Graphite is the material of choice for the majority of EDM electrodes produced today in the United States. Selecting the best grade of graphite for a particular application can be difficult if the differences between graphite grades are not understood. […]
When the above summaries are applied to the acquisition of molds, it should be apparent that a hot runner system can significantly reduce initial cost, tool construction time, and operating expenses of trials, setup, cycle time, maintenance, scrap and secondary operations—and with an efficient valve gate system—no additional equipment is necessary. […]
When designing molds of multicavity layout using cold runner systems, the mold size often is increased to accommodate the runner, slides and mechanisms—and the cavity is more difficult to orientate for complex part shapes. […]
The use of a sprue bushing to directly gate into a single-cavity mold provides several advantages in the construction and operation of the mold over the cold runner type. The mold base size is only dependent on the part requirements and will use the smallest press needed. When using a cold sprue bushing, [...]
Here are some of the results from the simulation that can now be used to optimize the mold design : pressure drop, temperature change, shear rate, shear stress, runner system volume, part cooling time and clamping force estimation. […]
As previously mentioned, performing a FEA of a hot runner system is similar to running a mold flow simulation on an injection molded part. Instead of simulating the flow in the part, the flow in the hot runner system will be simulated […]
Aside from the center block motion system, the key element of a stack mold is the hot runner system. The transfer of plastic melt from the machine barrel into the mold center block has traditionally been achieved by a heated sprue bar, […]
The defining characteristic of a stack mold is the two mold parting surfaces or mold split lines. A stack mold does not require much more clamp force than a single-face mold because the projected part surface areas of the cavities on both sides of the center block cancel out each other’s force. […]
1. Doubled Part OutputInstead of increasing the mold size by adding more cavities, a stack mold maintains mold size and machine size by adding a second layer of cavities parallel to the first layer. […]
The main advantage of having your tool designer involved earlier is the ability to influence the product and processes being developed. This approach results in added value to your services and creates strong ties with your customer as he becomes more reliant on you to oversee his design process. […]