LE GROUPE VIF INC.
Specialists in mold making and plastic parts molding, Le Groupe VIF inc. offers turnkey solutions for your business projects, from design to complex product assembly. Our advanced injection molding processes and the expertise of our employees make us the leading manufacturer of custom plastic parts, throughout Quebec, Ontario and the northeastern U.S.
At VIF, we specialize in the engineering and design of plastic products and injection molds for all industries. Whether your project starts simply as a concept, or your physical or virtual 3D models are finalized, we’ll work with you to design the plastic product that meets your needs, on time.
ENGINEERING AND DESIGN OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS
As each project is unique, we offer a turnkey approach that includes 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 will work with you to take your project through to production. Our team of industrial designers, robotics technicians, designers, project managers, engineers, quality process technicians and toolmakers will work together on your project. They will guide you in the choice of material and the design of your part to obtain the best quality-price ratio for your product.
THE POWER OF EXPERIENCE
Our experience in manufacturing processes related to plastic molding enables us to offer you various options for reducing costs. In some cases, for example, we may suggest grouping several pieces together in a product to reduce production and assembly costs. In other cases, we may suggest modifications to the design or manufacturing process to reduce tooling or production costs.
Our extensive experience in APQP (Advanced Quality Planning) combined with our PDP enables us to create a flawless design, since all your product specifications are validated before going into production.
A RIGOROUS PROCESS
Our integrated Product Development Process (PDP) ensures that all your needs are validated at every stage: product design, tooling development, process validation and production start-up. The PDP oversees the work of all trades at every stage. With a well-defined plan for each phase, you can easily track the progress of your project.
Whether you require virtual stress or flow analysis, or physical performance, strength or other tests, every element of your product can be rigorously verified.
Mould design and manufacture
We design and manufacture quality plastic injection molds for some thirty countries worldwide. With experience dating back to 1973, we can anticipate problems before they occur. At VIF, our experience in plastic injection mold making enables us to design a product that’s 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 enables us to manufacture molds in-house, from A to Z. Since any modifications or repairs are carried out at VIF, production can be restarted quickly, so you don’t incur any delays or transport costs at this stage. What’s more, all tooling is tailored to your specifications. Our state-of-the-art plant 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.