PEEK (polyether ether ketone) is a strong, heat-resistant plastic used in industries like aerospace, medical, and electronics. Its performance is hard to beat. But when your part design is complex, machining PEEK can quickly become expensive and slow.
Internal channels, thin walls, and small features are hard to create using traditional cutting tools. That’s where injection molding offers a better option. This process allows for more design freedom, better consistency, and often, lower total cost.
Machining complex PEEK parts isn’t easy.
As designs get more detailed, the machining process needs to work harder. Some parts require:
- Multi-axis CNC machines
- Special tools that resist heat and wear
- More programming time
- Careful handling to avoid warping or cracking
All of this increases labor and machine time. It also raises the risk of errors and scrap. Even if the raw material is used wisely, the added cost of making intricate shapes by cutting can be hard to justify.
Injection Molding: Your Blueprint to Boundless PEEK Geometries
From Molten to Masterpiece: The Molding Process for Complexity
Injection molding works by heating PEEK pellets until they melt. The molten material is then pushed into a mold shaped like your part.
Because the PEEK flows into every part of the mold, it can form complex shapes in a single step. That means no extra setups, no cutting passes, and no multi-part assemblies just to get the geometry you want.
Consistent Complexity: Achieving Tight Tolerances and Repeatability
Once the mold is made, the process is highly repeatable. Each part has the same shape, surface finish, and dimensions as the last.
Tight tolerances are easier to achieve. Even parts with small details and fine features come out clean and accurate every time—something that’s hard to guarantee with machining.
Thin Walls and Fine Details: Where PEEK Injection Molding Shines
Thin walls can be tricky when machining PEEK. They may bend, chip, or break under cutting forces.
Injection molding forms these features by filling them from the inside out. There’s no cutting, so the wall stays strong and smooth.
The same goes for fine details. Micro-machining small features is slow and costly. But injection molding can create them directly in the mold, with good accuracy and little extra effort.
Reducing Part Count: The Power of Consolidation with PEEK Molding
Sometimes a complex part is built by assembling several smaller parts—each machined separately.
With injection molding, many of those parts can be combined into a single molded piece. This is called part consolidation.
Benefits include:
- Less time spent on assembly
- Fewer joining steps (like welding or screwing)
- Lower risk of leaks, misalignment, or failure
It simplifies production and improves performance in many applications.
Conclusion
PEEK is an excellent material for high-performance parts, but machining isn’t always the best way to shape it—especially when your design is complex.
Injection molding gives you more control over your part geometry, better material use, and reliable part quality. It’s a smart path for designs that push the limits of what machining can do.
If your current approach is slowing you down or raising costs, consider reviewing your design for injection molding. It might be the key to building your next PEEK part more efficiently.
