Small-scale production means the manufacture of plastic products (all kinds of parts, spare parts, devices, housings):
- by the piece – by using 3D printing – piece production is practiced up to 20 units products;
- small batch – by vacuum casting in silicone molds – from 20 to 1000 units of products.
The cost of small-scale production of plastic products depends on:
- complexity of products;
- required circulation;
- product quality requirements;
- terms of project implementation.
ADVANTAGES OF SMALL BATCH PRODUCTION:
- Rapidity – in a short period of time, you can create several tens or hundreds of products;
- Visibility – the created prototype allows not only evaluating the project in reality, but also testing it.
- Demonstrativeness – With the help of a ready-made prototype, consumer surveys (focus groups) become more effective and reliable.
- Choice – due to the speed of production prototype , you can change and choose different materials or prototyping methods.
Stages of the production of plastic parts using vacuum casting in silicone molds:
- Preparation of a product sample – a finished prototype. If you do not have a prototype, then you must first create its 3D model, and then print it on a 3D printer.
IMPORTANT! Some customers give as a prototype a finished product that they want to replicate, but remember that there is always a risk of damage and rejection. Therefore, we recommend using a technical prototype.
Also note that if you do not apply a protective layer to the prototype, then only one reverse silicone mold can be made with it.
- Silicone mold making. On the basis of a technical prototype, a silicone inverse mold for casting is created.
We use only high-quality silicone for the manufacture of reverse silicone molds, which in the future allows us to cast the maximum number of products without defects and defects. - Casting … The plastic heated to a certain temperature is poured into a silicone mold, where, under the influence of vacuum, it is evenly distributed and completely repeats its shape. The vacuum environment also removes gas and air bubbles from the heated polymer that may form during the mixing of the components. The minimum thickness of plastic products made by vacuum casting is 0.1 mm. After the plastic has frozen, the finished product is removed from the mold and it is ready to pour a new portion of plastic.
PIECE SMALL BATCH PRODUCTION BY 3D PRINTING
Stages of the production of plastic products using 3D printing
- Development of a 3D model of a product using special programs.
- Launch of 3D printing.
- Post-processing (sanding, removal of support structures, etc.)
The whole process takes from several days to several weeks, depending on the complexity of the device. Manufacturing of plastic products using modern technologies of small-scale production guarantees products of high quality, accuracy and beautiful design, and, moreover, does not require significant financial investments.
Individual and small-scale production of plastic products at the company KLONA – it is fast, high quality and reliable!
