# Injection mold machines capable of O scale rolling stocks?



## Kankan (6 mo ago)

Hello everyone! It’s my first post here. Been meaning to join for a while but finally using this question as an excuse to join. Hope I can have a good time here. Now to the question.

Me and friends are currently starting a small O scale business. Mainly for Passenger cars and rolling stocks. 
It’s something we’ve been planning for a while and finally getting started on. Currently designing some rolling stocks digitally and making decent progress on it.

Now since the digital designing is making progress, we are currently trying to solve the biggest issue, the manufacturing process.
3D printing is something we will be using for prototypes and samples but we cannot use it for mass producing for reasons.

So we have decided to use Plastic Injection mold machines. It seems like multiple other train manufacturers are using the same process so we decided we should use it too. Our first thought was to commission overseas countries for producing the shells and such. However since we will be getting a decently sized workshop, we were just wondering if it’s perhaps possible to purchase an injection mold machine that’s capable for our use?

The biggest plastic bodies for rolling stocks that we will be making is around Lionel’s 21 inch passenger cars. I’m just getting started in injection mold machine so please excuse my arrogance. All the injection machines that I’ve looked so far produces small pieces and not an entire shell. Therefore, we are wondering if we can buy an injection mold machine that can make passenger car bodies that are around 21 inch? And if so, how big would it be? 

Again I’m really new to this whole thing so I apologize in advance. If there’s a place where I can quote injection mold machines based on tooling’s size, or a place for more research like this, please let me know! Also is there perhaps better option other than injection mold machines for producing Passenger car or Locomotive bodies? Thank you so much!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Based on your questions, I'd say that jumping in with both feet to do injection molding could be a very expensive experiment! A machine capable of molding 21" passenger car bodies will be a big and expensive machine! I don't pretend to have any expertise in injection molding, but the folks I'm associated with at Henning's Trains make a ton of injection molded smaller parts. I think you'll be set back on your heels at the cost of the molds for a 21" passenger car, I'm guessing it could knock on the door to six figures! Remember, injection molding is for very large volumes, are you really going to make thousands of 21" passenger cars for each run?

Here's a Google Search on some specifics.

Here's a few things to consider.

3 Tips for Calculating the Right Press Size for Your Plastic Injected Molded Project


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## rrman987 (Aug 29, 2021)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Based on your questions, I'd say that jumping in with both feet to do injection molding could be a very expensive experiment! A machine capable of molding 21" passenger car bodies will be a big and expensive machine! I don't pretend to have any expertise in injection molding, but the folks I'm associated with at Henning's Trains make a ton of injection molded smaller parts. I think you'll be set back on your heels at the cost of the molds for a 21" passenger car, I'm guessing it could knock on the door to six figures! Remember, injection molding is for very large volumes, are you really going to make thousands of 21" passenger cars for each run?
> 
> Here's a Google Search on some specifics.
> 
> ...


UNCLE!!!  (using same voice as kid (Flick? Schwartz?) in Christmas Story)


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## Spruslayer (Dec 13, 2020)

I was a mold,tool and die maker back in my working days befor the cnc machines came into common use.
We made bottle molds and small parts on machines that at best had digital position readouts and power feed tables and tool holders.Back then they were crazy expensive and our main clients were the Navy and major botteling companys.I sure with the advent of cnc maching the cost to produce a mold has been reduced but i would bet that its still well into the 6 figures range,plus you would be going up against the allready established companys such as Linoel,AF and others that i dont know of as i am a N scale guy. Not to try and rain on your ambishion but just be prepared for a very large investment with lots of unknowns as to weather you can become competive with the afformentioned producers and not get derailed even befor leaving the station. Best of luck to you in your indevor


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Unfortunately, I have to also be a Johnny Raincloud. If you are asking questions like this, you and your friends are woefully unprepared to enter this business. The machines you're talking about cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, and the molds themselves are several thousand dollars each to have them designed, cut, inspected, corrected, and finished. As GRJ explained, injection molding is only economical at scales of thousands of units per run. And unless you're just going to produce shells, you also have to consider painting, trucks, wheels, couplers, detailing, etc. There's a reason most of the major brands subcontract their production to Southeast Asian manufacturers.

3D printing is in fact more economical for smaller volumes, but again, you need a printer that's a little more capable than the one you're probably using for prototyping... again, probably running to six figures of cost.

Both of these processes require well-ventilated, and somewhat temperature controlled spaces, making them generally unsuitable for home use (even if zoning permits it).

Are you and your friends well-heeled, or prepared to go a couple million into debt to procure, set up, and learn to use suitable equipment? The availability of equipment to do what you want isn't the issue; it's whether you really know what you're getting into, and have a business plan that is much more detailed than, "well, we were sitting around having a few beers and decided to start a business." I'm assuming that you've chosen this particular product line because you're already O Scale modelers and this is a labor of love.

While I wish you luck, it sounds to me like you're heading for trouble.


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

i have a small injection machine, [hand operated],and the dies can be quite expensive .. my machine uses aluminum dies with a maxmum size of five inches ...
the machine itself was around 1400 dollars, and the dies were made by myself on a small cnc milling machine kit ..


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

wvgca said:


> i have a small injection machine, [hand operated],and the dies can be quite expensive .. my machine uses aluminum dies with a maxmum size of five inches ...
> the machine itself was around 1400 dollars, and the dies were made by myself on a small cnc milling machine kit ..


Scaling that up to 21" pieces would really run up the cost!


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## wvgca (Jan 21, 2013)

true enough ... just a rough idea of what you can get really small hand operated machines for ... never did use for its intended purpose, but oh well ...


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