Additive manufacturing | moulds
Additive approach to mould making
Metal powder additive manufacturing technology is gaining ground in the plastics injection mouldmaking industry as a growing number of mouldmakers and moulders are discovering the benefi ts the process offers in creation of the complex geometries required to integrate features such as conformal cooling. “Most customers today at least ask what SLM can do
for them,” says Alessandra Bosco, global business development manager for Italian hot runner producer HRSfl ow, which is part of the Inglass mouldmaking group. The company, which was one of the early adopters of what it calls Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology, has been using additive manufacturing to produce mould and hot runner components since 2007. In mould applications, the use of conformally-cooled inserts – where the cooling channels are placed near to and follow the contour of the mould surface - has been shown to realise cooling time reductions of up to 50% and cycle time savings of more than 30%, according to Bosco. However, the benefi ts are not just seen in cycle time but also in improved surface fi nish, reduced residual stress and, as a result, improved dimensional stability. These benefi ts can be achieved, she says, without sacrifi cing durability as, unlike alternative high thermal conductivity alloys, its SLM inserts can be hardened to 54Rc. Additive manufacturing technology is particularly
www.injectionworld.com
The application of additive
manufacturing technology is growing in the mould making sector.
Chris Smith fi nds out how and why it is being applied
suited to cooling the ‘critical’ areas of the mould that typically dictate total cycle time – lengthy thin section cores or ribs, for instance. Bosco cites a recent successful example where the company employed the technology to overcome sink marks and poor gate quality in a cosmetic overcap application moulded in polycarbonate. Cycle time for the part, which had a wall thickness ranging from 0.7 to 2.5mm, was reduced from 17s to 11s through incorporation of conformal cooling into the core tip while the sinking and gate vestige issues were eliminated. Also based in Italy, specialist mould components
maker Texer Design produces a variety of conformal cooled inserts for plastics moulding applications and reports growing demand for parts such as conformal
June 2014 | INJECTION WORLD 45 Main image:
Metal additive manufacturing technology, shown here producing a dental part,
offers mould- ers cycle time savings and
improved part quality
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