a full-service prototype and production mold/molding house that builds hundreds of aluminum tools per year,aluminum is an up-and-coming mold material, especially with prototype runs. There seems to be a push in the industry to use aluminum for production tools,There are good applications for aluminum tooling: for less complicated parts and parts that use a non-abrasive [...]
a plastic injection mold manufacturer specializing in a wide variety of automotive components—aluminum tooling is gaining in prominence. The end result of using aluminum tooling is to reduce costs to the OEM, […]
Aluminum molds is a hot topic with molders and moldmakers alike discussing and debating the advantages of using aluminum as a cost-effective way to become more competitive. Because the advantages are very valid ones—e.g., […]
Sheet/film extrusionBlow extrusion of plastic filmFor products such as plastic sheet or film, the cooling is achieved by pulling through a set of cooling rolls (calender or “chill” rolls), usually 3 or 4 in number. Running too fast creates an undesirable condition called “nerve”- basically, inadequate contact time is allowed to dissipate the heat present [...]
There are five possible zones in a thermoplastic screw. Since terminology is not standardized in the industry, different names may refer to these zones. Different types of polymer will have differing screw designs, some not incorporating all of the possible zones. […]
Plastics extrusion is a high volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic material is melted and formed into a continuous profile. Extrusion produces items such as pipe/tubing, weather stripping, window frames, adhesive tape and wire insulation. […]
The design of an extrusion profile has a large impact on how readily it can be extruded. The maximum size for an extrusion is determined by finding the smallest circle that will fit around the cross-section, this is called the circumscribing circle. […]
Metals that are commonly extruded include:Aluminium is the most commonly extruded material. Aluminium can be hot or cold extruded. If it is hot extruded it is heated to 575 to 1100 °F (300 to 600 °C). Examples of products include profiles for tracks, frames, rails, mullions, and heat sinks. […]
There are many different variations of extrusion equipment. They vary by four major characteristics: […]
The process begins by heating the stock material. It is then loaded into the container in the press. A dummy block is placed behind it where the ram then presses on the material to push it out of the die. Afterward the extrusion is stretched in order to straighten it. If better properties are required [...]