【Futaba Corporation】Significantly reducing mold change effort. Launching 'Cassette-type Resin Test Mold' to streamline test specimen molding setup and enable in-mold sensor integration
Futaba Corporation launched the 'Cassette-type Resin Test Mold' on April 1, 2026, significantly reducing the effort required for mold changes in injection molding. This innovation responds to the growing demand for plastic material quality verification, driven by the expansion of recycled material utilization and diversified supply chains, achieving setup efficiency and cost reduction.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 18:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 09:36
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 03:55 (498h 19m after Collected)
Futaba Corporation (Headquarters: Mobara City, Chiba Prefecture; hereinafter, "the Company") launched the "Cassette-type Resin Test Mold," which streamlines setup changes in injection molding, on April 1, 2026.
### **[Background of Development]**
In recent years, the manufacturing industry has seen an increasing demand for plastic material quality verification due to the expanded utilization of recycled materials aimed at achieving carbon neutrality and the diversification of supply chains.
As a result, the frequency of molding test specimens compliant with various standards such as JIS has increased, but the challenge has been the significant cost and labor involved in manufacturing and replacing an entire mold set.
The Company has newly developed the "Cassette-type Resin Test Mold," which integrates its long-cultivated test specimen mold manufacturing technology with in-mold sensing technology, enabling more efficient and lower-cost molding of diverse test specimens. Standardization has been achieved based on accumulated customer requests.
### **[Features]**
**Setup Efficiency through "Cassette System"**
The Cassette-type Resin Test Mold adopts a structure that allows easy replacement of only the fixed and movable cassette inserts (hereinafter, "inserts") while the mold holder remains constantly attached to the injection molding machine. This eliminates the need to replace an entire mold set for each test specimen, significantly reducing setup time. Furthermore, by simply preparing inserts, it can accommodate a wide variety of test specimens, which not only suppresses traditional mold manufacturing costs but also greatly contributes to space saving in mold storage.
**Comprehensive Lineup Supporting Various Test Specimens**
The inserts have a standard lineup of 12 types, ranging from those compliant with standards such as JIS and UL 94 (flame retardancy evaluation) to those for spiral flow (fluidity evaluation). Furthermore, the company flexibly responds to custom specifications tailored to customer evaluation objectives, such as gate shape/position, draft angle, shrinkage rate, gas vent, and sensor position.
- Standard insert lineup
### **[Background of Development]**
In recent years, the manufacturing industry has seen an increasing demand for plastic material quality verification due to the expanded utilization of recycled materials aimed at achieving carbon neutrality and the diversification of supply chains.
As a result, the frequency of molding test specimens compliant with various standards such as JIS has increased, but the challenge has been the significant cost and labor involved in manufacturing and replacing an entire mold set.
The Company has newly developed the "Cassette-type Resin Test Mold," which integrates its long-cultivated test specimen mold manufacturing technology with in-mold sensing technology, enabling more efficient and lower-cost molding of diverse test specimens. Standardization has been achieved based on accumulated customer requests.
### **[Features]**
**Setup Efficiency through "Cassette System"**
The Cassette-type Resin Test Mold adopts a structure that allows easy replacement of only the fixed and movable cassette inserts (hereinafter, "inserts") while the mold holder remains constantly attached to the injection molding machine. This eliminates the need to replace an entire mold set for each test specimen, significantly reducing setup time. Furthermore, by simply preparing inserts, it can accommodate a wide variety of test specimens, which not only suppresses traditional mold manufacturing costs but also greatly contributes to space saving in mold storage.
**Comprehensive Lineup Supporting Various Test Specimens**
The inserts have a standard lineup of 12 types, ranging from those compliant with standards such as JIS and UL 94 (flame retardancy evaluation) to those for spiral flow (fluidity evaluation). Furthermore, the company flexibly responds to custom specifications tailored to customer evaluation objectives, such as gate shape/position, draft angle, shrinkage rate, gas vent, and sensor position.
- Standard insert lineup