Question QUESTION: Hi. I am currently a student at the OU.I am doing some research on best suitable manufacturing techniques for various products. I am having difficulty with 2 products - 1 is the plastic casing for a digital camera but only a prototype (only 10 copies needed). The other is for the same product but for mass production. Could you please advise on the manufacturing processes that would be used to make these products.
Thank you kindly.
ANSWER: Plastc casings and boxes are molded out of ABS, SAN, PC, PS,HIP and a number of other new generation thermoplastics. Closed die molding of plastics requires high pressure injection of these plastics in molten condition. Open mold casting of plastics is not possible unlike metal foundry practice. For this injection molding, you have to first make a mold in MS perhaps without engraved or patterned interiors for small trial runs and a high precision alloy steel mold - with single or multiple cavities -complete with engravings of name, number, pattern etc for bulk production.
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QUESTION: Thank you very much, that is very helpful.
could you please just elaborate for me what the MS stands for in MS mould.
Thanks again.
Answer MS stands for Mild Steel. Molds for high pressure injection molding must be sturdy, hardenable, machinable to precise dimensions and take good polish. For bulk production of plastic articles, these molds are made in costly alloy steel. However, for trial production or for prototype molding of a few pieces, MS is sufficient and cheaper.
