General Process

aPriori’s plastic molding process model assumes all the following:

• Single part (multiple mold cavities are supported, but each cavity must handle the identical part design)

• Single shot

• Single material

• Single color

• Two or three plate mold

IM supports thermoplastic material only.

Subprocesses and Machine Types

The model also does not support any of the following subprocesses and machine types:

• In-mold labeling

• In-mold assembled components

• Insert molding

• Co-molding

• Over molding

• Stack molding

Material Utilization

The process model assumes the following regarding material utilization:

• Flash is minimized due to the high clamping capabilities of the machines.

• Some setup time is required to test molding. All parts created during mold testing are scrapped, and costs for this scrap are included in the overall cost of the part. See Other Direct Costs.

• During processing, individual part waste is a function of the required volume of runners and the available regrind amount. The percent utilization of the process is also a function of the average utilization of the machine, as well as mold efficiency. Typical utilization is 95%. See Material Utilization for more information.

Additional Limitations

The model

• Does not attempt to estimate the required number of hot drops. You must enter this number manually by using Process Setup Options.

• Does not account for part defects like sink marks, short shots, bubbles, warping, or ejector marks.