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Have a project that requires two different colored button areas(TPE) to be molded into a housing(ABS.) We do not have multi-shot molding capability. Is it possible to mold the two buttons and mold over them with the ABS? I'm not sure that I have ever heard of doing it this way.
I've only ever done it the other way. Is there no way to overmold the buttons into the housing? I would be worried about the ABS deforming the softer TPE.
this will not work as the nikom writes.
overmold ABS than TPE on it is not a right way.
but generally how you want to do that? inject XXX thousends buttons than change material and insert it into changed tool for overmold?
I would count hardly the economy of this solution. Guessing it will pay you the new 2k machine twice!
J.
First off you should mold the abs and then over mold. Secondly you can purchase an add on injection unit from numerous companies now days. Most of them are available in all electric platforms for better repeatability, precision and costs savings. You can mount them in about any location you can imagine. Now you have flexibility for future work and can relocate the unit to other machines if designed that way.
Thirdly you should probably use a rotating plate either in the mold or machine. These too can be purchased from various suppliers. I wouldn’t recommend transfer over molding (robot moving them from one section of the mold to another) due to trying to hold the substrate in the EOAT and tool. Though you might could use core movement to make the parts, depending on the part geometry.
Rick.
Thank you all. We decided that with the relative low volume and our inexperience it would be better to outsource this component. It's one of many parts for an assembly. The assembly is the true value add with most all of our products. Our shoot and ship parts constitute less than 5% of our skews.