HTI Plastics has over 30 years of experience in the injection molding industry. If your current injection molder is not meeting your expectations, you need to find a company that will. At HTI Plastics, our team of experienced engineers and toolmakers will help you during the injection molding tool transfer program process by making it easier and with speed to eliminate prolonged supply chain disruptions.

Benefits of an injection molding tool transfer

Transferring a tool can be an opportunity to reconsider the competencies and requirements that are important for your company and your products. The transfer process is also an opportunity for you to learn about additional services or new technological advances that your current molder might not offer.

The cons of an injection molding tool transfer?

·         Finding a new injection molding company that might be the right fit for your production needs. 

·         Shipping costs for transferring your tool if the new injection molding company is in a different state.

·         Collecting all necessary documentation about your tool for you to share with the new injection molder.

Best practices for injection molding tool transfers

·         Plan your production and transfer time adequately to ensure you have enough product inventory during the transfer, evaluation, and conversion process at the new injection molding company.

·         Communicate and be transparent over the reason for the transfer. Explain the issues you were having with your previous molder and be clear about some of your expectations. Be open to suggestions from the engineering team.

·         Use a transfer checklist to ensure you provide the most recent information. Your list should include part drawings, 3D files, maintenance history, quality history, tooling drawings, any auxiliary or robot requirements, last shots, dimensional records, quality gages, etc.

·         Allow the new injection molder time to conduct their tooling assessment. Give time to prepare the tool with the right fittings, couplings, connectors, and other necessary maintenance.

What should a manufacturer look for in a new injection molder?

·         In-house toolroom for proper maintenance of your tool and to reduce production downtown. This way, it is more likely your product will be ready on schedule.

·         Presenting well-documented maintenance record procedures that will help your new injection molder’s team know what to expect when the tool arrives at the facility.

·         A strong design for manufacturing (DFM) process shows the value of integrated design, prototype, and production into one manufacturing process.

·         Top of the line software. HTI has integrated powerful prototype simulation and mold flow analysis software, such as SolidWorks, into its design processes. These computer programs offer diagnostic reports that provide immediate information on the design’s manufacturability.

·         Manufacturing – it is critical the injection molder has both production capacity and existing machines that suit the requirements. At HTI Plastics, we have machine capacity ranging from 30-1,800 tons.

·         Quality: your new injection molding company should be committed to having the best quality standards in place. At HTI, we continuously monitor the manufacturing and assembly process from beginning to end. We also have various certifications and affiliations (ISO 9001, ISO 13485, FDA Registered, cGMP, etc.) these show our commitment to quality.

·         Materials – We can process and work with a variety of resin. We also have on-site silos.

·         Secondary Applications and assembly solutions – HTI Plastics is a full-service injection molder. We offer a wide arrange of secondary applications and assembly solutions. Having these services in-house allows us to guarantee high-quality products at a fair price.

·         Capabilities outside of Injection Molding – HTI Plastics can offer service of blow molding, injection blow molding, extrusion blow molding, plastic profile, and co-extrusion through our sister companies Apex Plastics and Lincoln Plastics. These opportunities open up a wide variety of possibilities that can help you take your products to the next level.

Phases of Tool Transfer Process

The first step is the quoting process.  HTI will review the application, tooling size, resins, regulatory requirements, quality requirements, and all other aspects of the product to ensure that the project is the right fit for HTI and the customer.

Once the decision to transfer the tool is finalized, our project manager will develop and kickstart a project timeline. The timeline will be created and communicated to the customer. The project’s steps include:

·         Transfer: Along with transferring the tool, any information that goes along with the part or process, such as quality plans, work instructions, process settings, are helpful to ensure HTI matches the existing part quality.  It is crucial that whatever dimensional inspection is required to qualify the transfer is also done on the last shot at the current location. 

·         Inspection – The tool will be inspected upon arrival at HTI, and its’ condition documented and summarized in a report. If any issues arise that would impact the part quality or tool life, we will discuss those findings with the customer.

·         Test: The tool would be tested based on scientific molding methodology. HTI will use process information from the current supplier, if available, and go through the scientific molding protocol to ensure a robust process for producing quality parts.

·         Verification – Verification of the part quality is done at the customer’s requirements. HTI has a validation protocol, but if there is something specific the customer requires in terms of validation, verification, or PPAP requirements, HTI will incorporate those as well.

·         Approval – The final step is approval. HTI will provide samples for the customer to approve.

Your Tool transfer Team

At HTI, all departments are involved in the tool transfer process.  The initial contact and communication start with the sales department and project manager. Engineering is involved in every step of the project.  Once the request comes in, engineering works through the project with the quality group. As the project progresses into testing and validation, the production and quality teams work alongside engineering to qualify the process.

Choosing the right plastic injection molding company is a critical part of your tool transfer process. Your new injection molder needs to have many years of engineering and manufacturing experience. It needs to have a team with the latest technology and innovation at their hands to offer you the best service and help mitigate the associated risks of moving your business over.  HTI Plastics has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. Our engineers have a combined experience that will find solutions to any of your molding needs.