Episode 289: Adrian is joined again by our head of New Product Development, Paul Adams, to explore the complexity of plastic injection mold tooling and what it takes to go from tooling design to mass production of plastic parts. They explore the full journey, from DFM and tool design through trial runs (T0, T1, T2) to final sign-off and mass production. Along the way, they highlight common pitfalls, golden samples, and why rushing into production can be a costly mistake.

You'll love this episode if you’re developing plastic products, as it will help you to avoid surprises and manage expectations in the new product introduction (NPI) process.

(00:00:03) Introduction to episode 289

(00:00:13) Adrian welcomes back Paul Adams

(00:00:35) Today’s topic: plastic injection mold tooling and its complexity

(00:01:11) From DFM to mass production – the journey explained

(00:02:01) Why tooling is expensive and misunderstood

(00:02:48) The role of DFM (Design for Manufacturing) in tooling

(00:05:13) Customer involvement and asking the right questions

(00:05:19) Tooling design: bolster set vs. core and cavity

(00:06:21) Material procurement and standard vs. custom components

(00:09:01) Machining the tool: CNC, EDM, wire cutting, polishing

(00:11:12) Metal safe condition and first fitting

(00:11:59) The T0 trial run explained

(00:13:42) First look at molded parts and making big adjustments

(00:15:09) The T1 trial run with virgin polymer

(00:15:57) Inspection reports and customer sign-off

(00:18:00) Surface texturing between T1 and T2

(00:18:14) T2 trial – final tuning and sign-off preparation

(00:19:02) Phase gates link: tooling to mass production

(00:20:19) Golden samples and color consistency checks

(00:22:02) Why being on the ground in China helps with sign-off

(00:23:23) Limit samples and customer approval process

(00:23:55) The importance of T0–T2 for expectation management

(00:24:58) Why not to rush into mass production

(00:25:02) Links to prototypes and phase gate methodology

(00:26:05) Don’t sign off tooling until everything is consistent

(00:26:59) Moving into mass production and ongoing monitoring

(00:28:28) Tool lifespan and long-term considerations

(00:28:48) Wrapping up: intricacies of tooling complexity

(00:29:16) Sofeast NPI guide and related video resources

(00:30:16) Looking ahead: polymers and material selection

(00:30:45) Closing remarks and call to action

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