When choosing plating for your mold or mold components, you must first identify the problem to be solved or the problem to be prevented. The first question you should ask is “What is the cause of this problem? Is this problem the result of corrosion or wear?” If the component has previously been plated, this [...]
There are two basic types of plating – electrolytic and electroless. Electrolytic plating requires electricity to make the process occur. There is a positive and negative charge. The positive is called the anode and the negative is the cathode. The part to be plated gets the negative charge so it becomes the cathode. The anode [...]
The most common problem associated with polishing aluminum is the deep scratches that plague the finishes. Three things primarily cause deep scratches in aluminum: 1) The wrong type of abrasive being used. 2) Too much downward pressure from the polisher's hand. 3) Using too long a stroke while stoning. Aluminum is primarily stoned by hand [...]
The secret to getting a good diamond finish is to first have a fine scratch stone finish. The way to achieve this finish is to lighten up on the downward pressure as you stone . At first, you push down as hard as you need to in order to get rid of deep existing scratches, [...]
Assuming that your work is wide enough, start by putting a one-inch cup brush into your rotary hand piece. If your stone finish is truly good enough, a diamond compound in the nine-micron range will work like magic; however, don’t feel bad if the nine-micron diamond won’t take out the stoning marks and you have [...]
After a good brushing job, it’s time to do a soft buff, but before you begin it’s critical to take a good, long look at exactly how deep the brush marks are. They are probably only .0002 of an inch deep or less, so when you start with the buff, press down with less pressure. [...]
The final step is optional, depending on how good a diamond finish you need. Start by folding a piece of facial tissue into a square – six or 11 layers thick – impregnate it with number three yellow diamond compound, […]
Thermal Load StabilityOxidizing decay of organic components in thermal insulation boards increases with rising temperatures. Continuous thermal load is defined by the temperature at which the application of a particular grade can be technically and economically justified, so that the lifetime will extend to several years. […]
The rubber, plastics and wood panel industries work with heated tooling when material is pressed directly between hot platens. If a platen or heated tool is mounted to the press head, press table or beam without a layer of protective insulation, a considerable amount of heat is transferred to the press and the press heats [...]
Typically in a simulation program, the user designs CAD solids that collectively represent the CNC machine being used to cut the mold. The user also specifies how the solids move and interact, mirroring the operation of the actual machine. Tool, workpiece and spindle attachment locations are defined via user coordinate system (UCS) points consisting of [...]