1-2 Five factors of injection molding

 In my early career life, I was a mold trial engineer. I arrange the schedule of new molds trial and provide the trial samples to customer for getting production approval in sample build period. After getting the customer's feedback, I will set up a mold modification meeting with mold designer, quality engineer and tooling partner to decide the modification plan.
 I get a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) which is average rounds of new mold trial. I start to think about how do I provide the perfect molded parts as soon as possible?
 In order to get a perfect molded parts, there are four factors that need to be considered carefully as below.

1. Material 材料

  The part's drawing from customer side will be indicated the molded material.
  客戶端的機構工程師通常會定義產品所使用的塑膠原料，在進行製造可行性分析時，要向原料商取得原材料的物性表與射出成形相關的製程參數。和機構工程師討論時要充分了解關鍵的功能與尺寸，確保品質特性有辦法管控。也要把相關的成形資訊提供給模具設計與現場試模人員，模具外型尺寸就可以匹配適當的射出機，現場人員在試模前可以將原材料準備烘烤完成，並且在調整射出參數時可以有建議條件可以參考。

2. Injection molding machine
  在模具設計階段，首先會根據每模次塑膠材料的用量，挑選合適的塑化系統，來得到一個穩定的射出成形製程。產品若有特別的特徵或薄肉厚，對於射出系統可能會有額外的要求。

3. Molding parameters
  合適的射出成形參數可以讓製程穩定，進而得到品質特性可以被控制的射出產品。

4. Mold design
  要獲得完美的射出產品，模具設計扮演非常重要的角色，要考量的重點非常多。包含但是不限於以下項目：模具的強度，零件的壽命，流道系統的分布，水路設計，頂出系統等等。

After I transfer to be a mechanical engineer, I add the fifth factor "Parts design".

5. Parts design
  某些特徵可能難以實現，必須與機構工程師溝通，進行適當的修改，提高製造的可能性以及未來量產的生產穩定性。