29 November 2019
When manufacturing plastic products via injection moulding, you can use either a single or a multi-cavity mould. What is the difference between the two and how can you choose the best one for your injection moulding project? We will explain all this and more below.
The difference between single-cavity and multi-cavity moulds
A single-cavity mould produces a single product per cycle, while a multi-cavity mould produces more than one product per cycle. At this moment ITB has a thirty-two-cavity mould that produces circa thirty-four million (!) plastic components per year.
What is cavity in moulding?
The sequence of events during the injection mould of a plastic part is called the injection moulding cycle. The cycle begins when the mould closes, followed by the injection of the polymer into the mould cavity. Once the cavity is filled, a holding pressure is maintained to compensate for material shrinkage.
Cycle time
Whether you need a single or a multi-cavity mould depends on the number of products you want to produce within a certain timeframe, and the cost advantage. If your product has a cycle time of one minute, you will never be able to produce one million products a year with a single cavity mould by injection moulding. After all, there are only 525.600 minutes in a year. On top of that, it takes time to optimally set up the injection moulding process. We also calculate time to conduct preventative maintenance to the mould. If your goal is to produce a million products per year, you will need a multi-cavity mould, e.g. a four- or eight-cavity mould. ITB's experts can help you make the right choice.