Injection Molding: Is It Right for Your Manufacturing Needs?

Are you feeling stuck trying to pick the right manufacturing process? Do you worry about high costs and long lead times? Are design limitations giving you headaches? At Istar Machining, we understand these challenges and offer expert CNC machining services that can help overcome the limitations of injection molding.

Let’s look at what injection molding offers and why our precision CNC machining might be a better fit for your needs.

What Is Injection Molding?

Injection molding is a way to make parts. Hot plastic goes into a mold. The plastic cools. Then you get many same parts fast.

The Big Problems With Injection Molding

Problem #1: The High Cost Wall

Do you know how much money you need to start injection molding? The numbers are scary:

• Mold costs: $10,000 to $100,000+
• Wait time: 4-12 weeks just to make the mold
• Minimum orders: 1,000+ parts to make it worth the cost

This is painful for small runs and new products. You pay all that money before you make one real part!

Problem #2: Design Limits That Box You In

Are you tired of hearing “we can’t make that”? Injection molding has many rules:

• Must have 1-2° draft angles
• Walls must be same thickness
• No deep cuts or complex shapes
• Hard to change once the mold is made

This blocks your creativity and limits what you can design.

Problem #3: Material and Environmental Issues

Worried about waste? Injection molding has problems:

• Cold-runner systems waste 15-30% of material
• Uses 0.5-1.5 kWh of energy per kg of plastic
• Many plastics cannot be recycled
• High carbon footprint (2.5 kg CO2 per kg of material)

Your green goals get harder with these facts.

The Injection Molding Advantage Table

Why Our CNC Machining Solves These Problems

Good news! Our custom CNC machining services fix the big problems with injection molding:

Solution #1: No Big Upfront Costs

With our rapid CNC machining, you get:

• No mold costs – we cut parts directly
• Fast turnaround – parts in days, not months
• Small batch friendly – order just what you need
• Change designs any time – no penalty for updates

Solution #2: Design Freedom

Our 5-axis machining opens up new design options:

• Complex shapes are no problem
• Deep cuts and thin walls – we can make them
• No draft angles needed
• Update designs quickly without new molds

Solution #3: Material Choices and Less Waste

We offer:

• 25+ materials including aluminum CNC machining, steel CNC machining, and titanium CNC machining
• Less waste – we only remove what’s needed
• Lower energy use than injection molding
• Full material properties – no compromises

Real Example: Our Customer Success

A medical device maker came to us after getting a $45,000 quote for injection molding. They needed:

• 250 complex parts
• Biocompatible material
• 0.1mm tolerance
• Fast delivery

With our medical CNC machining service, we delivered:

• All parts in 2 weeks
• Total cost under $12,000
• Perfect first-time fit
• No tooling costs

They saved $33,000 and got parts 10 weeks faster!

When Does Injection Molding Make Sense?

Be honest – injection molding is still good in some cases:

• When you need 10,000+ of the same part
• When part design is simple and won’t change
• When unit cost is the only thing that matters
• When you have 3+ months to wait for first parts

When CNC Machining Wins (Most of the Time)

Our CNC milling and CNC turning services are better when:

• You need 1-5,000 parts
• Your design is complex or might change
• You need parts fast (days not months)
• You want to avoid big upfront costs
• You need tight tolerances (we hit ±0.001″)
• You want to use high-performance materials

Material Options Comparison

Industry Applications Where We Excel

Aerospace Parts

The aerospace field needs exact parts. Our aerospace CNC machining delivers:

• Parts with tight tolerances (±0.001″)
• High-strength aluminum and titanium
• Full material certifications
• Complex shapes other methods can’t make

Medical Devices

Medical parts must be perfect. Our services provide:

• ISO 13485 compliant processes
• Biocompatible materials
• Ultra-clean parts
• Small and precise features

Automotive Components

Car parts need strength and speed. We offer:

• Fast production for automotive CNC machining
• Strong materials that last
• Perfect fit every time
• Both prototype and small production runs

How to Get Started With Us

Ready to skip the high costs and long waits of injection molding? Here’s how to get started with Istar Machining:

1. Send us your design (CAD file is best)
2. Get a fast quote (usually same day)
3. Approve and order
4. Receive perfect parts in days, not months

Why Choose Istar Machining?

• No minimum orders – even one part is fine
• Fast turnaround – as quick as 3 days for rush jobs
• Material experts – we help you pick the right one
• Design help – we can suggest improvements
• Perfect quality – we check every part

Final Thoughts: The Smart Choice

Injection molding locks you in with high costs, long waits, and strict design rules.

Our CNC machining frees you with no tooling costs, fast delivery, and design freedom.

When speed, flexibility, and avoiding big upfront costs matter, CNC machining services from Istar Machining are the smart choice.

Don’t get trapped by the old way of manufacturing. Contact us today and see how our solutions can save you time, money, and stress!