Published 6/3/2022

MoldMaking Technology's Top-Viewed Content in 2022 So Far: Features

A list of the most-viewed features in MoldMaking Technology from January-May 2022, from vertical machining to achieving the best mold finish. Give your favorites another look or catch up on what you might have missed.

Cara Ready

Digital Editor, Modern Machine Shop & Production Machining

10. Vertical Machining Center Designed for Moldmaking Alongside Metal 3D Printers Brings Virus Face Masks to Market Quickly

Speed and accuracy of a new vertical machining center are vital to a two-process approach for quickly producing much-needed face mask molds.

Photo Credit: Bastech Inc.

The pandemic put many manufacturers to the test as teams jumped in to help produce various personal protective equipment, including Bastech, Inc. and its team. A new vertical machining center enabled the speed and accuracy they were looking for, and even acted as a significant contributor to the company’s newly launched product line.

9. How to Use Continuing Education to Remain Competitive in Moldmaking

Continued training helps moldmakers make tooling decisions and properly use the latest cutting tool to efficiently machine high-quality molds.

Photo Credit: Sandvik Coromant

This article details how the moldmaking industry is ever changing and with that, comes a need for all moldmakers to continue their education. The key to achieving this is standard or customized training, whether it’s in-person, virtual or a little bit of both, says Sandvik Coromant ’s Mike Andersen. This can lead to proper tooling decisions and use of the latest equipment, such as cutting tools.

8. Hot Runner, Mold Component Partnerships Lead to Innovative Mold Designs

Formula Plastics takes on tooling via sister company Formula Tooling using dedicated partners, 3D modeling services and highly trained engineers to develop advanced mold designs.

Photo Credit: Formula Tooling

Formula Tooling (sister company to Formula Plastics) has built over 90 molds since 2020. It’s revenue grew over $10 million in 2021. This case study examines their strategy with dedicated partners, 3D modeling services and highly trained engineers.

7. Transforming Moldmaking into Digital Industrial Manufacturing

Moldmaking and digitalization is at the core of this global industrial manufacturing company’s consolidation and diversification plan.

Photo Credit: SyBridge Technologies

Moldmaking is at the core of global industrial manufacturing company SyBridge Technologies’ consolidation and diversification plan. SyBridge Technologies CEO, Tony Nardone explains, “We view ourselves as a true solutions provider, an industrial technology company that takes on a total package. We can take all the data and manage the platform.”

6. Lessons from a Nine-Year Succession Plan

Small business shop owners share the four keys to transitioning a family manufacturing business.

Photo Credit: Burger & Brown Engineering

Mark and Corey Brown of Burger & Brown Engineering sit down to share their experience transitioning ownership of their family manufacturing business. Read about what they learned from their nine year succession plan. Small spoiler: it involves a sense of humor.

5. A Different Approach to Pricing

A cost-based approach to pricing used in moldmaking is the fundamental flaw causing net profits to be less than 10% of sales. There is another option.

Photo Credit: Science of Business Inc.

Do you lose opportunities because your price is too high? Do you ever feel you might be leaving money on the table? Are you ever less than 100% confident in your price? This article will help you navigate your options when it comes to pricing at your moldmaking business.

4. How to Use Diffusion Bonding to Optimize a Mold’s Thermal Performance

Joining dissimilar metals has tremendous potential for conformal cooling, but to successfully use diffusion bonding, a mold builder must understand the complexities of the interface and its effect on the chemical and thermo-mechanical properties of the bond.

Photo Credit: Photo Credit, all images: PVA TePla America.

In this informative article, Thomas Palamides, Senior Product Manager at Industrial Furnaces, explains how mold builders can increase the quality of a finished product and reduce manufacturing costs through conformal cooling.

3. Save Time, Money: Use a Mold Design Checklist

Here are 15 examples of common molding issues that occur during an initial mold trial. Many of them could be avoided or corrected with a proactive checklist.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Not only does this article gives 15 examples of common molding issues, it also details the top three cost variables of a mold design. This is no average mold design checklist, it is a “Proactive Mold Design Checklist” that details the “what ifs” of mold design failure.

2. How to Achieve the Best Mold Finish

A look at factors that impact the polishability of tool steels and recommendations for obtaining a high-gloss finish.

Photo Credit: Uddeholm USA

Mold polishing is a critical step when it comes to the manufacture of high-quality plastic parts. This article from Camilla Finnkvist, Application Manager at Uddeholm and Patricia Miller, Director of Technical Services, details some key challenges and factors to consider to achieve a high-gloss surface finish.

1. Advances in P20 Steel Potentially Eliminates Need for Stress Relieving After Rough Cutting

Omega Tool Corp. compares conventional, new P20 grades side by side in production fascia tools, finds no downside.

Photo Credit: Omega Tool Corp.

When Finkl Steel launched, MD Xtra, its new P20-type steel back in 2017, the company knew it would be a game changer. “Although modifications to P20’s basic chemistry have occurred over the years, the sizes of today’s largest molds have reached a range where you need to move beyond P20 to achieve the ideal properties needed by such big molds,” noted Ben Ritchey, Finkl technical director. But how much of a game changer was it really? In this article, Finkl, together with Omega Tool Corp. and an automotive OEM, conducted a study to test the steel’s properties again conventional P20 to find an answer.