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Due to its ability to quickly produce a large number of identical parts from a single mold without sacrificing quality, plastic injection molding is one of the most widely used manufacturing techniques in the world.

The main disadvantage is the time and cost required to design and produce the steel mold used in production. Even though these costs are not significant over the course of a long production run, they can be significant for short runs, so customizing procedures for short runs can be equally as valuable.

Injection molding short production runs are what they sound like.

As standard injection molding production runs range from hundreds of thousands to millions of pieces, the mold creation time and cost are insignificant compared to the value they deliver. Typically, short runs consist of tens of thousands, if not hundreds, of components. For these short batches, cheaper molds, such as aluminum or steel of lesser quality, are typically used, lowering costs. Molds such as these generate high-quality results, but they can only be used for a limited number of products.

The advantages of short-run production are numerous.

There are several benefits to shorter production runs over longer batches, including:

  • Shortened lead times
  • Making workable prototypes that could require less finishing than 3D-printed parts
  • Enabling smaller-budget projects and extending injection molding to a wider range of clients
  • Enabling customer alterations and modifications without the financial commitment of a large production run

Injection Molding on the Go

Small run injection molding can be used by both large and small businesses, such as:

Producing enough for evaluation before committing to a full run There are times when 3D printing isn’t a good prototype method

With years of experience in full-service custom injection molding, Preferred Tool can accommodate both large and small customers. We provide a full range of in-house capabilities. For more information, contact us today.