands of short development timelines.