Today in moldmaking it is very common to see a manufacturer use aluminum material over steel for their plastic injection molds. Aluminum is easier to machine, easier to handle, able to provide quicker turnaround times, and in most cases, higher quality for their injection-molded plastic products. Aluminum still has its unique characteristics that require a [...]
With the implementation of new cutting tool technologies, companies can focus on time cost reduction, shortening leadtimes and in many instances reaching the break even point of their cutting tool investment within hours. […]
Machining Challenges“In the medical mold and die industry, customers face even more challenges than in a typical environment due to the incredibly small sizes and the high precision that is required,” comments Steven, president of First-rate mold company “That is key—high precision—smaller items with tighter tolerances and better surface finish. […]
Micro-mold involves mills and drills with a diameter of 0.250″ or less. It is required for intricate, very detailed machining and works best with high-speed spindles. HSM has no set definition or absolute parameters, but one workable definition is machining with spindle speeds of 25,000 rpm or more. […]
1. There are differences between CVD diamond and amorphous diamond.Amorphous diamond is a carbon film that is applied using physical vapor deposition. It has some of the SP3 bonds that diamond has and some of the SP2 bonds that carbon has. The resulting film is hard, but not as hard as diamond. […]
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, […]
Today’s popular CAD systems share a common technical foundation in the way solid (and surface quilt) models are internally described and represented. Of course, the specifics differ from one system to another, which gives rise to the very challenges that face interoperability. Modern modeling systems define a 3-D object by its topology and geometry. [...]
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. […]
Heater SelectionSelecting the right heater for a molding application is critical to the success of any operation. The most common heating elements specified for use in molds are cartridge, tubular and strip heaters. […]
Over the years, heating systems for hot runner systems have changed as much as hot runners themselves have. The word “hot runner” itself explains the process and keeping the runner hot is a simple idea. […]