Thinking About Reaction Injection Molding?
Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) has always been a good avenue for prototyping, but for medium to large quantities Thermoforming is usually a much better option. Read on to find out if you’re using the right process for your custom plastics manufacturing project.
6 Advantages of Thermoforming over RIM
If you’re making more than 200 units per year, there are lots of reasons to choose Ray Products and our Thermoforming capabilities over Reaction Injection Molding (RIM). Here are 6 of those reasons to get you started.
- Thermoforming lets you Mold In Color & Texture. RIM doesn’t.
- Thermoforming has Lower Tooling Costs than RIM.
- If you decide to paint, Thermoforming gives you a better surface to finish, which leads to Lower Finishing Costs.
- Our 10′ x 18′ equipment lets you Make Larger Parts than RIM.
- With Thermoforming, you Get Lighter, More Impact-Resistant Parts than with RIM.
- Thermoforming is A More Environmentally Friendly Process than RIM, and creates recyclable parts.
Get Expert Help Choosing The Right Process
Our engineers would be happy to help you pick the right plastics manufacturing process. Just call or send us a message today, and you’ll get expert advice absolutely FREE.
If you need to manufacture between 100 and 10,000 parts annually, and you’d like to take advantage of our 60+ years of experience, contact us today.
CALL 800-423-7859
Process Comparison Table
| Thermoforming | Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) | |
|---|---|---|
| Finished Part Appearance | Can be molded in color & texture for a high quality unpainted finish. | Produces an unattractive surface with visible swirling. |
| Finishing Options | High quality finish that's easy to paint or silkscreen if desired. | Surface must be painted in all visible areas, and is more difficult to finish. |
| Tooling Costs | $$ | $$$ |
| Max Part Size | 10' x 18' x 40" | 4' x 6' |
| Finished Part Weight | Lighter | Heavier |
| Minimum Draft | 0° or Negative | 1° |
| Minimum Nominal Wall Thickness | 0.060" | 0.125" |
| Environmental Considerations | Fully recyclable products produced in an environmentally conscious process with recyclable byproducts. | Produces products which cannot be recycled. |