Overmolding Offers Several Benefits to Harnesses, PCBs, & Other Components
When manufacturing a product, you want it to be as durable, reliable, and attractive as possible, especially when your brand and business will have to stand behind it. This means utilizing the best practices and materials as well as the best available manufacturing processes, such as overmolding.
Widely used across most industries, the process of overmolding involves placing a substrate component — be it a wire harness, PCB, tool, or part — into a mold cavity where a hot liquid overlay, typically plastic or rubber, is injected at high pressure. This creates a single, seamless piece that provides a number of desirable benefits.
Overmolding is one of the many product-enhancing processes offered by Form Manufacturing whose skilled team of designers and engineers collaborate directly with you at every stage to turn your product vision into reality as accurately, quickly, and efficiently as possible. Talk to us today about your unique needs and vision!
Polyethylene (PE), particularly high-density PE, is a go-to plastic material used for overmolding, thanks to its ability to conform to different substrates while maintaining its strength. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is another popular choice, known for its fray-resistant and elastic properties. The overmolding fluid adheres to the assembly when it cools, giving the product an extra layer for the following advantages:
Greater Durability
The rubber or plastic layer of overmolding offers more protection from wear and tear as well as threats from the product’s future application and environment. Water, dust, chemicals, extreme temperatures, human tampering, continual movement, and more can be damaging threats to a product and its longevity. Overmolding adds a sealed protective barrier between which increases durability and lifespan. Electronics especially benefit from overmolding by protecting the essential electrical wiring and other components inside. Overmolding enhances strength and flexibility which also helps ensure a longer life, potentially increasing a product’s IP rating (ingress protection) when applicable.
Enhanced Functionality
Your product is expected to perform reliably time after time, and the ability to combine materials with different properties (such as a hard outer shell with a soft inner core) can improve the overall functionality of your product. For instance, on a wire harness or PCB, the enhanced insulation can create a barrier between conductors and electromagnetic and other types of outside interference. Furthermore, the added resilience provided by overmolding helps guard against shock, vibration, and noise.
Improved Appearance
With a more stylish aesthetic as one seamless piece that can incorporate a wide range of colors, textures, and materials, overmolding offers a sleeker, more pleasing physical appearance to your product. In automotive components, such as panels, buttons, or trim pieces, overmolding combines improved aesthetics with essential functionality.
Better Ergonomics
Softer, more flexible materials like plastic and rubber offer the opportunity to make your product more ergonomic, with a more comfortable, streamlined grip or feel, which is important with products like tools and electronics. For example, overmolding in medical devices can improve grip, protect sensitive components, and make components more touch- and user-friendly.
Branding Opportunities
These customizable factors and typically smoother surfaces also let you create an appearance that aligns with your brand’s identity, whether it’s through your brand’s colors, logos, and/or name. With overmolding, you can make your product either stand out or blend discreetly into its future environment.
Cost-Effectiveness
Often eliminating the need for additional parts, overmolding can reduce assembly time and costs. By improving product viability, overmolding helps you avoid the hassle of having to replace a product sooner than anticipated. In addition, overmolding can reduce the number of installation steps and over-handling, thus helping save both time and money.
With 20 years of injection molded device, component, and packaging experience, Form Manufacturing delivers high-quality products from prototype to production. Contact us today with your questions or quote request!