VIF GROUP INC
Specialists in the manufacturing of moulds and moulding of plastic parts, VIF Group Inc. offers turnkey solutions for your business projects, from the design to the complex assembly of your products. Our advanced injection moulding processes and the expertise of our employees make us the leading manufacturer of custom plastic parts throughout Quebec, Ontario and the northeastern United States.
At VIF, we specialize in the engineering and design of plastic products and injection moulds for all industries. Whether your project starts as a concept or your 3D physical or virtual models are final, we will work with you to design the plastic product that meets your needs, within the required timeframe.
ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS
Because every project is unique, we offer a turnkey approach that includes services such as industrial design, FEA calculations, 2D and 3D technical drawings, rapid prototyping services and any other technical requirements specific to your project. We design and manufacture your plastic injection mold, and we also offer you assembly jigs, Poka-Yoke inspection and all the automation adapted exclusively to your part.
A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
Our experts take your project with you through to production. Our team consists of industrial designers, robotics technicians, designers, project managers, engineers, process quality technicians and toolmakers who will work together on your project. They will guide you in the choice of material and the design of your part in order to get the best value for your product.
THE POWER OF EXPERIENCE
Our experience in manufacturing processes related to plastic moulding allows us to offer you different options to reduce costs. In some cases, we may, for example, suggest that several pieces be grouped together in a product to reduce production and assembly costs. In other cases, we may suggest changes to the design or manufacturing process to reduce tooling or production costs.
Our extensive experience in APQP (Advanced Quality Planning) combined with our PDP allows us to create a seamless design as all your product specifications are validated before production.
A RIGOROUS PROCESS
Our integrated product development process (PDP) ensures that all your needs are validated at every stage, from product design, tooling development, process validation and production. The PDP oversees the work of all trades at each stage. With a well-defined plan for each phase, you can easily monitor the progress of your project.
Whether you require virtual stress or flow analysis, or physical performance, strength or other tests, all elements of your product can be rigorously verified.
Design and manufacture of moulds
We design and manufacture quality plastic injection moulds for over 30 countries worldwide. With experience dating back to 1973, we are able to anticipate any problems before they occur. At VIF, our experience in plastic injection mould making allows us to design a product that is easy to produce with a robust process, and at a lower cost.
Every year, we manufacture around a hundred molds of all sizes and complexities. As the mold manufacturer par excellence, we have all the expertise in-house. As soon as your mold is conceived, our team of experts evaluates its design, optimizes it and validates it before it goes into production. Thanks to these high standards and quality planning, a mold designed by VIF can produce over a million cycles, with very little maintenance.
PROTOTYPAGES
If you'd like to validate and test your part design before manufacturing your mold, we can design prototype molds in aluminum or steel, which we can reuse in micro or small-scale production. Depending on your deadline and budget, we can handle rapid prototype production from local or overseas sources. For all other requirements, we are always ready to listen to your needs and propose innovative solutions.
COMPLETE MACHINE SHOP
We operate a complete machine shop. Our equipment allows us to manufacture the moulds in-house, from A to Z. Since any modification or repair is done at VIF, production can be restarted quickly, so you don't incur any delays or transport costs during this stage. In addition, all tooling is adapted to your specifications. Our state-of-the-art factory guarantees a quality product that exceeds industry standards.
Transformation processes
There are many different plastic processing methods. At VIF, we have specialized in the injection process since 1973.
The functions of the plasticizing and injection system are to melt the plastic and inject it into the mold. Unlike metal parts molding, cycle times for injection molding rarely exceed one minute, and the mold is constantly thermoregulated by a cooling circuit.
The plastic material, in granular form, is poured into a hopper to feed an endless screw housed in a heated tube. It is then compressed, kneaded and heated. This mechanical and thermal treatment produces a melting, homogeneous, bubble-free paste which is pushed by the rotating screw towards an orifice. The mold cavity is filled in less than a second for small parts (keyboard keys, etc.) and in a few seconds for larger parts (storage boxes, etc.). Next comes the holding phase, during which the press pressurizes the impression by injecting more material to fill the plastic shrinkage. Finally, the parts are extracted by an ejection system.
This is a very fast production method for producing objects in very large quantities. This manufacturing technique is frequently used to produce high-quality molded objects, sometimes with complicated shapes, for the automotive, toy or electronics industries. Very large objects can be produced.
Plastic can also be transformed in other ways. Here are the other processes used at VIF:
Extrusion blow-molding: A tube is manufactured by extrusion. The hot tube is enclosed inside a mold, and a jet of compressed air is forced against the walls of the mold. As with injection blow-molding, this process is used to manufacture bottles, flasks, various containers and tanks. Identification: weld line at the bottom of the container.
Thermoforming: This process involves heating a sheet of plastic to soften it. The hot sheet is then applied to the mold. The air between the mold and the sheet is removed. We use it to make utensil drawer interiors, our palm leaves, etc. Identification: rather thin piece with rounded corners and less finishing. You can see the cutout around the edge of the piece.