Designing new products is a very tough job; there is so much to do and little time to make it happen. Speaking specifically about molded plastic parts, four critical areas usually blend together in successful product designs. The 3D part design, material selection, tool design / construction, and simulation /processing. If not impossible, it would be extremely difficult to find any one person who can do it all. This is why it is so important to have molding partners that can help share the weight of the new product development process.

The second major impact area for product development engineers is material selection. Once you have summarized critical design requirements you can begin to narrow your list of preferred materials. This can be done by referring to your company standards, searching material databases, searching the internet, contacting your preferred raw material suppliers or contacting your molding partners. The goal would be to meet all your critical part requirements and to narrow the list down to a couple strong candidates for further consideration.