Maintaining a fleet of molds in a timely and efficient manner is a support function, and the bench is a critical part of the mold maintenance process. However, this is also a piece of equipment that is given not so much as a second thought by many companies, and I’ve seen plenty of examples of [...]
In today’s customer-driven design and manufacturing world, tolerances are ever-increasing as more and more functionality is being pressed into a shrinking product envelope. CAD models are now being annotated with more critical tolerances, beyond basic fit and clearance requirements, such as complex surface profiles. Since virtually all product development is now done in the CAD [...]
Suppose a mold needs to produce parts immediately but it has a damaged texture. This can be an everyday occurrence within a molding facility, as lifters or pins break and hit the tool surface, causing rust to develop or unacceptable texture wear to appear. These situations call for an action plan to help get that [...]
Hot runner systems are such a common part of injection molds that hot runner suppliers must adjust component designs in order to meet increasingly stringent requirements in performance and materials, often adding to system complexity. […]
Mold shops that recognize the potential of technology and equipment, and prioritize both accuracy and productivity will increase their competitiveness in the marketplace. The key is utilizing machines that are engineered to reduce the time-consuming elements of mold manufacturing, increase mold quality, enhance accuracy and eliminate opportunities for human error. […]
Moldmakers are always juggling the various complexities in a mold build. If the mold is relatively flat, the balls (tennis) are relatively easy to juggle. As the mold becomes more complex or deeper, the weight and size of the different balls changes (add a bowling ball and a ping pong ball). At the end of [...]
The production of electrodes is a key stage in the manufacture of many types of tooling, including injection molds, so the availability of a faster, more automated method for their development will increase efficiency and reduce leadtimes across a number of industries. Here is where CAD/CAM comes into play. […]
The lead angle of your cutter has a dramatic effect on not only the chip that you generate, but also the cutting forces in both the axial and the radial directions. All of this can affect your overall productivity. There are many milling lead angle concepts on the market today and each is designed to [...]
Much has been written and discussed relative to the cooling of mold cavities. Most molders and moldmakers are at least aware of the benefits of placing as much heat removal technology into a mold core or cavity as possible. Simply drilling a hole into the bottom of a core for a closure and inserting a [...]
when molding plastics of particularly large abrasion force, the abrasion may still be rather serious even if high carbon or high chrome is used. […]