Molding Capabilities & Markets

Molding Expertise

Very few companies consider or have the ability to involve themselves in projects that require all aspects of plastic part production. Each step in the process, from concept design to product delivery, is integral to success.  Failure to effectively apply any component of the process can result in program failure. 

Hawk associates have extensive experience in:

Our market focus are aerospace, telecommunications, medical, and fuel cell industries.  Our ultimate goal is to provide an integrated solution incorporating all engineering disciplines at a competitive price. This is how we define value.

Hawk Integrated Plastics' associates apply the following advanced technologies:

Process Technologies:

High Speed Data Acquisition

Using external high speed data acquisition to “center” the process and develop the largest process window, sensitivities in the process that have the most effect on part quality can be understood, modified, and controlled more efficiently.

Hawk Integrated Plastics associates have worked with industry-leading data acquisition equipment manufacturers to design, develop, and test equipment produced specifically for the molding industry.

Design of Experiments (DOE)

Hawk Integrated Plastics applies statistical Design of Experiments methods in conjunction with high-speed data acquisition to efficiently determine the sensitivities that affect part quality in an injection molding process.  This is the basis of our quality approach:

Quality gates applied early in the process will eliminate inspection needs downstream. 

While the industry typically relies on Statistical Process Control (SPC), we at Hawk refer to our approach as “On-line Statistical Quality Control” (OSQC).   This approach allows us to statistically determine the dimensions of a part without ever physically measuring the part.

Cavity Pressure Sensing

Pressure sensing transducers placed in the cavity of a tool can be used to monitor the pressure drop (Delta P) across the part geometry during the fill, pack, and hold phase of the molding process.  This gives an immediate and clear picture of process repeatability and part quality in the mold.  (OEM’s are requesting this technology, but there remains little understanding in the industry.)

Hawk associates have used this technology for over a decade, and have developed comprehensive, robust processes for the efficient use of cavity pressure sensors.

Lights-out Molding

In a lights-out facility, the molding process is completely automated. Hawk Integrated Plastics associates have developed robust injection molding processes and tooling for novel lights-out molding operations.

Lights-out molding operations using process windows identified through high-speed data acquisition and Design of Experiments will be the focus for high volume consumer products. Hawk Integrated Plastics has the technology to develop state-of art lights-out facilities.

Tooling Technologies

Cooling Efficiencies

Appropriate cooling design and the resultant thermal efficiency for injection molding tooling is critical for dimensionally stable plastic parts.  Hawk associates have over twenty combined years of experience developing and applying efficient cooling designs for injection molding tools (patents pending).

Conformal cooling studies: several joint efforts with Universities (MIT, UConn, UMass) and industry (AMP, Motorola, Ford, Chrysler, etc.). 

Mold Filling Analysis

Mold filling analysis helps tool designers save time and money during the design process. Appropriate gating schemes, channel sizes, and cooling designs can be optimized before any machining of tool steel.

Hawk associates have twenty combined years of experience developing and applying computer-aided engineering (CAE) to the injection molding process. (C-Mold, MoldFlow, etc.) (Patents pending)

Hawk Integrated Plastics has World-Class capability for interpretation of computer-aided filling analysis, including gas-assist injection molding.

Hot Runner Technologies

Hot runners are used to control polymer melt temperature between the molding machine barrel and the gate of the mold. This allows for process repeatability, sophisticated tool design, and saves material costs because there no sprue and runner system is required.

Hawk Integrated Plastics associates have benchmarked and worked with industry leading manufacturers to develop new valve gating technologies, cooling techniques, and manifold designs.

Special Processing Technologies

Gas-Assist Injection Molding

Gas-assisted molding is a technique that allows for the evacuation of polymer during the molding process by injecting dry nitrogen into the polymer path to create a hollow part.

Hawk Integrated Plastics associates have worked with industry leading manufacturers to develop new controller technologies, gas pin designs, and processing techniques. Hawk associates have performed years of process and benchmarking studies for gas-assist molding, and has an alliance with a leading equipment manufacturer / supplier.

Equipment

Hawk’s business model requires that we use state-of-art molding and analysis equipment.  We only employ equipment capable of meeting our requirements of delivering highest quality and consistent results.  Our equipment list includes:

Hawk is implementing a computer based Preventive Maintenance tracking system to ensure continued functionality and consistency.