Molds, Dies & Tooling

Restriction to flow is the problem of the day.

The K show approaches, fiscal years are closing, and budgets are being prepared; as a result of all of these—plus recovery from the recession—capital investment is on many minds. We have asked experts from some of the industry's leading suppliers to offer their tips on how processors should consider as they buy new or upgrade current equipment. Thanks to Michael Phillips, director of marketing and sales support at Mold-Masters Ltd., for this article.

Prosthetic fingers, molded from rigid polyurethane and then overmolded with a TPU elastomer, are helping returning soldiers regain the use of digits lost in war. Leading the injection molding effort on the project is Vanguard Plastics.

Z Corporation, manufacturer of 3D additive manufacturing technologies, announced its latest effort to make 3D printing available to every designer, engineer, architect and student with the introduction of it new affordable, commercial-class 3D printers. 

While things are picking up and many mold manufacturers are quite busy (and happy about it!), winning profitable jobs is still difficult. As one moldmaker told me recently, "We still fight for every job we get." Selling molds isn't easy, which is why moldmakers might need to take a different tack when it comes to sales. After all, it's not like selling vacuum cleaners!
 

Inmold operations such as labeling, decorating, painting, clear-coating, and even assembly are becoming more common as the technology catches on and catches the attention of OEMs eager to save time and cost-to-manufacture. Zahoransky Formenbau GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) is becoming known for its creative and unique developments with respect to rotationally performing assembly operations. Its newest development is a new option for molding and assembling two different parts in a single cycle within the framework of the mold system.

The 2010 Fall Conference of the American Mold Builders Association is being held in Washington, DC for the third year in a row, and every U.S. moldmaker is encouraged to take the opportunity to meet their elected officials and show them we are serious about the issues impacting American manufacturing, our industry, and our businesses.

With much-anticipated midterm elections looming in November, this is your prime opportunity to let your Senators and Representatives know what we expect them to do to support American manufacturing and small-to-medium businesses.

Based on statistics recently provided by the plastics and rubber machinery association within German trade group VDMA, the past 10 years have produced one significant winner in the global processing machinery market in terms of export market share gained—China—while the loss of export market share has been shared by a number of countries but felt most harshly in absolute terms in Japan. 

Metal-to-plastic conversions can result in overdesign.

The world is experiencing a growing shortage of water. Anything having to do with conserving, reclaiming, and purifying water is a growing market. I don’t know much about the water treatment industry, but I can spot a poorly designed plastic plumbing component.

Most of us in plastics molding accept the fact that mold development is an iterative process—make it, try it, tune it, and repeat that till it’s making good parts. Normal, right? Yes, but maybe normal needs an engineering review.