08Feb 2021 by sam tilkins
Today’s Micro Molding Challenges, Part 2: Tooling – The Enabler

Today’s Micro Molding Challenges, Part 2: Tooling – The Enabler

Articles, Isometric
Today’s Micro Molding Challenges, Part 2: Tooling - The Enabler Today's Micro Molding Challenges, Part 2 pushes forward the discussion on best practices for micro molding. It is well known that micro mold and micromachining are key to the realization of micro molded components and micro automated assemblies. Both capabilities require tooling and fixtures manufactured to extreme precision and positional accuracy in order to produce micro core pins, micro cavity geometry, and microfluidic surfaces. In Part 1: Tooling—the enabler, published in the February issue of CMM, we address the risk-mitigating criteria in micro mold design, focusing on runner style and gate style. This second installment details other such criteria in relation to gate diameter, parting lines, ejection, and cooling. Mold Design Criteria Gate diameter Figure 1 shows gate diameters of…
Read More
21May 2020 by sam tilkins
Thin-Walled Micro Injection Molding For Devices

Thin-Walled Micro Injection Molding For Devices

Articles, Isometric
Isometric Micro Molding's micromachining of micro molds enables thin-walled micro injection molding in thermoplastic, silicone, and metal.  To mold micro thin-wall devices, polymer selection, ultra-precision tooling, and knowledge of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) is critical. For micro molded devices to be small, compliant, comfortable, and/or flexible, they may require very wall thicknesses as thin as 0.002″ (50 µm). Also necessary is the analysis, tooling, processing, and handling of very thin-walled micro molded components. A growing number of medical and drug delivery devices require extremely thin walls that are consistent, pliable, and strong enough for either single-use or multiple uses over an extended period of time. Thin-walled vessels always accompany a discussion about aspect ratio (how thin and for how long it’s thin). In this article, we will highlight some examples…
Read More
07Nov 2017 by sam tilkins
The Four Legs That Drive MICRO Success

The Four Legs That Drive MICRO Success

Articles, Isometric
The Four Legs That Drive MICRO Success The “four legs” that support Isometric Micro Molding are micro molds, micro injection molding, micro automation, and CT scanning. When a moldmaker serving injection molders of medical parts decided to get into micromolding itself, the first priority was to obtain the right equipment. For Isometric Micro Molding, Inc., New Richmond, WI, that meant buying the right injection machine, using its existing microautomation expertise for post-mold handling and assembly, and obtaining something still quite rare among custom molders—a CT scanner for process validation and in-process inspection. The firm started out in 1990 as Isometric Tool & Design Inc., building molds for producers of medical and drug-delivery components. Its medical OEM customers needed assistance with micro-sized parts, so the firm purchased a building across the street…
Read More
09Feb 2017 by sam tilkins

Proven Process for Extreme Precision Micro Devices and Implants

General, Isometric, News
Isometric Micro Molding is the only micro molding company in the world with 4 in-house key capabilities for successful micro molding: Micro mold building, Micro molding, Micro Automation, and CT Scanning Metrology.  These are the four key factors for controlling quality and delivery for micro molding and assembly success. This blog will cover all four elements over time to help the reader with risk mitigation of micro molding devices. Our first blog series will focus on the micro mold design and build. High volume micro molding requires a specialized and proven process before the first plastic pellet is melted. Plan, plan, plan, execute is key to each micro molding project’s success. Talking about the mold isn’t always a comfort zone for those seeking micro molded plastic parts, however understanding the…
Read More
18Jan 2017 by sam tilkins

Why 100% Vertical Integration is Important for Micro Components and Assemblies

General, Isometric, News
Complete Vertical Integration : ON SITE and IN SIGHT MATTERS. Working with Isometric Micro Molding maximizes quality and reduces risk. Isometric Micro Molding mitigates customer risk by providing excellence in precision by vertical integration and full control of the tooling, molding, assembly, automation, and CT scanning processes- ALL right here on site and in sight. With extremely accurate tolerances, handling a micro part multiple times can accumulate error, cause product damage, and/or contaminate devices and implants.  Many micro molders outsource some portion of a project outside of their company, including the tooling, automation, and metrology.  This creates the risk of not only critical timelines and confidentiality, but it also creates the risk of missing critical datum structures established to provide micron-level component or assembly tolerances. Managing each part of the process in-house allows us to maximize…
Read More