To be successful, you first have to eliminate as much labor and as many operations as possible. By having the correct tools, whether cutting tools, the machine itself and/or the software, these items are necessary for the speed and accuracy required in today’s market. […]
For example, if you currently machined a core or cavity insert on your traditional CNC machine in 50 hours at $65 an hour ($3,250) and added approximately $300 for consumable tooling costs, […]
Many CAM software products produce toolpath process data and write neutral-formatted output files, like APT CL data. An external postprocessor program then translates the neutral data to a specific machine tool focusing on machine tool kinematics and controller syntax information. This traditional process has certainly been successfully applied. […]
Advanced CAM software products have abilities not only to identify collisions prior to bringing them to a machine, but also avoid these collisions. When collisions are identified, there may be many alternative cutter orientations that can provide a non-interfering instruction. […]
Without proper tooling, one cannot imagine the challenges of entering a world of micro machining where the tooling used is sometimes also very challenging to see. […]
Adapting CAD modeling data for CAM is not always a seamless process. Even small inaccuracies in file translation can result in time-consuming manual repairs. And even if the translated data is accurate, some designs may fail to meet manufacturing requirements, increasing the difficulties of cutting the mold or resulting in bad mold configurations that build [...]
If you design molds for a living, chances are there’s simulation software out there that can help you do your job more effectively. But what type of software should you be looking for? The answer is software that enables digital prototyping. […]
When the proper micro tool is chosen for moldmaking, there are many parameters with which to deal. The most important is knowing exactly what materials are being machined and their hardness or toughness qualities, or “machinability”. Guessing or coming close on this point will lead to much wasted time and tooling. […]
To enable effective simulation in the design process, companies should keep a few key elements top of mind: […]
The last and perhaps most time-consuming interaction between moldmakers and part designers involves customer-driven design changes that occur after acceptance of the proposal yet prior to actual production. […]