Cycle time: Science vs. rules of thumb

Experts share their views on the optimum temperature required for the the polymer so the part can be ejected from the mold. For most plastic parts, approximately half of the cost is in the raw material and the other half is related to the machine time required to make the part. The mass of the proposed part is relatively easy to determine with current technology, based on the volume and the solid-state density of the specified material. The number of cavities that will be tooled can be specified so that everyone involved in the quoting process is working from the same general parameters. The big variable then becomes the estimated cycle time. If the process involves a new product, the quoting is done from a two-dimensional drawing or a 3D model.