Ricky ;
I've been watching the responses on the RP-ML to you inquiry and I'm
supprised no one suggested to you 3D Keltool. At my facility we do cavities
for things like small toys and gadgets literally by the thousands. Alot of
these toys have intricate detail as well as undercuts all over the place. We
have found 3D Keltool to give better replication than any other process
available today (even deadly beyliium copper). We work with either hand
carved or CAD generated masters. If you have the actual piece you would like
duplicated into an injection mold it is no problem to do. The only setback is
the 3D Keltool process has a shrinkage of .006 per inch. This means if your
original piece was 1 inches across. The 3D Keltool cavity will be .994. This
is not considering the plastic shrinkage either. If your final part is molded
in ABS which has a shrink of .006 per inch. The final molded part will
measure about 988. If this is not a problem we can probably cast your
cavities without you having to go through the frustration and expense of
redrawing everything in CAD. The cost if the cav and core blocks are about
2x2x1 inches would be $500 each for the cavity and core. The amount of
complexity doesn't change the price (the more complex the better). If we have
to generate the parting lines it will cost about $150 extra if a flat parting
line, or $300 if complex. Delivery is about 10 days. If there are undercuts
in the part this is no problem for the 3D keltool however if they are severe
you will only be able to mold softer plastics in the mold once its done.
Otherwise the parts won't come out of the mold. You might be able to still
mold your part even with the undercuts if you float the center section of the
mold (where the medalian goes). We would have to look at the part to give any
real answers.
We have 9 moldshops in USA and Sweden but unfortunatly they are all
totally booked up and we wouldn't be able to build a mold for you at this
time. But we certainly could supply the 3D Keltool cavities to you. You could
have your local neighborhood tool shop fit it into a moldbase. This normally
takes about 20-30 hours of labour drilling the ejector pin holes and EDMing
the parting lines and such. Actually we are in the process of buying another
small 12 man mold shop right near you ( in Texas). If things go well in a
couple months we could possibly send you there.
Good Luck
Bob Morton
Fusion Engineering
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