Hello everyone! This is my first post on this forum! I am not a mechanical engineer, but an electronics engineer. However, i want to experiment with 3d printed molds. The main idea is to get a cheap desktop injection molding machine, and create my own 3d printed molds. My final goal is to create enclosures, that i think is a relatively easy task. However, there is one part of the enclosure where external connectors must be inserted. Here is a picture of the connectors: So i have to make the "receiver" for this connector. This is what i want to emulate in my enclosure: As you can see, there are holes where the pins enter, and inside there are metal connectors. I can find these connectors in the market, however, i am not sure how this geometry and function can be achieved with a 3d printed injection mold. I learned that the metal connectors can be incorporated with the mold, they are reffered as "molded-in parts". My question is, is incorporating "molded-in parts" something that i can achieve as well with homemade 3d printed molds, or it is not possible? Thank you very much!
If you're using a hobby machine, you may have trouble creating molds that can handle the heat and pressure of injection molding and not degrade or fuse to your part. I'd suggest looking into silicon or 'low-pressure' molding. That will make your job "easier" - note the quotes. I've never tried this myself, but I've been told it's a PITA to get high-quality results. As far as 'molded in' parts, you just need to design your mold to clamp the metal bits in place, tight and precisely enough to seal around them, where you don't want them covered in plastic. Then, when you open it, it all comes out.
