Tool Building Design Assistance
Benefit From Custom Tooling Solutions
Our strategic tooling partners use CREO software to design tools that produce parts to your exact specifications. With deep experience across a number of industries, we’re able to manufacture high quality tooling optimized for specific market uses. We guarantee that the mold you contract with us to build will produce parts that meet your design specifications.
When designing a tool, we consider a variety of factors, including the number of shots, the specified resin, the projected mold life, and other critical factors. We then build the molds with steel tolerances of +/- 0.003″ or 0.075mm.
We offer the following tooling services.
- Full New Tool Program Management: Covers the complete tool development cycle from tooling concept through the finished manufacture and trial of the production tool.
- Satisfaction Guarantee: We guarantee that you’ll receive molded parts that meet your quoted design specifications for either new mold builds or major mold refurbishments.
- Major Mold Refurbishments: We can fix your ‘problem’ molds so they can produce parts that meet your specifications. We can also modify existing tooling to accomplish design changes that may occur after your product launch.
- Mold Cleaning, Service, and Maintenance: We perform scheduled maintenance on molds to ensure continuous optimal performance.
- Mold Transfers: We can quickly get your molds into production making quality parts whether you are moving them from another domestic plastics shop or is part of your reshoring process.
Request a Free Consultation
Learn With EnTech
A component fails in the field. A part is cracked or warped and now an expensive recall is in place. When investigated, the design was correct, the molding was properly done, dimensional integrity was in check, and the surface finish was fine. What happened? Improper material selection. Commodity-grade plastics (your standard polypropylenes, polyethylenes and general-purpose Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) are workhorses for the right applications. But when a component faces aggressive chemistry, sustained heat, mechanical fatigue or UV exposure, commodity resins reach their limits fast. That’s where high-performance engineered resins come in. And that’s where engineered resin selection becomes an essential engineering discipline. Choosing the right engineered resin for industrial applications is vital to success in the field. Start With an Environmental Exposure Profile What does this part actually have to do? Think about the entire lifespan and scenarios that aren’t common, but could still occur. Map exposures through the following five categories: Thermal, Chemical, Mechanical, Environmental and Regulatory. Thermal . Think about temperatures and how frequently does the part thermal cycle? Chemical. Cleaning agents, coolants, maintenance fluids? What chemicals could come in contact with the part? Mechanical. What type of loading is the part under? Static, dynamic, impact? Where are stress concentrations? Environmental. Is the part outside? Will it be in extreme heat and humidity? UV? Regulatory. Are there flame ratings (UL94), FDA compliance requirements or industry certifications that constrain the material field? This is the process that results in a confident engineered resin selection rather than a resin selection based on guesswork. Prioritize Competing Requirements No engineered resin is going to be the clear favorite for all of the competing requirements a component may have, but with knowledge and analysis, you will still be able to make an informed selection. Let’s review some of the most common competing requirements engineers face in extreme industrial applications. Chemical resistance vs. impact strength. Highly chemically resistant resins like Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) deliver exceptional resistance to a broad array of fuels, oils, solvents, acids, and bases in operating environments up to 200°C, but they can be brittle without impact modification. Understanding which failure mode is most consequential drives the balance. Heat resistance vs. processability. (Polyether ether ketone) PEEK’s continuous use temperature ceiling is unmatched in the thermoplastic world, but it demands elevated barrel temperatures, precise mold temperature control and processing expertise that not every molder can deliver. Dimensional stability vs. moisture absorption. Nylons offer outstanding mechanical properties and wear resistance, but they absorb moisture, which affects tolerances. In precision applications or humid environments, Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) or (Polyoxymethylene) (POM) may be the more reliable choice. Flame retardancy vs. mechanical performance. Flame retardant (FR) additives can reduce impact resistance and affect surface aesthetics. A UL94 V-0 requirement (the most stringent vertical flammability rating for plastics) may eliminate certain resin families outright. Rank requirements by consequence of failure. If the failure causes issues like a regulatory violation or a line shutdown, this is the most important consideration. Everything else is optimized around it. Match the Resin to the Scenario Now that you’ve built your exposure profiles and ranked your requirements, let’s take a look at some common industrial scenarios and develop a decision path for each. Chemical Processing Equipment : Custom injection molded equipment such as pump housings/casings, reactors, valve bodies, fluid manifolds, etc. Ask yourself chemical related questions. What will the part come into contact with? What are the continuous and peak operating temperatures? Is steam cleaning or autoclave exposure involved? Is mechanical load significant enough to require glass fill? Determine the best candidates for the job. PPS for the chemical resistance and flame retardancy. PEEK where the most severe chemical and thermal demands intersect. PSU where hydrolytic stability and steam resistance are the governing requirements. Outdoor Industrial Equipment: Agricultural machinery, injection molded trucking components, utility enclosures and other industrial plastic components. Ask yourself about UV and weathering exposure. Think about the impact of cold weather. What fluid exposures (fuels, hydraulic fluid, lubricants) are present? Do tight tolerances make moisture absorption a dimensional risk? Determine the best candidates for the job. UV-stabilized or glass-filled nylon for structural mechanical components. PBT where moisture sensitivity and chemical resistance matter. POM for precision mechanical parts requiring low friction and fatigue resistance. PC/ABS for enclosures requiring impact performance and dimensional stability. High-Temperature Machinery: Engine bay components, heated process equipment, thermal management housings, etc. Ask yourself what is the required continuous service temperature? Is thermal cycling a significant factor? Do chemical and thermal demands combine in a way that narrows the field to the high-temperature injection molding resins tier? Determine your most likely candidates. PEI (Ultem) for continuous use to approximately 170°C with strong dimensional stability and inherent flame retardancy. PPS for applications requiring both elevated temperature resistance and broad chemical resistance up to approximately 220°C. PEEK for the most demanding tier. Filled and Reinforced Grades Selecting a resin family is only the first decision. Selecting the right grade within that family matters just as much. Glass-filled nylon injection molding and other filled engineered resins, including mineral and carbon fiber reinforced grades, significantly improve stiffness, tensile strength and dimensional stability at temperature. Impact modifiers can address brittleness in otherwise high-performing resins like PPS. Abrasive fillers like glass and carbon fiber accelerate tool wear and may require hardened steel or specialized coatings. The Molder Is Part of the Material Decision Once you have the right resin, you have to think about the actual process that resin is about to undergo. At EnTech, resin selection is part of the engineering conversation from the very beginning. We’ve performed resin evaluations and substitutions that resolved chronic field failures, helped customers navigate material trade-offs they hadn’t fully mapped and processed some of the most demanding thermoplastics in commercial use. The resin and the process are equally part of the solution. Map the environment. Rank the requirements by consequence of failure. Narrow to the resin families that address the governing criteria. Validate against your specific scenario and do it with a custom injection molding partner who understands that material selection and process engineering are the same conversation. Ready to work through your material selection challenge? Contact EnTech's engineering team for a free consultation .
This blog provides a practical breakdown of key resin characteristics and the applications where they matter most.
When your design calls for large plastic parts with varying wall thicknesses or complex internal geometries, conventional injection molding often hits its limits. Sink marks appear on thick sections. Warpage compromises dimensional accuracy. Tooling costs skyrocket as you increase tonnage to fill massive cavities. This is precisely where gas assist injection molding technology changes the equation. How Gas Assist Technology Works Gas assist injection molding introduces pressurized nitrogen gas into the mold cavity during the injection cycle. As molten plastic fills the tool, the gas creates hollow channels within thicker sections, pushing the material outward against the mold walls. This process eliminates the heavy core that would otherwise exist in solid parts, while maintaining structural integrity and surface quality. The result? Parts that weigh significantly less, require lower clamping pressures, and exhibit superior aesthetics, all while using the same thermoplastic resins you’d specify for conventional molding. Engineering Advantages for Complex Geometries Gas assist technology excels at solving problems that plague large, complex parts. Consider a structural component with ribs, bosses, and varying wall sections. Conventional injection molding would likely produce visible sink marks in the thick sections of the part. Gas Assist Injection Molding eliminates this issue because the gas channel removes resin in the center of the thick sections so that the wall thickness in the thick sections are similar to the wall sections in the thin sections. We've produced everything from heavy-duty industrial equipment housings to ergonomic medical device enclosures using this process. The technology particularly shines in applications requiring: Tubular or hollow cross-sections without the need for slides or complex tooling actions Components combining structural rigidity with weight reduction, critical in transportation and material handling applications Class A surface finishes on large visible components where aesthetics matter Cost Benefits Beyond the Part The economic advantages of gas assist extend well beyond material savings. Because the gas core reduces the volume of plastic required and lowers the clamping force needed, you can often mold larger parts on smaller, less expensive presses. A part that might require a 1,000-ton machine with conventional molding could potentially run on a 500-ton press with gas assist. Cycle times frequently improve, as well. The gas channels facilitate more efficient cooling in thick sections, reducing the time parts spend in the tool. For low to mid-volume production runs, where tooling amortization significantly impacts piece price, these efficiencies compound into substantial cost reductions. Tool construction costs may decrease, too. Complex parts that would require multiple slides, lifters, or loose cores can sometimes be simplified when gas channels replace solid features. This streamlined approach to tooling means faster builds and fewer potential failure points over the tool’s lifespan. Design Considerations for Success Gas assist molding isn’t a universal solution, but it’s remarkably versatile when applied thoughtfully. Successful implementation requires close collaboration between part designers and molding engineers from the earliest stages. Wall thickness ratios matter significantly. The technology works best when gas channels can form in sections at least 1.5 to 2 times thicker than adjacent walls. Gas penetration length, channel diameter, and injection timing all require precise engineering to achieve optimal results. Resin selection plays a crucial role, as well. While most thermoplastics are compatible with gas assist, engineered resins like glass-filled nylons, polycarbonates, and ABS deliver exceptional performance in structural applications. Material flow characteristics influence how uniformly the gas penetrates and how consistently hollow channels form. Making the Technology Work for Your Application At EnTech Plastics, we approach gas assist projects with the same engineering rigor we apply across all our advanced molding processes. Our team evaluates each design for gas assist feasibility during the quoting phase, identifying opportunities to optimize part geometry, reduce weight, and improve manufacturability. Whether you're developing a next-generation industrial component or refining an existing design for better performance and lower cost, gas assist injection molding might be the solution that transforms complexity from a constraint into a competitive advantage. Ready to explore whether gas assist technology fits your application? Contact our engineering team to discuss your specific requirements and discover how advanced injection molding processes can bring your most challenging designs to life.