Articles
Articles
Long-form writing on molding, tooling, cost, and sourcing. Each one is a working note rather than a summary, written for the engineer who has to make the decision.
01
Injection molding
01
How injection molding works
An introduction to injection molding: how the process works step by step, common defects and their causes, the plastics in common use, and where it is applied.
1,330 words
02
Injection mold explained, with components
What an injection mold is made of: clamp plates, cavity and core, runner and gate, ejection system, cooling circuit, and the actions that make undercuts possible.
824 words
03
Why mold design matters
Mold design decides part cost, cycle time, cosmetic quality, and how expensive a later change will be. What gets locked in before any steel is cut.
704 words
04
Types of runner in a mold
Cold, hot, and insulated runner systems compared for injection molding, with the advantages and disadvantages of each, plus the runner shapes used.
1,019 words
05
Avoiding common molding defects
The seven defects that account for most molding rejects, what causes each one, and whether the fix belongs in the design, the tool, or the process.
743 words
06
What drives molded part cost
How an injection molded part is priced: tooling amortisation, material, cycle time, cavitation, and secondary operations, with the levers that actually move the number.
721 words
02
Sourcing and production models
07
On-demand injection molding
What on-demand molding means in practice: your tool held ready, parts produced against call-off, no minimum order quantity, and no inventory to carry.
663 words
08
Cleanroom injection molding
What cleanroom molding involves, how ISO 14644 classes are defined, when a device actually requires one, and what it changes about cost and process.
649 words
09
Manufacturing for hardware startups
How hardware startups should sequence manufacturing: prototype, bridge, and production, with the decisions that most often cost early-stage teams money.
636 words
10
Diversifying away from China
Why companies are diversifying manufacturing away from a single country, what the realistic alternatives are, and how to evaluate a new supply base.
617 words
03
Operations and technology
11
The impact of IoT on manufacturing
What connected sensors change on a manufacturing floor: machine monitoring, process data, predictive maintenance, traceability, and where the value actually is.
584 words
12
Digital data and AI in manufacturing
Where data and machine learning genuinely help in manufacturing operations: quoting, DFM screening, quality inspection, scheduling, and demand planning.
662 words
Looking for something more specific?
The process guides cover design rules, tolerances, and finishes end to end for molding, machining, printing, and sheet metal.
The materials library gives properties, grades, and design notes for the 25 materials we work in most often.
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