Prototype helps moldmaker
There are three powerful steps to im-proving moldmaking power and those who have implemented these steps are well on the way to becoming the ultimate toolmakers in their industry. […]
Moldmaking and Digital manufacturing
The benefits for mold manufacturers who use digital manufacturing are plenty, but to name a few: uninterrupted production, the ability to validate geometry prior to incurring costs from wasted materials, the capability to recreate geometries of end of life products if the inventory is eliminated; and, of course, the reduction in cost over machining to [...]
Introduction to FDM and PolyJet
Today there are many prototyping technologies to support the full development cycle of a product from initial idea to manufacturing full-scale parts to low-volume production. Read this brief overview about the advantages and disadvantages for two of the most popular additive technologies used for prototyping and production. With complementary strengths and weaknesses, one of these [...]
Introduction to Rapid prototype technology
Transforming plastic part designs into rapid prototypes with full geometry has become an essential part of the moldmaking process for today’s mold builders. Nobody can afford to make mistakes up front, which will take big dollars to fix later. The majority of rapid prototyping involves the use of two common rapid prototyping processes: stereolithography (SLA) [...]
Good CAD skill is very important
Inefficient use of CAD technology in industry wastes millions of dollars each year. It is vitally important that businesses have the tools to quantify the skills of members of staff using CAD to make sure that they are right for the role in question, and that the role in question is right for them. Companies [...]
How to do a right polishing
Ask any apprentice polisher what the most important thing about his job is and he will say “Putting on a great, high gloss polish.” Ask any veteran and he will say, “Making a profit for the shop.” […]
How to save time on polishing ribs
Ask most shop owners what the number one reason is for new molds failing their first sample and you will most likely hear “material sticking in the ribs.” It is not uncommon for a tool to have its ribs and slots repolished two, three or more times before the tool works cleanly. The following is [...]
How to do a good cleaning in a mold
Few people within the moldmaking industry will argue that cleaning and maintenance are critical processes for maintaining the life and reliability of expensive equipment and ensuring the quality of the end product. […]
How to save time in polishing
Ask any polisher what the hardest part of his/her job is and most will tell you the same thing – stoning. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here is a simple technique that not only makes stoning easier and more enjoyable, but actually cuts 30 percent off the time it takes to do a [...]
High-Speed Mold Finishing solution
Indexable-insert ballnose endmills for high-speed finishing of molds can be purchased as individual units from a standard endmill catalog, or assembled from components of available modular end-milling systems. […]