Polycarbonate (PC) is one of the most widely used engineering plastics in the world. The material’s highly desirable properties — including strength, toughness and clarity — make it attractive for the development of many everyday products, such as medical tubing connectors, medical and consumer electronics, eyeglasses, and automotive and lighting lenses. As demand for medical [...]
Many mold manufacturers build a network of specialty shops to whom they outsource steps of a project to help meet required deadlines and stay on budget. These relationships demand communication at every step to ensure a quality mold on schedule. This means that before a job hits the floor of that specialty service provider, the [...]
Custom textured molds are essential for improving a product's aesthetics, functionality and brand identity. Designing, creating and maintaining these textures to ensure consistent quality and cost efficiency requires a highly coordinated, multidisciplinary approach integrating advanced technologies, material expertise and collaboration across teams from design to maintenance. Here are some key considerations for successful textured mold [...]
Mold builders can go seamlessly from CAD to CAM to machining with a stand-alone software programming module for sinker EDM. However, what’s groundbreaking is that it takes the guesswork out of determining part cavity burn parameters to optimize the EDM process and ensure the first parts are the right parts. Using the special engineering software, [...]
Mold manufacturing requires using measurement to a shop’s advantage because what gets measured, gets done. I’ve played golf with players who want to improve their game, and the one thing I noticed is that they keep track of their shots in one form or another (fairways hit, greens in regulation and putts). You might be [...]
A look back at the top moldmaking trends of 2024, as revealed through our analytics. This review highlights the most popular technical articles, case studies, tips and best practices that captured the industry's attention over the past year. 3D Printing Innovates Hot Runner Manifold Design we want to detail a 3D-printed manifold technology that significantly [...]
Mold repair is the second most expensive budgetary item in a plastics molding facility, That statement should make everyone stop and pay attention. The only way to change that figure is to change the culture, and we all know that culture change is tough. We wish we could just have somebody purchase maintenance widgets that [...]
Mold builders are talking about tried-and-true as well as new technology, both focused on working faster, cutting costs and tackling labor challenges. It’s about innovation and efficiency with mold design, additive manufacturing (AM), automation and data management. Mold design and engineering are seen as the future of mold manufacturing, so shops are laser-focused on technologies [...]
Moldmaking typically moves in tandem with industrial equipment investment. A reduction in industrial equipment investment could signal a potential slowdown in new tooling projects. The PLASTICS Quarterly Forecast predicts a potential decline in mold production in 2024. However, plastics conversion has been on the rise, especially in the early months of 2024. According to PLASTICS' [...]
The mold manufacturing industry is constantly evolving. As a result, options for overcoming complex mold texturing challenges are evolving, too. Our complex marketplace demands new and innovative design possibilities with higher accuracy and tighter tolerances while keeping production times as short as possible. For example, some projects may require depth or detail unachievable by acid [...]