Overmolding. Is it oversold, or understated? Let's explore.
Overmolding has been revolutionizing the automotive sector by enhancing the functionality, durability, and aesthetics of vehicle components for years. This advanced manufacturing process involves molding one material over another to create a single, cohesive part with multiple material properties, but what are the real benefits?
Here’s three main reasons you may wish to consider it:
1️⃣ Improved Component Functionality: Overmolding combines materials with different characteristics, such as a rigid base material (e.g., ABS or polycarbonate) and a soft overmold (e.g., thermoplastic elastomer or rubber). This combination improves grip, vibration resistance, and noise dampening, making it ideal for applications like steering wheel grips, handles, and gear sticks.
2️⃣ Enhanced Durability: Overmolding creates a strong bond between materials, increasing the durability and lifespan of car parts. Sealing components, such as gaskets and connectors, benefit from this technique as it enhances their resistance to environmental factors like heat, moisture, and chemicals.
3️⃣ Simplified Production and Cost Savings: By integrating multiple materials into a single molding process, overmolding reduces the need for secondary operations, such as gluing or mechanical assembly. This leads to cost savings in production and ensures consistent quality by minimizing potential weak points caused by assembly errors.
When you add these benefits to the known facts gleaned from the use of modern plastic such as its lightweight design, reliability and cost-effectiveness, it's no wonder that a priority is put on this smart technique.
All that said, this is certainly not new news for the NS KUNSTSTOFFTECHNIK - CZ team! We’ve been overmolding parts for as long as we can remember and once you’ve produced many millions of such components in the way we have, you become experts in the field, knowing what does (and what does not) work in this mystical science!
If you are contemplating the creation of a new injection molded part, why experiment yourself? Speak to the NS-K team and let us guide you through the seamless process of getting your next product to market quickly and efficiently.
