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Afordable plasitc/metal injection molding machines in America

Redpie

Plastic
Joined
Sep 4, 2020
We here at Redpie Industries have a few questions:

If you could buy an American fully automated plasitc/metal injection molding machine on the same level as a BOY machine for around the price range of a Tormach mill ($5k-$30k), with service as good as good as HAAS, would you?

What size of plastic parts are you looking to make?

Do you have a 3D printer? If so, is it a liquid resin printer?


Redpie is currently working on designing 3 patentable fully automated lights out injection molding machines that will change the world as we know it. We discovered a world changing injection molding process, that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking into funding, and our other investors have promised to fully fund all patents and prototypes. By answering the above questions you will be helping us in convincing the NSF to turn our patents, ideas, and prototypes into a reality.
 
We here at spammer central industries Industries have a few questions:

If you could buy an American fully automated plasitc/metal injection molding machine on the same level as a BOY machine for around the price range of a Tormach mill ($5k-$30k), with service as good as good as HAAS, would you?

What size of plastic parts are you looking to make?

Do you have a 3D printer? If so, is it a liquid resin printer?


Redpie is currently working on designing 3 patentable fully automated lights out injection molding machines that will change the world as we know it. We discovered a world changing injection molding process, that the National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking into funding, and our other investors have promised to fully fund all patents and prototypes. By answering the above questions you will be helping us in convincing the NSF to turn our patents, ideas, and prototypes into a reality.

Do you really, fully understand how badly your post here has damaged your companies reputation ?
 
Doug, that it would be a SIN for the CEO of a small startup company to turn to the world's greatest source of machine experts. In fact, I would go as far as to say that my company's reputation was not damaged at all, and in all reality I improved my business' reputation by trying to contact real machinists with real injection molding problems. Henry Ford once said: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right." I'm going to change the world, whether anyone answers this post or not, and in the end everyone will at least know that I tried to talk to real molding experts.

Doug, I have been an onlooker of practicalmachist.com for years, and there is not a better source for real application engineers period. If I did not try asking engineers what they wanted in an injection molding machine, how could we build the equipment people want? Is it not the purpose of practicalmachist.com to help people build machines and equipment for their customers?

So, Doug, what kind of plastic parts are you looking to build?
What kind of price point are you looking for in an injection molding machine?
What clamping pressure are you looking for?
What country does your injection molding equipment come from?
How many molds do you have?
 
Hi Redpie:
You sound like an engineer with a vision, doing some market research, trying to determine whether to commit resources to a dream you have.
If you strip away your desire to come up with some cool engineering innovations, are you still on board with this idea as BUSINESS PLAN.
To that end, here's my take:

The market for injection molding machines is small, the selection of cheap older machines is big enough that it's pretty easy to find something if I have a need, and the reality is that the molding press is only maybe 30% of the puzzle if someone is hoping to start a molding business or offer the service for real.

Added to that is the reality that to run a molding business you need a variety of machines of varying capacities and you need a source of tooling for the press along with a gazillion other things.

Now if this is going to be for hobbyists or home shop guys, 5K to 30K is awfully steep for a relatively limited hobby, of which the press is only a small piece...there are already contenders around, and I don't see any of them raking it in...they will have their adherents, and will make some sales, but nothing to set the world on fire.
I'm sure you've already looked up Morgan presses...older ones are all over the place in research labs and their owners often can't get rid of them for months when they try to sell, and get peanuts for them when they finally find a buyer.

So how much do you believe you can commit to this and still make a profit, whether for industrial customers or for hobbyists?

Moving on to my needs as a machine shop owner.
As I said earlier, my desire to take this on is pretty small, even though I've been a toolbreaker for 40 years and have a good head start on many who might be fantasizing about something like this but don't even know how to build a mold.
Since I do prototyping for a living, I confront the need perhaps quite a bit more than most machine shops, and I STILL have no serious interest, simply because of two realities:

First, there are a gazillion molders out there who have the presses, the dryers, the grinders, the plastic stock AND THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE to make my projects for a fraction of what I could do even if I had a press of my very own.

Second, I cannot, as a business owner justify all the fucking about I'd have to do with it to get good enough with it to even offer a credible product reliably...I have shit to do NOW to make money, and I don't need a time suck and a money pit in my life for such a small gain.

Until I can offer a credible service, I can't even realistically quote on opportunities, and a single cheapo press on my floor is not a credible service.

So my interest is low, and I suspect every hard headed businessman will make the same calculation, and their conclusions are going to be much like mine.
This is inevitable, even if you can build a super good press and offer it for a great price.

If I want in-house molding I will certainly factor in the cost of the press, but it's not going to drive my decision.
What you must understand is that business owners don't typically drive their decisions only on purchase price of a single capital asset.
They drive their decisions on Return On Investment on ALL of what it takes...whether it's thirty grand or 300 grand is less important than if it can make money.
If you need it and can justify it, you can always find the money to do it, so the super price point doesn't attract me at all.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
 
Before you even consider getting into molding, you have to have a product that someone will buy. I have designed molded parts for most of my design life, thermoplastic and thermoset. There are plenty of mold shops out there that have talented people that can build and run molds of all types, samples, short run or production. Unless you have something truly unique, I would advise you to try something else.

Tom
 
Afordable plasitc/metal injection molding machines in America

Call me picky, but the first step here would be to learn how to spell the word "plastic" correctly.

Then there is "affordable".

My knowledge on plastic injection molding is limited. Done enough research to know it is going to stay that way! Plenty of good operators in this space already who have done the hard yards to get where they are. For that they have my admiration. More than meets the eye for sure.
 
I worked for a couple companies building and repairing injection molding machinery, and the biggest thing I took away was that the industry was so cut throat and so slim on profit margin that it wasn't worth even considering.
 
Modern roofs can also be made by injection molding. Now it is a very profitable industry. Maybe you're just unlucky with your job.
 
Hi Emmeline:
Do you have any idea how big a press you need to make roof shingles by injection molding?
It's a LOT bigger than what the OP is proposing to offer.

On another note; just how long do you think it would take for a low labour cost country to take over a market like that?
My guess is "Not Very Long".

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining

I worked at a place that ran presses from 100-1300 tons. To do a roof shingle you would need a good sized mold and machine. Way way beyond OP as Marcus said. I think people (some at least) think the mold is roughly the same size as the part. The reality is, you need room to insert the cavity's/cores, need some way to mount in the press, cooling lines, ejection system/plates, etc etc.
 
Hi Emmeline:
Do you have any idea how big a press you need to make roof shingles by injection molding?
It's a LOT bigger than what the OP is proposing to offer.
How about foaming agent? That would reduce the tonnage by several factors, and material cost, and cycle time. Although I wonder how you would protect the plastic from UV? Or maybe that is just planned obsolescence.

I am curious what the OP has that is so revolutionary.
 
Excellent point, David.
But whatever way the OP is spinning the revolutionary nature of his innovation, the point remains that it's still not a business to get into casually.
I made the case that you really can't get into molding like you can buy a Haas mill and put it in your garage.
I believe that remains true no matter how breathtaking the technological advance in molding the OP can offer.

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
 
Hi Emmeline:
Do you have any idea how big a press you need to make roof shingles by injection molding?
It's a LOT bigger than what the OP is proposing to offer.

On another note; just how long do you think it would take for a low labour cost country to take over a market like that?
My guess is "Not Very Long".

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining


I just offered a business option. No need to make large sheets of tile. You can, for example, develop a new best roofing material for a low pitch roof
 








 
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