Slider Components – Press block
The Press blocks/Guide blocks a) The press blocks are used to lock the slider by securing the heads on both sides of the slider, to ensure the slider moves smoothly on the wear plate; b) When a press block enters the mold cavity plate, clearance needs to be allowed on the side (as shown in the figure); c) Dimensional Parameters: W > D + Slider Travel Distance A usually ranges from 20 to 30MM B usually ranges from 20 to 40MM d) When a slider is a lot lower than the core and press block clearance is too large, the height of the slider head should be appropriately increased; e) The press block applies the SK-3 material, which needs to … Read more
The Advantage of Using Copper and Graphite Electrodes
When it comes time to decide whether to use graphite or copper electrodes in your shop, it’s important to look at the big picture. According to Stu Haley, regional manager of Madison Heights, MI-based Belmont Technologies, Inc., a provider of EDM supplies, tooling, accessories and machines, “To say which electrode works best is very difficult, it is totally applications-driven. So much depends on what you have to work with on your shop floor in the way of support equipment. Both copper and graphite provide approximately the same end result. The difference is time to EDM the work and electrode manufacturing time and cost.” Haley explains that choosing an electrode material is often a result of where you were born and … Read more
Activity Levels Show Improvement of US Mold Makers
Most of the major economic indicators released at the end of 2007 signaled weaker business conditions for the U.S. manufacturing sector, but activity levels for North American mold builders bucked this trend and showed some improvement in recent weeks. Our Mold Business Index (MBI) for December is 53.7. This is a 7.2-percentage point increase from the November value of 46.5. Increases were registered in the core New Orders, Production, Employment, and Backlog components. The bad news came in the form of longer Supplier Delivery Times and higher Materials Prices. The Future Expectations held firm at 66.7 in December. Orders for new molds increased ever-so-gradually during the second half of 2007. Growth during the first half of 2008 is expected to be … Read more
Improving a Family Molding Program
Speed, flexibility and consistent part quality are the buzzwords for staying competitive in the cost-conscious American large automotive plastics molding marketplace. When an MI-based corporation – a major automotive trim manufacturer – chose to upgrade its hot runner systems, it turned to Peabody, MA-based Synventive Molding Solutions as its partner because of the technological advantage that next generation smart molding systems could offer. Seeking to benefit from the ability to produce automotive trim parts at high speed with exceptional finish quality and part-to-part consistency, the company invested in Synventive Dynamic Feed hot runners to achieve a competitive technical and processing edge. Furthermore, the molder was able to successfully implement a family mold that produces separate and distinct parts, parts that … Read more
Software Technology Trends Enhance Moldmaking Industry
The primary driving force in NC software is to improve user productivity by producing software that is easier to learn and use, more automated and more tightly integrated with design software. This includes support of enhanced user interfaces, integrated surface and solid modeling, improved customization and integration tools, support of high-speed machining and knowledge-based machining, shop floor programming, and improved techniques to communicate, collaborate and manage information up and down a supply chain. According to a recent worldwide study of moldmakers, the most important CAM software function was found to be strong three-axis milling. This was followed in order by strong roughing, integration with design software, a Windows-compliant user interface, associativity between design and NC, integrated toolpath verification and an … Read more
3-D Mill Software Brings Mold Maker Up to Speed
When many mold makers decided to shop around for a new software package, it had some specific goals in mind. “We wanted to make sure that we met our deadlines and were able to use 3-D surfacing to reduce the number of electrodes needed,” states Vice President from a plastic injection mold maker /molder for the medical, defense, electronics, consumer and automotive industries for 25 years – chose TekSoft Inc.’s (Scottsdale, AZ) ProCAM 3-D mill software because of its user-friendliness and ability to meet the company’s needs. Software Solution In a nutshell, ProCAM simplifies the process of taking parts from design to manufacturing, reports TekSoft Marketing Manager Dennis Roberson. “Developed specifically for mechanical parts, ProCAM’s Windows interface and CAD … Read more
Injection Mold Manufactuer Welcome New Technologies
In order to produce save costs and time in the process of plastic injection molding and improve production efficiency of injection mold, mold manufacturers increasing use of new materials and new technologies, and these new materials and new technologies in a certain extent, represent plastic injection mold manufacturing a new trend. New material to promote the development of mold inserts There is a new material can reduce the mold manufacturer’s investment cost and time. The new cobalt-chromium alloy, called MP1, specifically for the Rapid Prototyping (RP) device, a direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) process was developed. The material from the German rapid prototyping equipment and materials suppliers EOS (ElectroOpticalSystems) GmbH company. Now users in North America and the United States through the … Read more
MSI Mold Builders Expands In Lowa, Eyes Automotive Market
ORLANDO, FLA. — MSI Mold Builders has recently completed a 12,000-square-foot expansion to its Cedar Rapids, Iowa, plant, bringing its total footprint to just under 60,000 square feet. The company also installed a 3-meter-by-6-meter travel 5-axis machining center and a 3,000-ton injection molding machine for sampling, representing a total investment of just under $6 million, President Roger Klouda said. Lifting capacity at the plant was increased to 30 tons. “Basically what this allows us to do is additional flexibility in building larger tools. We’ve opened up a different class of tools for us to be able to build,” Klouda said during an interview at NPE 2015 in Orlando. MSI’s Greenville, S.C., plant also got a new 5-axis machining center, and … Read more
Government Report Reveals Details About Plastic Pollution In China’s Seas
A recent report released by China’s State Oceanic Administration revealed striking numbers that show plastics Pollution as the primary culprit for ocean waste in the Chinese seas. The agency collected more than 2 million sets of data from about 8,700 monitoring stations along the Chinese coastline during 2014. The report, published on Mar. 11, said polystyrene foam plastics accounted 46 percent of all floating debris and other types of plastics accounted for another 31 percent. In other words, plastics overall made up 77 percent of floating debris. Plastics also represented 77 percent of beach litter, mostly plastic bags, EPS foam and plastic bottles. On the ocean floor, about 84 percent of the trash was found to be plastics, mostly plastic … Read more
How To Find A Good Plastic Injection Mold Manufacturer
Choosing a good plastic injection mold manufacturer is a challenging work. What’s most concern is about the price. No many manufacturer can gives a good price injection mold service, particular in USA. We know that the labor costs in USA is 8 times higher than China. So, the result is that customers pay the high labor costs for these companies. Why not choose a developing country to do this job? China is become the most largest manufacturer in injection molding industry, with the low costs and high quality service, it more friendly to some SMEs. Ecomolding co., Ltd is the best choice We have 20 years of experience of making injection molds for the EU and US market. So we … Read more