MATERIALS • PROCESSES • FINISHES
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the chosen micro moulding company enter a fully collaborative partnership relationship. Te reasons for this are numerous but begin with the fact that just as micro moulding and the macro moulding are completely different processes, the design for manufacture (DfM) rules are also entirely different. DfM for micro moulding is hugely
Micro moulding is not just “macro moulding but smaller”
THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Micro moulding is only one part of the overall product development process, and it is important for OEMs to appreciate that various “departments” involved in a micro manufacturing project need to be engaged from product design inception. Absolutely critical for success is to
reassess the nature of the relationship between OEM and moulder in a micro moulding scenario. When dealing with contract manufacturers on the macro level, the relationship can quite acceptably be that of a job shop. Te design is presented, the quote is secured, and the parts are delivered. Job done. Tis cannot and will not work when
undertaking a micro moulding project, which necessitates that the OEM and
important, and the expert in the room to offer advice and counselling is the expert micro moulder, your product development partner. Very often, the less baked an idea is when the micro moulder is engaged the better, as the earlier that the design of a micro product can be influenced and adjusted to optimise manufacturing outcomes, the better in terms of cost and timeliness of production. Essentially, DfM ensures that not only will the end product be fit-for- purpose but that it is also optimised for the production processes that will be used to manufacture it, in this case micro moulding and automated assembly. Te micro moulding team that you work with should be able to advise on such issues as material choice, draft angles and undercuts, part lines, ejector pin locations, gate locations, the likely flow of material in the mould, wall thicknesses, etc. Perhaps the key enabling technology when it comes to micro moulding is micro tooling. Tooling in any manufacturing scenario is always the most costly and time-consuming part of the product development process,
but when looking at micro moulding, the tolerances and complexity that is often required in micro moulds make it especially critical. Micro tooling is an art in itself, and for OEMs it is vital that they work with micro moulders that are able to design, build and maintain moulds in house, and also have the expertise and experience to optimise tool fabrication. One size does not fit all when looking
at micro tooling, and it is important that OEMs engage with micro moulders that can work alongside them to drill down into the specifics of a particular application, understand the effects of a certain material, cycle time expectations, part criteria, and expected volumes before beginning to cut steel. In house tool fabrication – in fact
vertical integration in general ensuring that design, moulding, metrology and validation, and automated micro assembly are all undertaken in the same facility with departments working collaboratively – is vital in a micro manufacturing scenario where tolerances are so tight. Te probability for successful outcomes increases exponentially when the responsibility for project and production, timeline, and execution are controlled within a single entity. It goes without saying that a micro moulder should be expert in micro moulding, but once again underpinning any success is not just engaging with a company that has the right kit, but ensuring that there is a collaborative relationship that allows total
There’s a huge business need to produce smaller and smaller products
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