This topic has recently come to the surface while I've been thinking and working on one of my electronic projects. To have a piece made, the tooling alone is going to cost around $2000-$4000 which for an entreprenuer is not possible (at least not this one).

I did some searching online and haven't been able to come across anyone who's done the injection themselves. It requires that you have some specialized equipment, i do realize.

Anyone wana share their $0.02?

 

What're you trying to make?

 

have you checked with emachineshop.com yet? I thought they were going to start doing injection molding.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by d@ve.G &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What're you trying to make?</TD></TR></TABLE>
An electronic enclosure

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">have you checked with emachineshop.com yet? I thought they were going to start doing injection molding. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Yea, their tooling is expensive also but more-so the program is just too poor to do what I want to do.

 

what are the given dimensions on this enclosure?

I'd get a block of plastic and mill it out to the dimensions then create a mold out of that? just a thought


Modified by S9i1R at 9:45 PM 10/20/2004

 

i make molds but for everything involved (core cav blocks, plates, pins, and material plus you have to have a press to operate it in$$$$) you would be better off milling out a chunck of plastic
unless your trying to mass produce this part then i might be up for it

 

I'm working on a production piece that will be producted in low quantities.

I think my best bet is probably just going with an off-the-shelf piece after the research I've done. Spending $4000 to only ever make 100 parts is just not in my budjet LOL, especially when that's about 20% of the targeted RETAIL cost of the product. Worse yet I may only ever make 10-20, just depends on demand I guess.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by speedemon &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i make molds but for everything involved (core cav blocks, plates, pins, and material plus you have to have a press to operate it in$$$$) you would be better off milling out a chunck of plastic
unless your trying to mass produce this part then i might be up for it </TD></TR></TABLE>

I would be interested to know more about this. I found a great enclosure but its still a little ancient looking. In order to have a competitive product in the automotive industry it really needs to look "neat."

 

Look into LMB Heeger cases, they have a lot of choices, fairly cheap and they look terrific.
stan

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Stan D &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Look into LMB Heeger cases, they have a lot of choices, fairly cheap and they look terrific.
stan</TD></TR></TABLE>

Awesome, i sure will. Thanks!!

 

I'm looking for something like this:
http://www.lmbheeger.com/catitems/plastic800_1.jpg

Except much much shorter, that one is 4..25" long. I would like something around 2.5" with the same overall design.

I'm going to keep looking, if anyone knows of anything please pass on the URL.

Thanks!

 

have you looked here?

http://www.pactecenclosures.com/

 

If you want a one-off piece maybe you should look into having it rapid-prototyped on an SLA or a 3-D printer. Here are a few.

http://www.thomasregister.com/...Guest

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nonsense &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">have you looked here?

http://www.pactecenclosures.com/</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea they have some really neat handheld enclosures but they won't work for me.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Brandon Clifton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you want a one-off piece maybe you should look into having it rapid-prototyped on an SLA or a 3-D printer. Here are a few.

http://www.thomasregister.com/...Guest</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks, However I am in need of low quantities and they need to be very affordable. I'm thinking around $10 each in quantites of 100, no more than $20 though.

If doing DIY injection molding wasn't a project in and of itself I would definatly pursue it. I need to put it on my list of things to do (very long list might i add)

Thanks everyone