Tooling
New Software Aids Composite Processing and QC
Several recent software introductions for composites design, processing, and quality control offer more sophisticated predictions of both processability and finished part properties.
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Fight Hidden Corrosion in Stainless-Steel Molds
Stainless-steel tooling is used in 10% to 20% of all molding jobs and is suited expressly to harsh molding applications.
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3D Printers Lead Growth of Rapid Prototyping
Bringing rapid prototyping capabilities in-house is becoming a reality for many plastics manufacturers, thanks to more affordable, faster, and easy-to-use 3D printers.
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Structural Plastics: Exploring Ways to Make Molds and Parts Faster
New approaches to rapid tooling, rapid prototyping, and gas assist were highlights of the SPI Structural Plastics Conference. It also showed off several eye-opening molded parts.
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Blow Molding Simulation: Ready for Prime Time?
Efforts have been made to simulate the extrusion blow molding process for at least a decade, but actual use has been slow to take hold.
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Mold Designers Put the Web to Work
The internet is redefining the tool-design process. Some mold designers are finding that using the Web to manage a tool project can shorten lead times, cut costs, and make sure vital data get to all participants in a project.
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Nickel Shells Bring Shorter Lead Times And Faster Cycles to Blow Molding
Two Canadian tool builders have formed an alliance to introduce the first blow molds made by nickel-vapor deposition (NVD). The partners are the Nickel Tooling Technology div. of Weber Manufacturing Ltd. in Midland, Ont., and Ryka Blow Molds Ltd. of Mississauga, Ont.
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Cast Prototypes of Reinforced Nylon 6 Match Injection Molded Quality
A newly developed reactive casting process makes glass-reinforced nylon 6 prototypes and production parts quickly and easily from low-cost molds.
Read MoreFrom NPE 2000: What's Hot in Hot Runners
Closer cavity spacing, in-press serviceability, improved valve gates, smarter controls, quick-ship standard manifolds, and Internet e-commerce were leading themes in hot runners at the big show in Chicago.Hot-runner components were one of the largest categories of injection molding products exhibited at the triennial NPE show in June.
Read MoreNPE 2000 News Wrap-Up: CAD & CAE
NPE 2000 offered a brand-new option for processors and mold designers: the ability to “rent” flow analysis on a pay-per-use basis over the Internet.
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