“That’s Impossible!” (What to Do When You Hear that from a Plastic Injection Molding Company)
“That’s Impossible!” (What to Do When You Hear that from a Plastic Injection Molding Company)
Are you frustrated because a plastic injection molding company or an injection mold tool builder has told you that your part is “impossible” to make? Maybe they’ve even gone so far as to “no quote” you - not even willing to quote your project because they don’t think it’s something that can be done? Or it’s not worth their time to try and figure it out?
Well, we have some words of encouragement for you: “Impossible” is pretty rare.
Typically, when you’re told a part can’t be made, it’s usually because the part - as it stands at the time of evaluation - isn’t moldable. A part that’s not moldable doesn’t mean it’s “impossible” to mold; it just means that in its current specific design it cannot be produced as desired.
A part can be “not moldable” for a variety of reasons:
The part could create bad steel conditions in the tooling.
It might be an issue of durability - of the part itself or the tool that would produce the part.
The current design may cause issues in the cooling process.
There may be challenges associated with building a tool that will meet the specs of your part.
The size of the press might be prohibitive.
A part may require secondary operations in order to reach the finished design.
It might simply be an issue of budget.
So, what can you do when you have a part that’s “not moldable?”
The most important thing is to focus on the desired functionality of the part and be open to some concessions in the specific design. Oftentimes, making small adjustments to the design can transform something that’s been considered “impossible” into something that is actually quite possible.
In our post “Do you have experience in my industry?” we address the fact that, while knowledge and expertise in a specific field can be beneficial, niche experience can also kill innovation. When you’re told “that’s impossible,” it is probably because that injection molding company hasn’t done it before or maybe they have tried something similar in the past and it didn’t work out.
Instead of saying “that’s impossible,” we choose to say, “let’s see if we can make it work.”
We pride ourselves on our ability to think creatively when we’re faced with a challenge. Our engineers and designers thrive on “the tough projects.” It’s how we push ourselves to be better and provide the best possible solutions for our customers.
Are you working on a project that’s been called “impossible?” Let us have a look.
Let’s start by having a quick conversation. You can contact us today or go ahead and formally request a quote.