CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY ON EFFICIENCY

The Situation

A prospective client was experiencing pinhole leaks and other concerning quality issues in a small injection-molded reagent cartridge, and their incumbent supplier was unable to provide a resolution.

Our Solution

To address the challenges that the prospective client was experiencing, Currier’s engineers set out to solve not only the quality issues that had been identified, but to improve the product as a whole.

Process

Currier’s internal Product Development team evaluated the product comprehensively. Beyond tackling the primary quality issue of a pinhole leak, the team addressed cycle time, part warpage, and material selection. This challenge was approached through thorough, collaborative discussions with the client, the DFM (Design for Manufacturing) process, and mold design modifications.

Material 

Making a supplier change is the ideal time to explore new materials, the Currier team embraced this challenge to include this factor into their assessment.

Cycle Time

Initial evaluations indicated an 18-second cycle time based on the original mold cooling line geometry and Moldflow analysis. By reworking the design to improve gate seal-off and part cooling, our team achieved a remarkable 4-second reduction in cycle time, significantly enhancing production efficiency.

Part Warpage

In addition to resolving the initial leakage issue, part warpage exceeded tolerance limits and required immediate attention. Using advanced Moldflow simulation software, the Product Development team optimized cooling geometry during the mold design phase. This innovation ensured precise control over part warpage, delivering a product with superior dimensional accuracy and quality.