MicroMolder Puts an Injection Molder on a Desktop
This machine features digital controls and can inject nearly any type of plastic into aluminum, 3D-printed SLA, or cast urethane tooling.
Injection molding is a manufacturing process that produces parts by injecting molten material into a mold, which is typically reserved for large manufacturers and rarely utilized for small shops or makers. ShopBotix has changed that with the introduction of the MicroMolder — an automatic desktop injection molding machine capable of injecting nearly any type of plastic into aluminum, 3D-printed SLA, or cast urethane tooling.
“The MicroMolder can produce complex tooling solutions to develop next level, low volume production parts," ShopBotix team explains. "Combining multiple tooling materials with MicroMolder can lead to some very cool part output for such a small and simple-to-use molding machine.” The platform also enables users to overmold hardware to produce custom parts and even produce parts using soft rubber plastics. The machine can be operated in a SingleCycle (for single parts) or set in AutoRun mode to produce as many parts as needed.
The MicroMolder is outfitted with a LattePanda SBC, 7" touchscreen display, and offers a host of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, and HDMI. What's more, it's equipped with an optical part counter, error detection, auto sleep and shutdown, plastic hopper level detection, and automatic production mode.
The injection molder provides a 5.75" x 5.75" platen size, a shot size of 1 ounce, and a clamping force of 8.5 tons. The machine is controlled via a preinstalled GUI app that allows users to manage and operate all functions through a five-tab user interface menu.
ShopBotix is currently crowdfunding the MicroMolder on Kickstarter, with pledges starting at $3,599 with an expected shipping date of April 2021.