How frustrating is it when you start up a mold, apply all Scientific Molding principles to your brand-new, all-electric molding machine, and finally get parts approved by the QC department only to have them come back a few hours later and say that some parts are flashing and others are short? […]
One of the important developments of 7000 series aluminum has been consistent through thickness strength across sections of material in excess of 8 inches. 7000 series alloys are characterized by the primary alloying element, zinc. Other elements including magnesium and copper in combination with zinc produce the highest strength family of aluminum alloys. [...]
As machine tools and mold designs become more complex, part program verification using CNC machine simulation becomes an essential tool for ensuring that the moldmaker’s NC programs machine the mold correctly the first time. Skipping the verification step creates costly production delays, which cause the machine tool to wait idle while the NC program errors [...]
Justifying new technology is a multi-step process that requires a thorough assessment of a number of factors at work in your manufacturing operation. […]
Many companies try to justify the purchase of capital equipment based on a 2- to 3-year payback. That forces the purchase of less expensive or dedicated machines at the outset and ignores the impact of new parts and new work beyond that—in 5 to 6 years. It may cost more today to account for the [...]
One of these problems is a shortage of knowledgeable experienced manufacturing engineers who can actually generate the code for the CNC machines in the most optimized manner to maximize profitability. This is due to an aging workforce and a lack of experienced engineers. The logical solution is to capture the current knowledge and to automate [...]
A problem facing manufacturers is CAD/CAM data exchange. Design data useful for manufacturing is often lost as the solid model data moves from CAD to CAM. Data incompatibility results in more repair work and lost time. […]
As requirements for tight tolerances and minimizing contaminants increase, a documented, validated cleaning process will set you apart from generic suppliers and provide a competitive edge. A few months ago, we provided basic tips to getting a handle on your current cleaning processes, to understanding what cleaning agents you have in-house, and to spot and [...]
Use these seven tips to hone in on Web marketing strategies that will work within your mold manufacturing environment: […]
CGTech’s (Irvine, CA) next version of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization software, VERICUT 7.1, features significant enhancements to reduce the time required for manufacturing engineers to easily develop, analyze, inspect and document the CNC programming and machining process. Along with proactively adding new features, CGTech developers and engineers focused on addressing hundreds of customer-driven [...]