Surface finish problems can be profit killers for today’s mold manufacturer. One of the most common causes is chatter created by vibration in the CNC machine tool cutting process. This can lead to higher costs, delayed deliveries and even lost orders due to poor quality. In addition, vibration can cause uneven tool wear, resulting in [...]
Job scheduling plays a big role in our on-time delivery performance and leadtime, which determines our competitive position within our industry. This is particularly true as competition has gotten more fierce in recent years. Only the best shops have survived. And those shops have very good quality and lead the pack in expertise. This means [...]
Thriving manufacturing businesses tend to take advantage of the right market opportunities, just when they present themselves. Examples of such opportunities could be establishing a new customer in a different regional market (maybe a different country), adding a product line from an industry in which you don’t already do business or creating a niche market [...]
Tools shops are looking for three things from their steel suppliers—steel that is inexpensive, good quality and can be delivered fast. The problem is that you rarely get all three of these needs filled at the same time. So what is the most important of the three? […]
When using standard, off-the-shelf slides, there is no question that the leadtime on a project can be reduced. The time that would have been spent squaring up blocks, machining, heat treating and grinding all of the slide components can be used to focus on the molding area—cores, cavities, slide faces, etc. […]
the mold surface roughness is a very important technical parameter in mold making, because the surface finish of the molding area directly affects the surface roughness of the plastic part. […]
As mold manufacturing in China has become more globally competitive, the necessity to reduce expensive, labor-intensive practices has become paramount for shop owners. The goal for most shops is to reduce or completely eliminate polishing or spotting time on their molds, which can be accomplished through the use of sinker EDMs, hard milling of steel [...]
We all know that EDM setup can be extremely time-consuming. Automating the setup process can save valuable time, especially when considering that some tools (especially those with multiple cavities) require dozens or even hundreds of electrodes. […]
Most mold and die shops rely on three-axis machines to do most of their milling work. Five-axis machines were not considered sturdy enough to mill hard materials used in Class 1 mold cavities. Moreover, five-axis programming was harder to learn and program. In general, these statements remain true. […]
Blow molds and many prototype molds are made from aluminum. Aluminum is a very soft material and requires special polishing procedures. A fine finish can be achieved, although it may never be as fine as the finish that is possible on steel. The following is a basic polishing procedure for aluminum. In time and with [...]