As mold manufacturing in China has become more globally competitive, the necessity to reduce expensive, labor-intensive practices has become paramount for shop owners. The goal for most shops is to reduce or completely eliminate polishing or spotting time on their molds, which can be accomplished through the use of sinker EDMs, hard milling of steel [...]
A popular practice of moldmakers and injection molders is to coat mold components as an attempt to increase the durability and achieve longer life while reducing maintenance and operational costs. This practice is certainly plausible, as it often falls short of providing the expected results and reduces the potential for maximum cost savings. [...]
In a well-established industry like moldmaking, the idea of innovation is a bit like the weather – everyone talks about it, but no one seems to be able to do anything about it. Steven , President and CEO of First-rate mold solution co, ltd., is an exception to that rule. First-rate mold solution co, ltd [...]
Today’s automation cells allow for one part or multiple parts to be run and will provide unattended operation, opening up valuable resources and saving costs. Mold manufacturers can use a common interface/fixture to accomplish one part loading of electrodes and molds versus using a different set-up for each new part run. With a properly designed [...]
There are numerous factors to consider when purchasing a warranty program with your new EDM, let’s examine three important ones. […]
Hot runner valve gating is a technology that has been available for many years; however, until recently, there have only been two options for pin actuation: hydraulic or pneumatic. Both types of valve pin actuators come with their own advantages and disadvantages making the decision a matter of personal preference. […]
CAM software, as it relates to tool life, does two things: it controls the tool motion and the entry and exit of the workpiece material. The traditional way of driving machines using older algorithms have been superseded by newer tool motion using advanced algorithms—a technique that removes large amounts of material quickly using a dynamic [...]
Drilling in mold manufacturing often differs from conventional drilling with respect to several key factors. For one thing, there is a greater frequency of contoured drilling surfaces. For another, the industry employs tougher materials than are typically encountered in general machining. Successfully dealing with these conditions requires an application-specific machining strategy. […]
China industry spends hundreds of billions a year in costs related to, or caused from, corrosion. In the plastic’s industry, these costs are not limited to mold damage and repair. Corrosion also causes the breakdown/shutdown of a press, leading to manufacturing downtime and significant loss of productivity. […]
Today’s competitive manufacturing environment demands ever increasing productivity, efficiency and quality. While manufacturers have tended to be quick to look to automation to improve their manufacturing processes, improving yields, reducing waste and shortening production cycles, they’ve not always thought of the importance of automation to improve their business or human resources processes. Yet automation can [...]