Many of you have probably heard of self-venting or gas permeable mold steel, but are not totally familiar with it. Gas permeable mold steel is a sintered, pre-hardened to 35 HRc material with porosity in the range of 20 to 30 percent by volume. A system of interconnected micron-sized pores is dispersed throughout the material. [...]
During the concept phase of a new project the option of selecting a stack mold is often overlooked because many mold designers are unfamiliar with the technology. Compared to a regular, single-face injection mold, stack molds can virtually double the output of an injection molding machine by distributing the plastic melt into two separate mold [...]
A purchase order has been promised by the customer for weeks, and finally the green light has been given to the mold design team. No sooner has the design started and the shop foreman is asking when steel can be ordered, […]
Most moldmakers are already familiar with using surface modeling techniques to undertake minor modifications to product designs—such as adjusting draft angles or increasing fillet radii to ease the flow of material—and to create extra geometry for the core and cavity, such as split surfaces. […]
Some CAM vendors refer to optimized software as the software best suited for the types of machines, processes or parts being programmed. On one hand, having CAM integrated with the CAD program may be argued as the most effective and optimum way to work. Conversely, CAM programmers may be better served by selecting specialized software [...]
Data translation between CAD and CAM software applications is very high on the list of problems for buyers. The standard format IGES and the popular VDA in Europe are often flavored by software developers to fit their database structures. […]
With tribrid modeling, there is no need to convert the triangles into surfaces or solids. Furthermore, having all three modeling techniques in a single package reduces the need to transfer data between multiple programs and so streamlines the whole product development process. It means that moldmakers can move data captured with reverse engineering into the [...]
While the Internet may hold intriguing possibilities for the future, moldmakers need helpful, online options today. Fortunately, there are several sites that – if used correctly – can help moldmakers become more profitable. […]
These all meet the dictionary definition of “optimization”. However, one of the fastest ways for a moldmaker to achieve a dramatic improvement in efficiency and reduce NC program cycle time is to automatically optimize their NC program feedrates. Simply by optimizing NC program feedrates, moldmakers can achieve a 15 to 50 percent reduction in machining [...]
Software has become a fact of life in American manufacturing. CAD/CAM requirements differ among companies, so it’s not surprising that many find it necessary to customize their systems to meet their particular needs. A company’s customization may sometimes take up to one year to complete. With this in mind, what do design engineers and their [...]