VIEWPOINTS INDUSTRY LEADER OPINION & ANALYSIS New Technologies Raise the Global Bar in Moldmaking v T
he business of global moldmaking is extremely competi- tive and constantly changing—case in point, the return of high-end moldmaking to the United States from overseas. Reasons for this include reshoring initiatives, requirements for higher precision on certain parts, logistical issues and rising costs of parts made overseas. In reply, overseas moldmakers are employing aggressive pricing and fi nancial engineering tools such as currency devaluation as a way to retain business, while in the United States, the secret weapon is advanced manufac- turing technology. Much of the current trend refl ects differences between the molds made overseas and those manufactured here. Overseas moldmaking generally involves basic molds with single-digit num- bers of cavities. On the other hand, the strength of the US mold- maker is the manufacturing of high-precision molds with 50, 100 or more cavities. These complex multicavity molds facilitate true mass production of parts. However, every cavity of a 150-cav- ity mold, for instance, must be perfect to produce 150 perfect parts. There can be no deviation. A scrapped two or four-cavity mold made overseas may be less of an issue, but a mistake in the manufacture of a 150-cavity mold is a whole different story. For US moldmakers, the integration of new technologies into the moldmaking process facilitates manufacture of molds that provide reductions in part producing cycle times, increased pro- duction volumes and top product quality. All of which elevates US moldmaking to levels far beyond that of many other countries. One important new technology is additive manufacturing.
Additive processes have evolved to the point that they produce workpiece materials with physical characteristics extremely close to those of traditional moldmaking alloys.
Additive manufacturing techniques can be applied to address the critical cooling aspects of the injection molding process. To maximize the output of a complex multicavity mold it is es- sential to optimize coolant fl ow throughout the entire mold and around each individual cavity. Building a mold via laser sintering, for example, permits the creation of internal coolant channels that conform to the specifi c arrangement of cavities and that would be impossible to produce with just subtractive machining. Conformal cooling (or warming, when the channels carry warm water) reinforces molded part consistency and decreases cycle
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times by speeding plastic fl ow into the mold and accelerating cooling of the parts before ejection. When the additive manufacturing process is complete, the vast majority of mold components require secondary operations such as milling, EDM or grinding to achieve required accuracy. To streamline the moldmaking process, manufacturers can create a cell in which a mold component is built via additive manufacturing methods on a standardized clamping and palletizing system, after which the pallet is moved to a milling machine and/or an EDM for secondary operations. The advantage here is the seamless trans- fer of data between the 3-D printing model, the additive manufac- turing machine, the milling machine and the EDM.
The integration of new technologies has elevated US moldmaking above the competition in low-cost countries.
However, achieving that seamless data transfer requires full integration of the differing manufacturing technologies. The recently initiated strategic cooperation between GF Machining Solutions and the global provider of high-end additive manufac- turing solutions EOS, for instance, represents one such effort to expedite that integration.
Another technological advantage for US moldmakers is their ap- plication of sinker EDMs with highly advanced digital spark genera- tor capabilities. Such generators help produce surface textures that reduce friction on the mold surface area, including inside small de- tails and ribs. Molds fi ll quicker, saving time in the molding process. The surface texture also reduces the chance of residue sticking to the mold after the plastic is injected. The results are faster cycle times and reduced maintenance expense to clean molds. In general US moldmakers need to embrace automation, ad- ditive manufacturing, fi ve-axis machining and other technologies to remain globally competitive. They need to become more like project managers, expanding their focus to think about how a variety of operations combine to produce a fi nal product. Mold- makers must also partner with their customers to educate them about the benefi ts of advanced technologies and keeping their moldmaking work in the United States.
Gisbert Ledvon
Director of Busines Development GF Machining Solutions
www.gfms.com
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