Insert Molding

One of the major factors in any production process is cost. Molders work very diligently to assist their customers by developing techniques and methods designed to reduce costs but produce high quality products. One of the cost saving processes used by Nicolet Plastics is insert molding.

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Insert Molding Benefits

Strengthens Part

Injection molded parts are formed in a mold cavity that does not leave room for dimensional changes. Nicolet Plastic’s insert molding process guarantees that every part is strong and durable with close tolerances.

Eliminates Labor

The insert molding method used by Nicolet Plastics produces perfect products every time. It eliminates the need for after production trimming and finishing reducing labor costs.

Material Variety

Nicolet Plastics has a wide selection of materials to help you choose the one to fit your needs. Our plastics have the strength and endurance to meet for any product or design.

Enhanced Product Design

Nicolet Plastics takes pride in its DFM process, which ensures that our high-quality parts are cost effectively produced. With an understanding of the parts use, our approach monitors every aspect of the process.

What is Plastic Insert Molding?

On the surface, insert molding looks very simple. It is just a matter of taking an extra part and placing plastic around it. Though it may seem easy, several complex engineering calculations are necessary to ensure product quality. The types of inserts varies depending on the design requirements of the piece. They can be couplings, threaded fasteners, filters, electrical components, or any other type of metal or plastic insert.

The process of inserting a metal or plastic component expands the capability of a molded plastic product by adding extra features to enhance the product’s durability. Inserts strengthen the plastic and increase its number of uses. The addition of a simple metal part such as a coupling or fastener transforms the final product into a long lasting component that will never need replacement.

Insert molding is a process where the insert has been placed into the mold. The placement of the insert can be automated for high volume parts or manually loaded for low volume parts. Then molten plastic is injected surrounding the insert to form a secure tight bond. The result of the process is a single joined piece made of sturdy, long lasting plastic. Parts formed in this way can have outstanding strength since they are a combination of the insert and its plastic containment.

Mercury Marine is very selective in who they use as suppliers. Companies must meet the high quality standards and flexibility that Mercury Marine requires. Nicolet Plastics has consistently met these criteria.

Nicolet Plastics and Mercury Marine engineering and purchasing departments worked together to redesign and prototype an existing part. Each prototype met all the specialized criteria, and through combined innovation Nicolet Plastics was able to move the part into production. The cost came in very low, allowing Mercury Marine to save money and use a better quality part.

Nicolet Plastics adapts very quickly to change, can do custom work and provides each client with the personal attention they deserve.

Matt Demmin, Packaging Engineer | Mercury Marine

The first project I ever worked on with Nicolet Plastics, Inc. was in the mid 80’s, and since then the partnership has only grown stronger. Nicolet is willing to try anything to produce the results the client is looking for.

They are on the cutting edge with tooling, equipment and design capabilities. Their design review team provides excellent input; they are creative solution-finders and are very easy to work with. NPI delivers a timely response on product and a quick turn around on tools.

When challenged with difficult mold designs Nicolet is able to simplify the process, thereby reducing costs. Utilizing their in-house rapid prototype machine allows the toolmaker to better understand how the tool needs to be created. One quality control advantage that Nicolet provides for the customer is their storyboards, which detail the proper measurements and color specifications of each piece. Through this self-certification process, Nicolet offers customers the assurance of knowing that each piece is manufactured to exact specifications. I have come to expect that quality work will always be there. You don’t realize how good Nicolet is until you try to compare quality and price somewhere else.

From the President of the company to the guys in shipping, the folks at Nicolet are host, hardworking and down to earth, some of the best people I’ve ever worked with.

Project Manager, Mechanical Engineering | MRI Devices

I have been working with Nicolet Plastics for 13 years and have never been disappointed. The people at Nicolet Plastics have a true open door policy, and extreme flexibility. They want to be involved in the entire process of your project so they can truly understand the objectives that need to be fulfilled. In my experience, it is rare to find a plastic injection molding company that has the combination of in-house tooling and molding that they do. The quality produced is phenomenal.

Nicolet Plastics is an outstanding company. They are knowledgeable, easy to work with, provide exceptional customer service, produce high quality parts, provide flexible lead times, are always competitive on price and do precision color matching work.”

Nicolet Plastics is a cutting edge company that is always willing to take on a challenge.

Pat Kilps, Engineering Manager | Quest Technologies

Time-to-market is critical to being competitive. We pushed Nicolet Plastics to provide tools within a very aggressive timeline and they delivered samples in just six weeks.

Dean Walters | Invivo Corporation

Types of Inserts

Common metals used for inserts include brass, stainless steel, and aluminum. Each of them have their benefits with stainless steel being corrosion and rust resistant while aluminum and brass are much lighter. The choice of metal depends on the final application of the product or part.

The Benefits of Insert Molding

There are several methods that can be used to place a component in a pre-existing part. Most of them involve complicated, time consuming, and cumbersome processes. Insert molding is an efficient and convenient process that can be used in place of expensive methods such as soldering, welding, or attempting to use different forms of connectors or adhesives.

In the manufacture of small parts, it is expensive to produce them using large equipment because of their size and the increased cost. Plastic moldings can be designed to fit these unique situations. Electrical components have precise tolerances to enable them to fit their applications. They can easily be produced using insert molding down to the smallest detail.

There are instances when designers are constricted by the parameters of a manufacturing process. They may have a concept but not the means to make it a reality. Nicolet Plastics’ insert molding gives designers an additional tool for creating unique and unusual products and parts.