IMD-decorated lock panel
A slim decorated control panel for smart locks — graphics in the mold, so the finish does not wear off in daily use.
Products · IMD / IML parts
Small shells with hard-wearing in-mold labelling and a precise button aperture — the detail that decides perceived quality.
Also searched asIMD parts · IML parts · in-mold decoration · in-mold labeling · film insert molding
A key fob or remote shell is a handling part: it is dropped, pocketed and used thousands of times. The moulded shell therefore needs a hard-wearing surface, precise apertures for buttons and contacts, and a snap or ultrasonic joint that holds after years of use.
We build these tools with tight aperture tolerances, controlled warpage and the decoration specified at the DFM stage. Where a printed logo or function label is needed, it goes into the mold rather than on top of it, so it survives the life of the product.
Specification
Our standard specification for this type of tooling, confirmed line by line on the mold design approval sheet before machining starts.
| Mold construction | Two-plate, three-plate, hot runner, stack or family — specified per part |
| Cavity count | Single or multi-cavity, sized to annual volume, cycle time and press tonnage |
| Mold steels | P20, 718H, NAK80, S136, hardened H13 / SKD61 cores |
| Mold work tolerance | ±0.01 mm |
| Machine accuracy | Down to 0.001 mm (Yasoda, OKUMA, GF, Makino) |
| Runner | Cold runner, hot runner or valve gate |
| Surface finish | SPI A1–D3, bead blast, leather grain or your texture |
| Cooling | Machined circuits; baffles or bubblers where geometry requires |
| Ejection | Pins, sleeves, stripper plate, lifters, unscrewing or collapsible core |
| Verification | Swiss Hexagon CMM and Zeiss Contura; dimensional report at T1 |
| Molding | 30 presses from 20T to 300T, in the same building |
| Documentation | 2D/3D drawings, steel and component certificates, parameter sheet, spare parts |
| Lead time | Typically 15–30 days of machining after design approval |
| Tool ownership | Yours — the tool is designed to be transferable |
Values above are our standard capability for this class of tool, not fixed figures for a specific project. Cavity count, steel grade, runner type and finish are agreed with you on the design approval sheet before any steel is cut.
Related products · IMD / IML Parts
A slim decorated control panel for smart locks — graphics in the mold, so the finish does not wear off in daily use.
Flat decorated panels with metallic, gradient and marble finishes — produced as flat parts instead of printed foil or metal.
A molded shell where colour and graphics sit inside the wall — seamless finish, brilliant colours and no post-printing.
Next step
STEP/IGES/X_T files, the resin, your annual volume and target market are enough to get a mold price, a cycle estimate and the risks we can see — usually in 1–2 business days.