A: Because structural foam is a lower pressure process we make tools out of aluminum. A: Our most popular material is recycled high density polyethylene. Other popular materials are polypropylene, ABS, Styrene. A: Suggested nominal wall section is .250 inches. Parts can be made with thicker wall sections but this increases cycle time and adds to the cost. A: .180 inches is about as thin as you can make while still maintaining a cellular core. A: Yes, structural foam materials can include flame retardant properties that meet various flammability specifications. A: Yes, if your product requires a more attractive and finished appearance the structural foam components can be painted. Learn more about the part painting process and finishing options here. A: Generally 12-16 weeks after the CAD models are complete and the PO has been issued. A: Our largest machine can hold a tool up to 107 X 161 in size. A: Our smallest machine is 350 tons. A: Recycled material is black. Virgin material can be just about any color you wish. A: Impossible to answer without seeing your part design but suffice it to say that tools of this size and complexity are usually many 10s of thousands of dollars. A: Anywhere between 2x and 5x the material cost. A: About 3 weeks. A: A well built structural foam tool will produce millions of parts. A: 100 pieces. A: Yes, however the difference in thermal expansion between the insert and the structural foam plastic material can cause issues with the heating and cooling cycle. A: Most often they are pad printed, painted or hot stamped. A: In similar fashion as typical thermoplastics, structural foam parts made out of the correct materials can be glued together. A: Yes, you can drive screws directly into the structural foam panel or insert threaded fasteners. A: We will request quotes from several highly qualified tool makers. From those bids we select the best candidate to build your tools. The price of the tools are not marked up. We send them as a straight pass through. A: No, we are unable to build the type of tools required for structural foam in China. A: Gas assist uses gas channels while structural foam molding uses a gas blowing agent. We sometimes will use both processes in the same part. A: RIM molding is a chemical reaction where two different materials are combined to create a third material after molding. RIM is a very low pressure molding operation and the tools are much simpler than those used for structural foam molding. Structural foam is thermoplastic before, during and after the molding process. A: Structural foam molding is the cousin of injection molding. The major difference is how the molds are filled. Structural foam uses inert gas pressure to fill the tools while injection molding uses hydraulic or electric machine pressure.Structural Foam Molding FAQs
Q: The tools are made from what materials?
Q: What materials do you mold?
Q: How thick of a part can you make?
Q: How thin of a part can you make?
Q: Can you get a flame retardant material for the molding?
Q: Can the parts be painted?
Q: How long does it take to build the tools?
Q: How big of a part can you make?
Q: How small of a part can you make?
Q: What color is the material?
Q: How much does a tool cost?
Q: How much does a part cost?
Q: How long does it take to get a quote?
Q: How long does a structural foam tool last?
Q: What is your minimum order?
Q: Can you insert mold steel bars or other reinforcements into structural foam parts?
Q: Can the parts be printed with logos or identifying information?
Q: Can SF parts be glued together?
Q: Can structural foam parts be screwed together?
Q: Who builds the tools?
Q: Do you build tools in China?
Q: What is gas assist and how is that different than structural foam?
Q: What is RIM molding and how is that different than SF molding?
Q: What is injection molding and how is that different than SF molding?
Call on Miles Products and 20/20 today for smart solutions and American-made large structural foam and gas assist plastics.