Plastic mold design is a critical aspect of producing high-quality plastic model kits for hobbyists. The process involves creating a mold, typically made from metal, which shapes molten plastic into detailed components of model kits. These molds must be highly precise to capture the intricate details that hobbyists expect in scale models of cars, aircraft, buildings, and figures.
Designing a mold for plastic injection molding requires a clear understanding of the part’s shape, thickness, and texture, as well as considerations for the cooling process, material flow, and ejection of the finished part from the mold. Key considerations include the parting line (where the two halves of the mold meet), draft angles (slight angles on surfaces to ease part removal), and gate placement (where the plastic flows into the mold). Mold designers use CAD software such as Creo Parametric to model the part and the mold and conduct simulations to optimize material flow and cooling.
Mold design involves designing both the core and the cavity. The mold core is the part of the mold assembly that shapes the inner details of the part to be produced. It forms the internal surfaces of the final part. It fits inside the cavity and is the part that moves (the male part) to release the molded part once it has solidified. The mold cavity is the counterpart to the core that creates the external shape and surface finish of the final part. It is the section into which the molten material is injected (the stationary female part). When combined, they form the complete mold.
