Make a lightswitch and socket
precious-plastic
| Published almost 5 years ago
Last update over 1 year ago
Moulds

Make a lightswitch and socket

Making decorative objects and handcrafts is one thing, but is recycled plastic capable of replacing industrially manufactured and standardized components? The lightswitch and socket proof that!
< 1 week
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7 steps

1

Make the moulds: CNC

Those pieces will be injected, so you need the moulds and access to an Injection machine. For the mould-making, download the files above and CNC-mill it yourself or send it to a mould maker. In the latter case, make sure to communicate clearly if your part is designed as the resulted part or already oversized to compensate for shrinkage. The file attached above is the actual size of the end result, so you need to scale it depending on your material. For the PP we used we scaled the model up by 2,6%.
Step 1 Gallery image 1

2

Make the moulds: Sliders

The lightswitch cover needs holes for sliders to achieve a snap connector feature which shapes an undercut. Drill the corresponding holes perpendicular to the unmoulding direction and use a tightly fitting pin (e.g. the back of the drill or a parallel pin) as slider.
Step 2 Gallery image 1
Step 2 Gallery image 1
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3

Preparations

Due to the very thin walled diaphragm injection gate, preheating the lightswitch frame’s mould makes the process of injecting easier. The amount of plastic needed for all parts is about half a barrel, but rather work with a full barrel to ensure enough pressure. As the mould is quite intricate and detailed, a plastic with good flow characteristics is required. e injected PP on 270/280°C (barrel/nozzle), but a few tests might be necessary to calibrate your machine.
Step 3 Gallery image 1

4

Inject the parts

Time to inject. The plastic should be evenly molten to easily spread within the mould, so it might run out of the nozzle just because of gravity. Use a plug that’s screwed into the nozzle and remove it right before you start injecting. Act fast and keep the pressure for a couple of seconds before lifting the lever. This will prevent sink marks as the plastic is cooling down under pressure.
Step 4 Gallery image 1
Step 4 Gallery image 1
Step 4 Gallery image 2

5

Unmould your parts

Once injected, you can take out the sliders and open the mould. You don’t need to wait additionally for the plastic to cool down, the time it takes to open the mould is a sufficient cooldown time. Especially the lightswitch cover sits pretty tightly in the mould and levering with a spatula is needed. It helps much to lift the part evenly from each side to eject the parts. Take care that you don’t scratch the mould cavity with metal tools.
Step 5 Gallery image 1
Step 5 Gallery image 1
Step 5 Gallery image 2

6

Finish

Break the injection point along the predetermined breaking points. If necessary use a knife to shave off excess material.
Step 6 Gallery image 1
Step 6 Gallery image 1
Step 6 Gallery image 2
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7

Mount it and love it!

Your parts are ready! Keep in mind that this product is in direct contact with high voltage electricity, so don’t try to mount it yourself unless you’re qualified. Should one of the parts break, you can simply shred and melt it again, or bring it to another Precious Plastic workspace where they can recycle the plastic. :)
Step 7 Gallery image 1
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7 Comments

Avatar of martijn
martijn
Edited over 2 years ago
Hi, i am experimenting with the socket. The switch will be next. Can you explain in more detail the function of the sliders in section 2? I do not understand there function. Much appreciated, Martijn
Avatar of edgarostrowski
edgarostrowski
Edited about 2 years ago
Very nice, but this is only the face plate for the socket or switch. What about the rest? Can you please provide some details about the rest of parts that are needed to create a working device? Thanks!
Avatar of precious-plastic
precious-plastic
Edited about 2 years ago
It's based on a Schneider system M Socket @edgarostrowski
Avatar of edgarostrowski
edgarostrowski
Edited about 2 years ago
@precious-plastic Thank you 🙂
Avatar of martijn
martijn
Edited about 2 years ago
Thank you @easymoulds for the undercut info. I have the moulds made and now it all makes sense! As mentioned above the socket is based on the Schuko Type F power socket with center screw installation. (please correct me when wrong) On what type is the switch based on? Much appreciated, Martijn
Avatar of alvarinmarea
alvarinmarea
Edited over 1 year ago
Anybody selling this in the Bazar? I can't find !
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