Injection Molding Challenges
 Advanced plastic compounds present special challenges to the mold designer. New formulations include caustic precipitates, acidic gas that eats away at mold vents, and highly abrasive additives that increase mold wear and prevent smooth part release. Thinner profit margins necessitate that production lines be run at high output rates — often around the clock. Setup and tool changes can eat up the better part of a day, reducing output to zero. Therefore, tool failure is costly in both dollars and lost time.
Uncoated injection mold components can fail after only a short run. Ordinary coatings can help, but sometimes don't make the grade. Fibrous additives add significant strength to finished products, but are abrasive and very hard on molds, thus shortening productive life. In addition, any deterioration in surface finish can have a devastating effect on release characteristics, causing slowdowns.
The moldmaker's challenge is to maintain the quality of precise, well-finished, and uniform parts throughout a production run. FortiPhy coating by Phygen significantly increases corrosion resistance to ensure maximum life, and reduces friction to keep high-output injection molds running smoothly at peak production rates.
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