Injection Molding Service

Custom molded prototypes and production parts with fast lead times

High Quality Custom Plastic Injection Molding

Xometry delivers high-quality, on-demand injection molded parts. Injection molding is the most cost-effective way to make a plastic part at scale and offers consistent quality for low-to-high volume manufacturing. Molding also has the highest variety of materials, colors, and configurations when compared to CNC machining or even 3D printing. Beyond materials, injection molded parts can have custom cosmetics, polishes, or surface textures.

Xometry takes a “have it your way” approach to molding. We specialize in complex projects, including those requiring side action or hand loaded inserts. Our goal is to provide a long-term solution, moving beyond rapid prototyping, with dedicated project managers and engineering experts to communicate through all project stages from design to production.

Xometry’s injection molding services include:

Free online file upload and quote submission
24-hour quoting with design for manufacturing (DFM) feedback
Large domestic partner network as well as international options
Single point of contact per customer
Expert consultation
Single, multi-cavity, and family mold options
Insert molding and overmolding
Most plastic materials, including custom sourcing and matching
Press availability from 50 to 1,100+ tons
Part inspection, including FAI and PPAP options
Customer-owned tooling
Learn about our Injection Molding capabilities for the Medical Devices industry

Is your project ready for injection molding? Upload your 3D model for a free quote.

Advantages of Injection Molding

Scalability

Molding can be the ideal process for custom production runs of 250-25,000+ parts.

Rapid Turnaround

Using our vetted Partner Network, Xometry is able to produce top quality Molded parts in as little as 10 business days.

Efficiency

In higher volumes, custom molding with Xometry produces significantly less waste than other manufacturing processes.

Part Production

Piece price is significantly lower with Molding vs other processes, particularly as production quantities increase into the thousands.

Strength

Molded parts will generally perform better than the same part CNC Machined from the same material. Careful selection of the resins allow for a wide range of corrosion resistance and chemical and solvent compatibility.

Precision

Molds are CNC machined to high precision, high tolerances and are able to produce thousands of identical parts with very small and intricate details.

Injection Molding Processes

Thermoplastic Injection Molding

Xometry delivers top quality plastic injection molded parts in as little as 10 business days. Our Manufacturing Partner Network can help you design and manufacture tools, dies, and molds for rapid tooling for prototyping to advanced mold making for production runs. Full injection molding capabilities including insert molding, overmolding, unlimited undercuts, and internal/external threads are available.

Mold Making

Our vetted network of partners allow us to quickly convert your 3D part data into a high-quality injection mold at top speed. We offer services from design and manufacturing for tools, dies, and molds for prototyping and production runs. Plastic blow molds, aluminum and steel tooling, 2-shot and 3-shot molding are also available. And with Xometry, you own your own tools, so our partner network also offers mold maintenance services.

Overmolding

Our network is skilled at overmolding. With overmolding, one material, usually a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE/TPV), is molded onto a second material, which is often a rigid plastic. Think about your toothbrush handle where the single piece has both rigid and rubbery components. It’s a great way to make plastic parts perform and look better.

Insert Molding

Xometry now also offers insert molding as part of its injection molding capabilities. We can even use our CNC machining services to produce custom metal and plastic inserts to integrate into the part. For a free insert molding design review and quote, upload your CAD files. Our expert team of injection molders will get back to you within 24 hours.

Injection Molding Materials

Rigid and flexible plastic varieties (Custom resin matching available):

ABS | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
ASA | Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate
CA | Cellulose Acetate
COPO | Copolyester
HDPE | High-Density Polyethylene
LCP | Liquid Crystal Polymer
LDPE | Low-Density Polyethylene
PA 6 | Polyamide 6, Nylon 6
PA 6/6 | Polyamide 6/6, Nylon 6/6
PARA | Polyaryl Amide
PBT | Polybutylene Terephthalate, Valox
PBT-PET | Polybutylene Terephthalate-Polyethylene Terephthalate
PC | Polycarbonate
PC-ABS | Polycarbonate-Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
PC-PBT | Polycarbonate-Polybutylene Terephthalate, Xenoy
PC-PET | Polycarbonate-Polyethylene Terephthalate
PCT | Polycyclohexylenedimethylene Terephthalate
PE | Polyethylene
PE-PP | Polyethylene-Polypropylene
PE-PS | Polyethylene-Polystyrene
PEBA | Polyether Block Amide
PEEK | Polyether Ether Ketone
PEI | Polyetherimide, Ultem
PES | Polyether Sulfone
PET | Polyethylene Terephthalate, Rynite
PLA | Polylactic Acid
PMMA | Polymethyl Methacrylate, Acrylic
POM | Acetal Polyoxymethylene, Delrin
PP | Polypropylene
PPA | Polyphthalamide
PPS | Polyphenylene Sulfide, Ryton
PS | Polystyrene
PS-PPE | Polystyrene-Polyphenyl Ethers, Noryl
PSU | Polysulfone, Udel
PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride (Shore D)
PVDF | Polyvinylidene Fluoride
SAN | Styrene Acrylonitrile
TPO | Thermoplastic Polyolefin
TPU | Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Shore D)
Custom-sourced Resin
Customer-supplied Resin

Get an instant quote or check out more information about our rigid plastic materials.

Rubber-like varieties (Custom resin matching available):

EPDM | Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber, Viton
MPR | Melt Processable Rubber
POE | Polyolefin Elastomer
PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride (Shore A)
TPE | Thermoplastic Elastomer, Santoprene
TPU | Thermoplastic Polyurethane (Shore A)
TPV | Thermoplastics Elastomer, Vulcanized Rubber
Custom-sourced Resin
Customer-Supplied Resin

Get an instant quote or check out more information about our rubber-like plastic materials. Compression molding is available upon request.

Silicone materials:

LSR | Liquid Silicone Rubber

Get an instant quote or check out more information about our rubber-like plastic materials.

Injection Molding Finishes

Standard Finish

Moldmaker's choice of finish. Typically SPI B-3 to D-3 depending on geometry and drafts. Interior, non-cosmetic faces, are typically as-machined.

SPI A-1

Grade #3 Diamond. Typical Application: High polish parts, optically clear.

SPI A-2

Grade #6 Diamond. Typical Application: High polish parts.

SPI A-3

Grade #15 Diamond. Typical Application: High polish parts.

SPI B-1

600 Grit Paper. Typical Application: Medium polish parts.

SPI B-2

400 Grit Paper. Typical Application: Medium polish parts.

SPI B-3

320 Grit Paper. Typical Application: Medium- Low polish parts.

SPI C-1

600 Stone. Typical Application: Low polish parts.

SPI C-2

400 Stone. Typical Application: Low polish parts.

SPI C-3

320 Stone. Typical Application: Low polish parts.

SPI D-1

Dry Blast Glass Bead. Typical Application: Satin Finish

SPI D-2

Dry Blast #240 Oxide. Typical Application: Dull Finish

SPI D-3

Dry Blast #24 Oxide. Typical Application: Dull Finish

As-Machined

No secondary polishing or grinding. Part will show tooling marks.

MoldTech - MT11010

Matte surface textures that are more coarse than SPI D-3.

MoldTech - MT11020

Matte surface textures that are more coarse than SPI D-3.

MoldTech - MT11030

Matte surface textures that are more coarse than SPI D-3.

MoldTech - MT112XX

A variety of almost leather-like texture options. Common for automotive interiors. Please specify which texture is required before submitting the project.

MoldTech - MT114XX

A variety of textures from lines, to swirls, to wood grain. Please specify which texture is required before submitting the project.

MoldTech - MT116XX

Pattern-style textures such as diamond, circular, or square grids. Please specify which texture is required before submitting the project.

Other Mold Texturing

Xometry can match other mold textures upon request.

Applications for Injection Molding

Rapid Prototyping

Although molding is best suited for medium to high volumes, the use of low cost tooling allows molded parts to be produced very rapidly and cost effectively. In almost every case, a molded part will outperform the same 3D printed or machined part from the same material. And depending on the part geometries and the material selected, low cost tooling can last for many tens of thousands of parts.

End-Use Production

Molding is best known for producing production parts in the many thousands or even millions. With the advent of newer higher strength materials and fillers such as glass and carbon fiber, parts previously made out of metal are being replaced wit molded parts to save weight and fight corrosion.

Certifications

ISO 9001, ISO 13485, UL, ITAR, ISO 7 & 8 Medical Clean Room (contact us)

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Overview: What is Injection Molding?

The Basics of Injection Molding

Injection molding is one of the most often-used manufacturing processes for creating plastic parts. Thanks to its high-precision, repeatability, and cost efficiency at scale, injection molding is used to make a variety of products and parts from the smallest medical insert up to large automotive & Aerospace and Defense parts.

How Injection Molding Works

The injection molding process requires an injection molding machine, raw plastic material, and a machined mold. The raw plastic material is first melted in the injection unit and is then injected into the mold — most often machined from steel or aluminum — where it cools and solidifies into the final plastic part.

The key steps in the injection molding process are:

Clamping: The two sides of the mold are closed and clamped shut.
Injection: The material is fed into the machine and pushed towards the mold. While this is happening, the material is melted by heat and pressure. The plastic is then injected into the mold — this is called the “shot.”
Cooling: The plastic in the mold cools and solidifies into the shape of the part.
Ejection: After the part cools, it is ejected from the mold.

Benefits of Injection Molding

Custom injection molding offers a number of benefits not found in other manufacturing processes. Due to the high-pressure nature of the injection molding process, it is much easier to manufacture parts with detailed features or complex geometries that would be too costly for typical CNC machining processes. The ability to use your mold over and over again for a long period of time leads to an extremely high production output rate which is more cost effective and efficient than other manufacturing processes. Lastly, different injection molding processes, such as overmolding and insert molding, allow you to create plastic parts with unique characteristics such as enhanced strength, soft-grip surfaces, or added flexibility. Also beneficial is the ability to combine multiple assembly processes into one injection molding process.

Mold Class Glossary

The injection molding industry often defines molds by their class. This goes from Class 105, a prototype mold (e.g., a 100 piece one-and-done market test), to Class 101, which is built for extremely high production (e.g., making tens-of-millions contact lens cases). Xometry typically produces Class 104, 103, and 102 tools.

Name	Cycles	Description
Class 105	Under 500	Prototype only. This mold will be constructed in the least expensive manner possible to produce a very limited quantity of prototype parts. Also known as a Class V tool. Example: a one-and-done market test of 100 molded units.
Class 104	Under 100,000	Low production mold. Use only for limited production preferably with non-abrasive materials. Low to moderate price range. Also known as a Class IV tool. Example: Aluminum or MUD tooling, SPI B-3 finish, hand-loaded cores and limited re-runs.
Class 103	Under 500,000	Medium production mold. This is a very popular mold for low to medium production needs. Most common price range. Also known as a Class III tool. Example: Aluminum or steel tooling, automated lifts or slides, multiple re-runs with batches between 1,000-5,000 units.
Class 102	Under 1,000,000	Medium to high production, good for abrasive materials and/or parts requiring close tolerance. This is a high quality, fairly high priced mold. Also known as a Class II tool. Example: Steel tooling with an SPI A-2 finish, automated slides, scheduled produciton cycles.
Class 101	Over 1,000,000	Built for extremely high production. This is the highest-priced mold and is made with only the highest quality materials. Also known as a Class I tool. Example: Multiple-cavity steel tooling with full automation and overnight production workcenters for dedicated part manufacturing.

Industries that use Injection Molding

Injection Molding is used in rapid prototyping and producing pilot and high-volume production parts in a wide range of industries. It is frequently used in industries such as medical, packaging, automotive, consumer electronics, building/construction, and robotics.

Automotive

Consumer Products

Electronics

Energy

Industrial

Medical and Dental

Featured Injection Molding Resources

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Machine Hours

13MM+

Parts Quoted

1MM+

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Injection Molding Service