In cooperation with injection molding machine manufacturer Sodick Plustech, the Pennsylvania molder and mold maker won two awards in the first-ever Hot Shots injection molded parts competition for plastics technology in 2021. #closeupontechnology

Sodick Plustech's National Sales Manager Len Hampton (on the podium) and Matrix Tool's General Manager Dave Moyak won two popular awards at Molding 2021. 

When injection molding machine supplier Sodick Plustech and molder and mold maker Matrix Tool first conceived display liquid crystal polymer (LCP) parts with micro-features, the goal was to increase traffic at the trade show and promote business development. Specifically, it will highlight Matrix's special mold manufacturing capabilities and concepts, combined with the precise process control achieved by Sodick Plustech's two-stage machines.

Knowing how difficult it is to get customers to approve the display of commercial parts at the exhibition, what made Matrix (matrixtoolinc.com) on this path in the first place, which will eventually lead to award-winning parts, participate in the 2021 conference of plastic technology molding and MoldMaking Technology’s The Amerimold trade show voted for the winners of two popular awards-technology maturity and molding efficiency and/or economic achievement awards.

"We decided to develop our own part," said Tom Moyak, Matrix's director of business and engineering development. "This is not a commercial product; this is just what we did for the trade show, but we want to use typical molds and typical materials to make things that ordinary injection molding machines can't make."

The result is a part weighing 0.106 grams-only 5 LCPs (SumikaSuper E6807T from Sumitomo Chemical) are needed. With more than 60 blade tool features, each opening on the part is formed by a core from two mold halves. Many features are as thin as 0.0048 inches, or slightly thicker than human hair.

Participants of Molding 2021 and Amerimold voted for Matrix Tool parts as the winners of technology maturity and molding efficiency and economic achievement awards. 

These parts are molded in a four-cavity cold runner tool designed and manufactured by Matrix. The size of the mold is only 4.5 × 5.0 × 5.9 inches, with front and rear half ejection functions, and adopts multi-directional alignment interlocking and linear ball bearing to guide ejection. In addition to ensuring precise alignment of the two mold halves, this design also allows Matrix to eliminate traditional guide pins. Matrix says this will result in more efficient, more balanced cooling and a smaller overall footprint.

To produce the parts, Matrix runs the mold on Sodick Plustech's 20-ton, two-stage, high-response micro injection molding machine. The tool is filled in 0.16 seconds, and Matrix says it can "easily" produce a 16-cavity tool that runs similar parts in a traditional injection molding machine. The tool was running at the Sodick Plustech exhibition during the three-day 2021 molding conference held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois from September 21 to 23.  

The first Hot Shots parts competition aims to recognize injection molded parts based on two standards, which were determined by voting by participants in Molding 2021 and Amerimold 2021. And overcoming molding challenges related to materials, part complexity, tool design, and/or very tight tolerances. Achievements in molding efficiency and/or economics take into account the application of parts integration, thinning, weight reduction, machine/tool ​​saving, quality improvement, productivity improvement, and recycling of materials.

The 10 finalists came from three countries (the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Dominican Republic) and seven states, serving diversified markets such as industrial, consumer products, automotive, medical, aerospace, and electronics. They are molded from TPU, nylon, LSR, PEI, PP, PC/ABS and PC and other resins.

Although surprised by Matrix Tool's Hot Shots sweep, Len Hampton, Sodick Plustech's national sales manager, knew in advance that the LCP was part of the winner. "When you have a customer holding a part and a magnifying ring and putting it under the light, they will actually see that it uses 0.0400 inches. The core pin," Hampton said. "This really separates the tools from the machines. The other people in the other booths saw what was going on. Next, you know, we are four floors deep, there are loops, and people lift parts to the lights on the ceiling."

The micro-features precisely molded by LCP made Matrix’s Hot Shots entries stand out among the judges of Molding 2021 participants.

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