This MoldMan Systems™ FAQs section is designed to answer common questions about low pressure molding, application engineering and prototyping, and mold sets.
Yes, we can over-mold a populated circuit-board without damaging boards/components or reflowing solder. Tests show that material injected at 210°C (410°F) typically will cool down to less than 135°C (275°F) by the time it reaches the board.
No, not if proper design guidelines are followed. (Uneven encapsulation, such as a very thick material section on one side of a PCB with a thin layer on the other, could result in warping).
Shrinkage ranges from 1.5% to 2.0% for the different Technomelt materials.
Ensuring that the mold set is vented correctly and optimizing the injection profile is the key to avoiding air bubbles. Densely populated circuit-boards may require several steps in the injection profile to avoid any “shadow effects” behind components. MoldMan Systems™ will typically start by optimizing molding parameters with translucent materials to detect if voids occur, and then change to black materials for production.
Yes, many types of batteries have been successfully over-molded with Technomelt. However, simple prototype over-molding for is recommended before starting full-scale production.
Technomelt® adheres well to most substrates including PVC wires and PCBs. However, we always recommend to perform adhesion testing to your specific substrates so that we can recommend the best solution.
When true strain relief is needed especially for sensitive cables/applications such as Cat 6 patch cords and RJ-connectors, the Technomelt® materials are superior.
Over-molded components will typically meet or exceed IP 67. This means they are dust tight and protected against the effects of immersion. The selection of Technomelt® material grade is critical as there are different degrees of water resistance.
We use Technomelt® high performance polyamide and polyolefin adhesives. They are thermoplastic materials that solidify simply by cooling down. They do not cross-link or release any toxic fumes. These molding materials offer strong adhesive properties and they are designed specifically for insert molding of electronics.
We often replace epoxy potting of electronics. Low pressure molding is a faster and more efficient process. With LPM we can “sky line” the molding material around your product. This gives us a shorter cycle time and saves raw material at the same time. It also eliminates the housing otherwise needed to contain the potting material. Our polyamide molding material simply “becomes the housing”. Low injection pressure allows us to gently mold around fragile components. This technology offers a good solution when standard high injection pressure causes high scrap rates.
Shrinkage varies during injection and can usually be controlled by packing the mold correctly to compensate for thermal contraction during the molding cycle. The shrinkage rate 24 hours after injection is 1.5% to 2.0%, depending on the grade of material.
Standard polyamide materials are supplied in amber and black. For high volume applications, we can offer custom colors.
Yes, we offer input for new applications to make sure that we find the best product solution.
Yes, we typically mold prototype components as a first step. Our goal is to build prototype components that are very similar to what an actual production component would look like. In this way, it can be used for testing purposes as well as presenting it to your customer.
We typically use 7075 Aluminum as it is well suited for mold set manufacturing. Aluminum offers excellent heat transfer (i.e. short cycle times) and it tends to give you better looking products. If components to be over-molded has steel or other hard components, we will add steel inserts in this area of the cavity. This is generally required when molding connectors.
The Technomelt® molding material has strong adhesive properties and sticks to the most surfaces. We typically use a mold release agent.
Typical lead time for production molds is 6 to 8 weeks.
Multi-cavity molds are normally used for production molding.
Have a question you don’t see here? Feel free to contact us for more information.