LASER stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. In laser cutting, sheets of materials are cut by using a beam of high intensity light, so high that it vaporizes the material at the cutting line. The laser beam is moved optically keeping the sheet fixed or the laser beam is fixed and the [...]
CNC water jet cutting produces part shapes by cutting sheet material using a high pressure stream of water containing small abrasive particles. […]
CNC is the abbreviation for ‘computer numerical control. It is a computer control technique that drives machine tools to fabricate metal components. […]
Surface roughness is the measure if the finer surface irregularities in the surface texture. These are the result of the manufacturing process employed to create the surface. Surface roughness Ra is rated as the arithmetic average deviation of the surface valleys and peaks expressed in microinches or micrometers. ISO standards use the term CLA (Center [...]
Prior to the injection of the molten plastic into the mold, the two halves of the mold must first be securely closed by the clamping unit. When the mold is attached to the injection molding machine, each half is fixed to a large plate, called a platen. […]
The injection unit is responsible for both heating and injecting the material into the mold. The first part of this unit is the hopper, a large container into which the raw plastic is poured. The hopper has an open bottom, which allows the material to feed into the barrel. […]
In addition to runners and gates, there are many other design issues that must be considered in the design of the molds. Firstly, the mold must allow the molten plastic to flow easily into all of the cavities. […]
In order for the molten plastic to flow into the mold cavities, several channels are integrated into the mold design. First, the molten plastic enters the mold through the sprue. […]
The mold core and mold cavity are each mounted to the mold base, which is then fixed to the platens inside the injection molding machine. […]
Injection molding machines are typically characterized by the tonnage of the clamp force they provide. The required clamp force is determined by the projected area of the parts in the mold and the pressure with which the material is injected. […]