In most cases injection mold shop will end up making "acceptable" parts by "shrink fixing" it. There goes all profit and residual stress is introduced.
I am asking Chinese mold flow experts- have you produced mold flow simulations with tools where either part thickness varies and or cooling channels are not uniform, or are not conformal with uniform pitch- how do you model uneven tool temperatures and uneven part thickness average temperature? Would you deliver a mold flow simulation with differential mold shrinkage so tool can be cut with compensation? Otherwise we are back to surrogate tool or prototype too?
On prototype mold worth remembering the tool material and cooling geometry can have vast difference in shrinkage and be disaster when proceeding to production tool from Al tool with minimal cooling.
The modeling and feedback over a few years can help you in hitting that elusive injection molding first home run. But the mold flow expert has to have material and hands on knowledge of injection molding to do what you are suggesting.
The article comes from China injection mold manufacturer - Mold Best Assurance Company Limited, website is www.mbamoldanddesign.com
