Dip molding

The Dip Molding process involves dipping a preheated mandrel into plastisol, followed by a high temperature cure. The cured plastisol is then removed from the mandrel resulting in a finished part. This part can be further enhanced by a variety of secondary operations including printing, hole punching, trimming and assembly.

Parts that are too large for dip coating, too costly to ship, or that require a removable protective covering, are excellent candidates for dip molding. Also, parts whose volume does not justify the tooling costs associated with injection molding are ideal for dip molding.

Materials
Liquid plastisol

Tooling

Dip molded tooling typically consists of numerous metal molds that are affixed to channels or plates.  Typically, the more molds one can dip at a time, the lower the per piece cost will be.  This, however, is limited to the size of the machine on which the parts will be run and machine sizes vary greatly in the industry.

As a general rule, dip molded tooling is less expensive and faster to make than injection molding tooling and this is one advantage that the industry likes to exploit.  This is especially true in the case of prototypes where single molds can be used to make actual products in days.

Advantages

• Low tooling costs…typically a fraction of injection molding
• Quick and inexpensive prototypes
• Short lead-times on custom tooling…weeks versus months
• Innovative materials and textures
• More vibrant colors can be achieved with vinyl
• No internal stress molded into parts
• Large parts can be made without significant tooling investment.
• Multi-Dipping capabilities allow us to design products with two colors or materials on one part – typically used for making products with durable inside liners and more consumer friendly exteriors.

Disadvantages

• with the exception of internal dimensions, tolerances are often much higher than on injection molded parts
• limited exterior design possibilities and control. 
• Price

Examples
Plastic coin purses, hand tool grips, shifter boots for trucks & automobiles, bellows.