Electronics can be damaged by the high temperatures used in high pressure injection moulding, but the materials used in low pressure overmoulding have a much lower melting point for use with delicate cables and circuit boards.
A design by our in-house 3D design team, a cost-efficient aluminium mould tool set, and our unmatched expertise is all it takes. Additionally, with cycle times of 30 seconds to 2 minutes your overmoulded parts can be completed in no time.
Hundreds of manufacturers are improving reliability and reducing manufacturing time by outsourcing their electronics encapsulation requirements and working with us as their contract overmoulding partner. We help them create better products by using our acclaimed low pressure overmoulding experience.
The Low Pressure Overmoulding Process
The Low-Pressure Injection Moulding process consists of 3 simple steps
Unlike potting – which can take up to seven process steps – the Low-Pressure Overmoulding process consists of 3 simple steps which involve placing exposed electronics or the PCB assembly into a specially manufactured aluminium mould tool and completely enclosing them with a liquid compound which effectively forms the housing for the device.
- Insert the part.
We place the electrical part into the mould in an appropriately specified Low Pressure Moulding (LPM) machine. The other half of the mould closes, creating a cavity.
- Overmould.
The thermoplastic materials are poured into the hopper of the machine and heated until liquified and then injected into the mould tool cavity and the overmoulding procedure begins (cycle time is between 15 and 60 seconds)
- Take out & cool down.
The part is quick to cool down (due to the heat conduction capabilities of the aluminium tooling) and is released from the tooling. It can be inspected / tested or packed immediately after moulding before being dispatched to the end customer.
The resulting product offers high levels of protection, strain relief, and resistance to vibration damage.
Why choose Overmould for your Low Pressure Moulding?
Our team of highly skilled engineers has many years of knowledge & a proven track record of overmoulding success.
Our low pressure overmoulding service is our core service offering. We know exactly what to recommend to help you achieve optimal product outcomes.
- We’ll provide a one to one consultation to discuss your project.
- We’re extremely flexible – you can contact us at any time with queries during our working hours.
- We create solutions and alternatives to challenging situations.
- We cover a whole range of industries and tailor our overmoulding service for the strictest and most specific requirements of a project, from design to production.
- We exclusively use Moldman™ moulding machines, premium, top-quality systems, renowned throughout the industry.
- We offer extremely short lead times. Contact us today to find out how quickly your project can be completed.
Looking To Manage Your Own Low Pressure Moulding?
View Our Selection Of LPM Systems
Low Pressure Overmoulding versus Potting
Want to know how Low Pressure Overmoulding stacks up against traditional potting and encapsulation? Explore our detailed comparison Low Pressure Moulding vs Potting or Encapsulation to see which process is best for your application.
Low Pressure Overmoulding
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Potting Encapsulation
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If You Need Any Moulding or Product Prototyping Solution
Low Pressure Overmoulding Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the lost common questions our customers ask us about LPM, Low Pressure Moulding vs Potting or Encapsulation, Equipment & Materials, and the Overmoulding Process.
Cost depends on part size, material grade, tooling requirements and volume. Because LPM uses low-cost aluminium tooling and cycle times of just 30 seconds to 2 minutes, it’s typically far more cost-effective than potting or high-pressure injection moulding at low-to-mid volumes. Get a fixed-price quote for your specific project, or see our production mould tooling options to understand tooling costs.
We support projects from initial prototypes through to high-volume production, so there’s no restrictive MOQ in the way there can be with high-pressure injection moulding. If you only need a handful of parts to start, our prototyping service is the right first step. Speak to our team about your volume requirements.
Turnaround depends on the tooling tier. 3D printed prototype tooling can be ready in days, while aluminium development and production tooling takes longer depending on complexity. See our tooling options for a full breakdown, or contact us for a lead time on your design.
Yes, we regularly encapsulate customer-supplied PCB assemblies and cable designs. Our in-house 3D design team can advise on any adjustments needed for successful overmoulding. Send us your design or read more about our prototyping service if you’d like a test part first.
LPM is a 3-step process (insert, overmould, cool) with cycle times of 30 seconds to 2 minutes, compared to potting’s multi-stage process and 12–24 hour curing time. LPM also produces less waste and lower risk of thermal damage to electronics. See the full comparison on this page above, or talk to our team about which process suits your application.
We use Henkel TechnoMelt® and Sipol polyamide hot-melt adhesives, for which Overmould is the UK’s approved distributor. Explore the TechnoMelt material range.