21. Miniatures | v.20221215
2.4.4 Miniatures
- Not applicable
2.4.4.1 • The Dimensions
The master sample will be amplified by 4% compared to the original dimensions because the plastic material will shrink when it is removed from the mold and chilled. This is a feature of injection molding. Its shrinkage is approximately 4%, thus, the master sample will be amplified to 1.04 times and the product will be contracted to the original desired dimension once the mold is done.
2.4.4.2 • The Material Issue
The material of a PU Master sample is different from the mass products.
The material of a PU Master sample is PU. However, the plastic material for injection molding we use will be ( PVC ABS HIPS) in mass production.
The material of the Master sample is very brittle which can easily lead to damage. This issue will not occur in mass production when a plastic material is used.
Notice: If both PVC and ABS are selected, ABS will be applied for some parts in the mass production.
2.4.4.3 • Color of the Raw Material
- The Master Sample is not for color confirmation.
The color of the master sample is different from that of the molding sample. This is mainly due to the craftsmanship and raw material of the master sample. If the client strictly requires the consistency of both, it is achievable by spraying color on the master sample. However, it is not recommended to do so as the sample cost will be increased substantially. The master sample is mainly for the client to check the outline and details, and the color will be approved by the client with the mass production sample.
- Spraying color is applied on the master sample.
The spraying color is matched by the PMS color code, which is provided by the client and is for reference only. The color will be different from the mass products which are formed with solid color material by injection molding.
2.4.4.4 • Disassembly
The parts of the master sample will not be disassembled. This disassembly solution will be decided by the factory.
2.4.4.5 • Appearance
- Non-flling
- Filling
Some white or yellow flling will be seen on the master sample. This is for process reasons needing some supporting holes. The flling is required on the sample after the sample is made.
This will not occur in mass production when injection molding is used.
2.4.4.6 • Quality of Details
The master sample is duplicated from the 3D printed sample and has fine details. The production process of the tooling for mass production is as follows:
3D printed sample>>Silicon tooling>>Master sample>>Plaster tooling>>Ceramic tooling>>Steel tooling
Some details can be lost during the process of duplication. This is due to the technical characteristics of PVC miniatures (this applies to the entire industry). We can achieve 95% similarity in terms of the details (compared with 3D-printed samples).
2.4.4.7 • Safety Issues
- Ages above 14
Sharp edges and acute angles are permitted.
- Age 14 and below
Sharp edges and acute angles should be avoided, as otherwise these may not pass the safety testing.
- Non sharp edge or acute angle
Sharp edges or acute angles can be avoided by modifying the designs. If you do not wish to amend the design, reducing the hardness of the raw material can help to pass the tests. Please contact our account manager for more information.
2.4.4.8 • Functionality
- The base size is regular.
- The base is too small.
The base size of the master sample is smaller than that of the design. This is mainly due to the mold being made by casting frst and processed later. In order to shape a perfect sphere, the base of the master sample will be made relatively small (during the process of casting), then processed with EDM after the mold is fnished. Finally, the mold will be processed to the accurate size as the fneness can be perfectly achieved by EDM but not casting.