Technology in moldmaking has grown substantially over the years, and so has our knowledge of the full process of Design for Manufacturing (DFM). We’ve realized that it is important not only to consider the detail of designing for efficient molding, but to also consider how tooling, molding and tool maintenance should connect. DFM and experience [...]
From the assembly line chaos of the 1936 Charlie Chaplin classic Modern Times and the robot-driven science fiction movies of the 1950s and beyond, automation (and its inherent robot-driven workforce) has always struck fear in the hearts and minds of organized labor. Since Ford Motor Vice President D.S. Harder first coined the phrase in 1946, [...]
With the proportion of free-form surfaces increasing and the precision requirements for mold processing rising, manufacturing molds of high quality and securing the stability and quality during production has become vital. 3D scanning technologies are a game changer in these processes. Mold Design with 3D Scanning and Reverse Engineering Reverse engineering aims to reproduce an [...]
There are thousands of designers who design injection molded parts but there is an elite group within this large community who can actually design parts for injection molders. Injection molded product design evolves through many phases of development before all the parts are ultimately documented and released to a molder for production. This last step [...]
During the coronavirus pandemic, the mold manufacturing industry stepped up, answered the call and assisted with ramping up production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in record lead times with utmost quality. Technology played a part, of course, but it was the people who got the job done. This time of crisis demanded a creative approach [...]
Nowhere is the connection between production and creativity more evident than in reverse engineering, which challenges manufacturers to find new ways to recreate or improve upon existing products instead of starting from square one. Data Collection and System Interoperability Increasingly sophisticated engineering and production tools have propelled the development of equally complex products that are [...]
Every injection mold build comes with some challenges that need solutions. The size of those challenges depends on the project and might be tied to the part design itself, the mold makers capabilities, the kind of press the mold will run on, the expectations that production fulfillment is putting on a mold, or a 1000 [...]
The use of copper-impregnated graphite electrodes is often thought only to be effective when EDMing more challenging metals such as titanium, carbide, copper alloys or exotic materials (exotic refers to an EDM workpiece material that has a high thermal conductivity value, a unique elemental makeup or possesses a very high melting point). While a copper-graphite [...]
As any mold’s integrity is paramount to output quality and success, this is where measurement machines play a critical role. Shops use these machines to verify a mold’s accuracy or the finished product created by the mold. For example, the accuracy demanded by manufacturers of medical equipment and tools, such as gears, syringes, tubing and [...]
Mold manufacturing is an increasingly challenging industry. Whether you have pivoted to supplying the medical industry or are a longtime automotive mold/die producer, you have probably seen where the market is heading. Parts and designs are getting more complex. Customers are pushing for shorter production times. Molds require greater degrees of precision and exact surface [...]