Software has become a fact of life in American manufacturing. CAD/CAM requirements differ among companies, so it’s not surprising that many find it necessary to customize their systems to meet their particular needs. A company’s customization may sometimes take up to one year to complete. With this in mind, what do design engineers and their [...]
These all meet the dictionary definition of “optimization”. However, one of the fastest ways for a moldmaker to achieve a dramatic improvement in efficiency and reduce NC program cycle time is to automatically optimize their NC program feedrates. Simply by optimizing NC program feedrates, moldmakers can achieve a 15 to 50 percent reduction in machining [...]
The power of CAD has not been fully utilized by most companies, which is associated with the skill and experience level of the CAD operators. As the average operator’s skill and experience levels increase, companies will be able to increase the benefits they receive from CAD. Alternately, CAD software companies can improve the ease-of-use of [...]
Let me say first that stopping and pulling molds for scheduled PMs is a good maintenance practice … period … but unfortunately not always possible in every situation if you want to keep your customers happy and in parts. What? A mold maintenance evangelist saying that regularly scheduled PMs won’t make us more money by [...]
In the U.S. we are accustomed to the standard of measurement for defining mold surfaces set forth by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), but elsewhere in this world they use such measurements as Roughness Average (RA), Root Mean Square (RMS) and Micro Inch Finish. […]
Using machine-ready blanks eliminates the need to adjust setups and fixture offsets for each blank. In turn, this minimizes variation from part-to-part and increases part-to-part repeatability. Since the cost of machine-ready blanks is more than offset by labor and machine time savings, machine-ready blanks always reduce the overall cost of parts. […]
What you really need to know to set maximum mold cycles can only be determined through close visual inspection of mold plates and tooling after a production run and the ability to accurately answer a few production related questions that relate to maintenance requirements: […]
The equipment for producing machine-ready blanks efficiently may not be purchased off-the-shelf, including specialized Blanchard grinders, double-disc grinders and duplex mills. The machines of your machine-ready blank supplier should be retrofitted with CNC controls to improve accuracy and ensure repeatability; and their processes in place should be certified by ISO 9001:2000. […]
On the manufacturing level in general, streamlining the supply chain has moved front and center over the past 10 years, first-rate mold company president, steven maintains. […]
A mold frame that incorporates steel support pillars has all of the thermal benefits of aluminum matched with the durability of a steel mold—resulting in reduced cycle times combined with added strength and durability. […]