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 The traditional way of driving machines using older algorithms have been superseded by newer tool motion using advanced algorithms—a technique that removes large amounts of material quickly using a dynamic [...]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 [...]
Copper is the most thermally conductive of the common solids; only silver, cubic boron nitride and diamond are more conductive. This makes copper an excellent choice for plastic injection molds that must remove heat from the injected, molten plastic to make it solidify. However, copper is neither hard nor strong enough in its pure form [...]
Siemens PLM Software (Plano, TX) a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, has released NX™, the company’s fully integrated computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering analysis (CAD/CAM/CAE) solution. NX 8 includes extensive enhancements to its CAE offering–including its widely used NX [...]
When considering ways to reduce mold setup and improve part removal a moldmaker should explore the benefits for both the moldmaker and the molder by considering the following five technology solutions: […]
With most new releases of CAM software, the developer will focus on the latest machining strategies that are available in the system. Over the past two years, however, promotional material for new versions has been full of claims about the ability to support the latest hardware developments, such as background processing and multi-threading. This article [...]
Recycling is part of our everyday lives. At home, recycling is done almost exclusively as our way of protecting the environment. At work—especially with in a manufacturing company—the concept of recycling goes far beyond the curb-side service done at home. By choosing the right recycling program, mold manufacturers can help sustain both the environment and [...]
When we apply manufacturing economics thinking to the machine investment process, a couple of questions come to mind: what do we want to manufacture and how quickly can we turn our investment into profit. […]