Quick Change vs. Full Frame Molds

To reduce the initial cost of tooling, Rebling Plastics can offer customers the ability to use a quick change frame mold when appropriate.  Rebling Plastics uses MUD® (master unit die), Round Mate® and our own proprietary quick change frame molds. These frames are available for both thermoset and thermoplastic moldings.

Quick change frame molds have a mold frame already incorporating many of the standard features found in all full frame molds such as the locating ring, ejector plate, mounting holes, etc. Thus the quick change frame typically requires only a small “insert unit” that contains the mold cavities and cores and ejector plate. Since the mold frame is typically owned by the molder, the customer only pays for the small “insert unit”. For H and double H MUD® frames, the insert units can be run two or four at a time, which saves setup and plastic injection molding costs.

However, there are some disadvantages to a quick change mold. The types of parts that can be cost effectively produced from quick change molds are limited. Basically only smaller, simpler part designs should be considered for quick change molds. Molds requiring side action to form features that would otherwise entrap the part in the mold may not be suitable for a quick change frame. Cooling of the “insert unit” is typically not as efficient as in a full frame mold potentially resulting in lower Cpk values (i.e. less consistent dimensions) than could have been achieved with a full frame mold. Cooling lines are usually only in the mold frame and not in the cavity inserts. Optimal gate locations are not always feasible when using a quick change frame and automatic ejection of the molded parts using a stripper plate or ejector sleeve(s) is difficult to achieve with quick change frames.  Since the customer only owns the “insert unit”, it is useless unless their plastic injection molder has a compatible frame should it become necessary to transfer the molding operation to another facility.  In many cases, a full frame mold produced overseas can cost the same or less and have a longer life than a quick change insert unit.

At Rebling Plastics, we use a few different types of quick change molds. However, because of their limited number of applications, we often recommend a full frame stand alone mold. Ask one of our engineers if a quick change mold makes sense for your application.