Die/Mold
In Latest Version Of
Look-ahead is a common CNC capability today. The term describes the control's ability to read ahead some number of blocks in the program, to anticipate sudden changes in speed or direction and react accordingly. Different CNCs look ahead different numbers of blocks. But are more blocks better?
Read More
Unique's Approach To Mold Making
This Canadian mold making shop, Unique Mould Makers, is aptly named. Virtually every multi-cavity injection mold set made for the manufacture of caps, closures, vials and other packaging applications is indeed unique. One might think that automation and standardization would not be of interest to such a shop. Think again!
Read More
New England Moldmaker Does It The Hard Way
This mold and die shop owner had a decision to make: build more capacity, or examine ways to make more finished molds out of existing capacity, save one new machine. He chose the latter.
Read More
The Case For Additive Technology In EDM
Producing fine finishes on EDMed surfaces has long been a goal, especially for mold and die shops that operate ram-type electrical discharge machines. Lately, there has been renewed interest in using additives in the dielectric oil to achieve ultra fine finishes with graphite electrodes without excessive burn times.
Read MoreNew Wire EDM System Enhances Mold Maker's Capabilities
When Osley and Whitney, Inc. (Westfield, Massachusetts) decided to upgrade its wire EDM (electrical discharge machining) capabilities, the company had several problems it wanted to solve. Osley and Whitney, a 48-year-old plastic injection moldbuilding company with 68 employees, serves automotive, automotive aftermarket, consumer, sporting goods and office machine companies.
Read MoreCompany Provides Fast Turnaround For Molds For Sunglasses
Bausch and Lomb, the optics manufacturer, needed aluminum rapid prototype molds for the introduction of its Inertia Combo Ray-Ban sunglasses line. The schedule allowed for less than four weeks from completion of the geometry to the first molded plastic parts. The company turned to the two-year-old ROMOLD, Inc. for quick turnaround of the plastic injection molds from Bausch and Lomb's Unigraphics design files.
Read More
Race To The Rocket
Integrated CAD/CAM software helped this custom-car shop bring five-axis machining in-house to create a one-off concept racer.
Read MoreWire, Ram And Small Hole Driller Help Build Specialty Injection Molds
The ram EDM runs unattended day and night, allowing the operators to perform other tasks. The ram has cut graphite costs nearly 50 percent, requiring fewer electrodes than its older equipment.
Read More
Robots Join EDM and Graphite Mill for Fast Mold Production
An EDM plus a robot makes a dynamic duo. A graphite mill plus a robot makes another. Put them all together in one shop and you have a radical new way to speed mold production.
Read More
Mass Producing Quantities Of One
It may sound like a contradiction in terms, but this Windsor, Canada, shop developed a production system for making prototype and limited production quantities of mold and die sets based on assembly line techniques. It's a concept that scales up or down and is applicable in a wide spectrum of shops.
Read More
