Design Guidelines

MDI HEADQUARTERS 10045 102nd Terrace Sebastian, FL 32958 phone: 772.228.7371 fax: 772.228.7372 info@mdiproducts.com www.mdiproducts.com DG11/12/10
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Working Together
When a designer specifies foam for a product or component, its because no other material can duplicate the required characteristics. However, most product designers and developers do not have the time to become an injection-molded foam expert. The purpose of this guide is to provide a better understanding of the injection-molding process, material and technical considerations involved in the design and manufacture of PolyCell parts. By understanding these considerations, you can better control costs while improving the performance of your product. The following is an example of what steps are required in the product development stage. 1. Customer submits 3D file of potential part to MDI Products at our U.S. Office. 2. MDI reviews feasibility of initial part design with our Asia factory and gives necessary product 3. Ballpark part price and tooling costs are quoted 4. Customer makes required product revisions 5. Formal part and tooling quote is submitted to customer 6. PO for tooling and sampling received 7. 1st production mold is made 8. Sample parts and FAI Report are produced for customer approval 9. Customer review samples

design changes required for manufacturing

10. Qualification Testing (i.e. PPAP) 11. Complete additional molds 12. Production begins

Rules of Thumb
Let us know your critical factors ASAP. Examples to be considered: Weight, Dimensions, Temperature Ranges, U/V, Cosmetic/Aesthetics, Price, Compression Set, Tolerances, Qualification Testing Requirements, Parting Line Requirements, etc.

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What is PolyCell?
Just call it miracle foam. It makes softness possible.
MDI Products PolyCell formulas are polyolefin elastomers. The material is closed cell, self skinned and extremely durable at making products better cushioned, more aesthetically pleasing, and enhanced with unique features and details. PolyCell is closed cell. That means its waterproof and resists mold and mildew. It floats,

cant corrode, and holds up to the elements. It wont absorb water or come apart, clump together or lose its shape. It combats water degradation and is impervious to bacteria and blood borne pathogens. Polycell is chemically resistant.You can clean it with most hospital and

household cleaners. PolyCell can match PMS colors and add interesting texture. PolyCell is available PolyCell can also be customized to provide parts with exceptional molded logos and text readability. PolyCell is cross linked. Its strong and durable. PolyCell has high tear and tensile strength.You cant easily

rip it and it wont crack or peel.

in varying degrees of hardness.

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Injection-Molding Process Overview

The first step to understanding designing parts for MDIs PolyCell material is to understand the fundamentals of the injection-molded foam process. The machines used in this injection molding process are vertical multi-station presses. This process is a multiple mold process.

Unlike plastic injection, a single mold process, the mold cavities are designed smaller than the final part size. The parts expand rather than shrink. The amount of expansion is dependant on the material softness you require. The material remains in the heated mold during the cross-linking or cooking process. The cooking time is dependant on the thickness of the part. The mold opens very quickly when the cooking is complete. The part expands and explosively self ejects from the mold cavity. The part is removed from the mold station and set to cool. Generally, cooling fixtures are required to assist the part to conform to the correct size/dimensions. The cooling fixtures are included in the tooling quote. The gate and any flash are manually trimmed and the part is ready for packing or any secondary operations.

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Self-Ejection
Plastic injection molding uses mechanical ejection. Ejector pins and stripper plates are used to remove the molded part from the mold. This is NOT possible with the PolyCell injection molding process. Therefore, the parts must be designed to self-eject during the expansion process. Self-ejection is one of the most critical design criteria and also the most difficult concept. If a part does not self-eject, it gets trapped in the mold.

Vertical walls get caught before clearing the cavity and cause the part to be permanently deformed.

Draft on walls allow the part to self-eject.

Draft/ Corners and Edges

Depending on your part design, you have to think about your part having a minimum of 5 of draft or a radius to even consider this process. Depth of Cavity The shorter the depth of the cavity in the mold the better the self-ejection. The location of the parting line can help minimize cavity depth.

Incorrect - No Draft/ No Radius

Correct With Draft/ Radius

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Self-Ejection
Draft/ Corners and Edges
Vertical Area Reducing the amount of vertical area will also aid in self-ejection. This can be accomplished with adding draft angles and large radii to the part. Draft angles also help the part self-eject. Sharp corners do not self-eject. The larger the radius on the outside of the part, the better.

Incorrect Length to width ratio, plan view

Correct

A round part is optimal for ejection but not always optimal for desired part design. If a part is very long and not wide the length to width ratio can be too high and deter self-ejection. A ratio exceeding 4:1 should be avoided, the exception being very thin parts.

Correct Ratio <4:1

Incorrect Ratio >4:1

The incorrect ratio causes the part to trap and bow in the mold. This is due to the sides de-molding quicker than the ends.

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Self-Ejection
Draft/ Corners and Edges
Sharp edges Sharp edges are only desirable at the parting line.

Rules of Thumb

The larger the radius and/or draft the better. No sharp edges except at the parting line. The shorter the depth of the part the better. The length to width ratio should be less than 4:1.

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Self-Ejection
Undercuts
Undercuts are sometimes needed in your part design. The following explains the possible types of undercuts that can be created using PolyCell. Simple Female Undercut: This type of undercut is commonly used as a way to fasten the part onto a substrate using mushroom head pins or suction cups.

Complete Female Undercut: When the entire part fits over the substrate a complete female undercut is used. This is eliminates the need to use adhesives, a significant cost and labor savings.

Substrate Undercut Foam Part

Foam Part

Substrate

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Self-Ejection
Undercuts
Radial Undercut: A radial undercut is created when there is a hole in a cored part parallel to the parting line. The hole can be created without the need for slides as with plastics.

Mandrel Undercut: A mandrel undercut is used in order to create a hollow part. In order to core out the part a floating mandrel is used. The mandrel needs to float in order for the part to eject from the cavity.

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Self-Ejection
Undercuts
Male Undercut: In most cases male undercuts are NOT possible/advisable. The parts will trap during expansion and be permanently distorted.

Mold

Parting line Mold

Incorrect

Rules of Thumb
part out of the mold

An undercut on the inside of a part acts as a puller to help pull the

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Wall Thickness
Overall Wall Thickness
In injection molding, a part would ideally have uniform wall thickness .The recommended minimum wall thickness is .12 - .15. The recommended maximum wall thickness is 2 - 2.35. Wall thickness is not a stand-alone specification and is heavily affected by the overall size of the part. For instance, due to flow properties, a very thin part cannot also be a very big part. On the other hand, a very thick area will increase the cooking time, thereby reducing the number of parts per hour and increasing the cost per part. If the thickness is uneven, cooling cross sections can also result in distortions, such as sink marks.

Rules of Thumb

Minimum Wall Thickness of .12-.15 (3mm - 4mm) - Only smaller parts/small areas of parts Maximum Wall Thickness of 1.18-1.38 (30mm - 35mm) - Even thickness/flat parts preferred

Coring
Coring is the removing of unnecessary material from the part. It is a very important detail when it comes to part cost. The following show types of coring options.

Original Solid Part - Cross Section

Complete Coring: If the part can meet its functional criteria the best coring option is complete coring. This will minimize the mass of the part as well as reduce section thickness and cooking time.

Complete Coring

Correct

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Wall Thickness
Coring
Partial coring (correct)

Partial Coring: This design is used when the part needs to have a firm feel or resist collapsing.

Correct Conventional Plastic Coring: This is the type of coring used on rigid plastic parts. This type of
Conventional Plastic Coring coring does NOT work with the process. The deep narrow ribs create pockets of gas and the part will

burn. Also the shallow draft angles and sharp corners trap the part in the mold.

Incorrect

Rules of Thumb

Uniform wall thickness is most desired. Coring contributes to significant cost savings.

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Wall Thickness
Holes
When designing a hole in a part, there are a few design requirements to consider. Although holes ARE possible, the following conditions can be issues: Diameter Depth of the Hole(s) Direction of the Hole(s) Multiple Holes Distance Between Holes

Rules of Thumb

Hole(s) should be vertical with the parting line for the best result. The recommended minimum diameter of a hole is relative to the depth of the hole.

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Wall Thickness
Bumps/Protrusions
When designing bumps/ protrusions in a part, there are design considerations. Due to flow characteristics of the material when injected, air can get trapped in holes that are too deep and cause visible burns or weak sections on the part.

Correct - Cross Section

Incorrect - Cross Section

Rules of Thumb

Width must be greater than or equal to the depth of the bumps/protrusions. Sharp edges around the bumps/protrusions are not desirable and should be avoided.

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Aesthetics
Texture
The choice of a surface finish is normally based on cosmetic considerations. A textured finish can enhance the appearance of a part. Texturing a parts appearance will add richness, therefore making the part more marketable, and giving it higher value and quality. Multiple textures can be used on one part for visual contrast.

Rules of Thumb

Aggressiveness of texture has no limit on the top or bottom of the part. We may limit the aggressiveness of texture on the sidewalls of the part, due to the fact that it can prevent the part from self-ejecting.

Color Matching
Polycell is able to match almost any PMS color, A color matching fee may apply.

Cubic Dip Graphics

The Cubic Dip process will put a highly graphic surface on your product. It is accomplished by printing the design on a water-soluble film. The film is then floated on water, causing the film to dissolve leaving the graphic behind.Your part is then dipped into the water, causing the graphic to adhere to your part permanently. Size Limitations: No minimum size. Maximum size is 15.75 x 15.75 (400mm x 400mm.) Standard/Custom Designs: Standard designs or create your own.

Rules of Thumb

Give us almost any PMS color and we can match it. If you want a graphic surface on your product, talk to us about it early in the process.

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Aesthetics
Logos/ Fine Details
Logos and fine details are possible. Placement is critical considering the need for the part to self eject. Raised vs. recessed is also something to consider.

Rules of Thumb

For the same reason as texture, logos are not advisable of the sidewalls of the part. It is best for logos/fine details to be raised rather than recessed.

Gates/ Parting Lines

The gate in this process is significant, so part design needs to consider this. It is critical that you call out areas where gates can not be tolerated so that potential problems can be eliminated in the mold design phase. Sometimes the presence of a parting line is objectionable to the designer for functional or aesthetic reasons. Part design needs to consider the location of the parting line.

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Assembly of Parts
Over Molding
Over molding is NOT possible with this process. The cavity size is much smaller than the finished part. A full size mating part will not fit into the cavity.

Shrink-to-Fit
However, our parts can shrink-to-fit over a secondary piece. Once your product initially ejects out of the mold the secondary piece can be easily inserted. During the cooling phase, the part shrinks to fit. An example of this would be a tire shrinking to fit onto a rim.

Undercuts
The use of undercuts can be used to assemble two parts. The mating part can be a variety of materials including another component made from PolyCell, metal, plastic, etc. This is also a good way to have two-color parts.

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Assembly of Parts
Sewing
Polycell can be sewn onto material or hook and loop fasteners. The thickness of the flange should be considered with part design using a minimum of 3-5 mm.

Hook and Loop Fastener Sewn onto PolyCell to Attach Secondary Piece

Adhesives
On the one hand, the material is resistant to most chemicals (including glues), which makes it highly cleanable for sanitary applications. On the other hand, you may have a need to bond your molded foam part to another material: plastic, aluminum, steel, etc. Depending on the foam/substrate combination, we can glue the foam part together with a secondary substrate.

Rules of Thumb

Polycelltm parts can be sewn to many materials as long as the sewing is the right thickness. Parts can be bonded to substrate surfaces with a variety of glues. Tell us early so we can begin to look for the right adhesive.

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Molds
This is a multiple mold process.
MDI Products and our Asia team handle the designing of all molds. The recommended mold configuration depends on the size and complexity of the part, anticipated production volumes, and molding process requirements. The number of cavities in the mold is primarily determined by the size and complexity of the part. The number of cavities in the mold has a direct relationship to the productivity and cost of manufacturing the part. The endless combination of variables related to part function and production requirements makes every new part a unique challenge. There is no rapid prototyping for this process. The initial step is to create the first production mold. This allows validation of the part design and function. Once the design is validated, additional production molds will be completed.

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Tolerances/Quality Standards
The allowances for product variations are listed as tolerances. Part dimensions specified may display a variation for every different design. The amount of variance or tolerance allowed will often dictate or limit the productivity of the process. We prefer as much tolerance as can be allowed, due to the fact that Polycell is soft foam that expands and contracts during the manufacturing process. There is no comprehensive guideline that will allow design engineers to anticipate the expected tolerances for every type of design. When circumstances warrant MDI Products, and our Asia team, will provide guidance based on actual manufacturing experience. We encourage customer inquiries at the design stage if there is a question of adequate tolerances. We also reserve the option to request tolerance adjustments if our manufacturing experience differs from the initial allowable variances.

Rules of Thumb

Typical production tolerances yield +/- 2% of the final dimensions. Harder material has a lower expansion, and produces a closer tolerance. Part designs with uniform cross sections will usually expand uniformly and have minimum model deviation of your assembly When exact fit is required, PolyCell parts should be designed before the rest Unlike plastics (and like leather), foam can have imperfections.

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Size Parameters
Maximum Size
Cubic Volume: approx. 579 in3 (i.e. 25 x 20 x 1.15 = 579 in3) (9500cm3) Length: 25 to 27.5 (650 to 700mm)* * Some designs could be up to 800mm in length but must be reviewed on a cases by case basis. Width: 20 to 23.6 (500 to 600 mm) Part Depth: 6. (150mm)

Rules of Thumb

Maximum cubic volume is based on the Polycell material chosen. Maximum dimensions are based on the orientation of the part in the mold. This process is not usually the most economical for extremely large or thick parts.

Minimum Size
Part Size: 2 x 2 (50.8mm x 50.8mm)

Rules of Thumb

This process is usually not the most economical for very small parts.

Weight Range
.25 oz - 4.4lbs (7g - 2000g)

Softness Range
00 Scale: 70 95 * A Scale: 18 70 C Scale: 40 65

* 00 Scale is preferred method

Rules of Thumb
the material per cubic foot. Density is not a controllable factor with the PolyCell process. 70 on the 00 Scale is approx. 12lb/ft3 density (191 kg/m3) 95 on the 00 Scale is approx. 16 lb/ft3 density (254.4 kg/m3)

Softness is different than density. Density is based on weight and represents the weight of
Polycells softness range:

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Cost Factors
Cost Factors
All of the factors listed below, contribute to part and pre-production costs and are taken into consideration in the quoting process.

Annual Volume
The higher the annual volume, the lower the cost.

Size of Part
The size and complexity of the part will affect the number of cavities that can be put in a mold.

Number of Cavities
The more cavities in a mold increase the rate of productivity.

Thickness of Part
Since this is a cooking process, the thickness of the part seriously affects the cycle time. (Parts that have uniform thickness of no more than .75 (19mm) will be most cost effective.)

Cubic Volume of Part

This determines the amount of material usage.

Color of Part
This determines the price of the material.

Mold Factors
Number of Molds Required Part/Mold Complexity Mold Cost Mold Life

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Cost Factors
Design Revision after first Article Inspection Report (F.A.I.R)
Additional charges will apply if design changes are required after F.A.I.R.

Part Trimming
Number of places and difficulty.

Secondary Operations/ Packaging

Only considered if required

Cooling Fixtures
Because the part comes out of the mold very hot and very soft, a cooling fixture is often required. The cost of the cooling fixtures will be included in the quote for tooling.

Qualification Testing
Additional charges will apply if a PPAP or other pre-production approval procedures are required.

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CAD Data Interchange Capabilities

Native CAD File Formats
We maintain current versions of the following CAD applications.

Solidworks* Power Shape Rhino

Standardized File Formats

We also maintain the capability to view and import the following standardized file formats. IGES VRML STEP DXF 3DS VDA STL PDF DWG

* Preferred CAD System

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