Published 5/29/2020

Popular Posts: May 2020

Catch up on the five most popular blog posts from May 2020.

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Contributing Writer, MMT, MoldMaking Technology

How to Eliminate Chatter

Eliminating chatter is a great way to improve surface finish when performing CNC milling. Control technology detects chatter and automatically adjusts spindle speed to eliminate chatter, thus improving surface finish. Surface finish problems can be profit killers for today’s mold manufacturer. One of the most common causes is chatter created by vibration in the CNC machine tool cutting process. This can lead to higher costs, delayed deliveries and even lost orders due to poor quality. In addition, vibration can cause uneven tool wear, resulting in poor surface finish, geometry inconsistencies and reduced tool life.

Read the complete article here.

Revisiting Some Hot Runner Fundamentals

Very intelligent and experienced people in the plastics industry frequently ask for hot runner basics because although they know that a hot runner is a critical component in the injection molding process, some don’t understand what it does or how it works.

Remember those plastic model kits you put together as a kid? The excess plastic that held those tiny components for the model in place is called a cold runner, and it is essentially scrapped plastic. Cold runners created during industrial production are very much like those models but on a much larger scale. When you consider the cost of resin, cold runners can be an expensive prospect because of the unwanted scrap plastic they produce.

Read the complete article here.

7 Key Advantages of Hot Runner Systems

The runnerless molding of thermoplastics is no longer new - it's been a known technology for more than 50 years, with commercial systems being available for more than 40 years. However, the growth of hot runner system sales during the last decade has been exceptional. This is a direct reflection of improved hot runner technology and of other improvements in heat control

and melt-flow analysis. This growth also is a reflection of a better understanding and acceptance of the benefits of hot runner systems and their application by moldmaking companies and OEMs alike.

Today there are in excess of 40 hot runner systems suppliers as well as a number of moldmakers who design, manufacture and install their own systems in the molds they build. Current systems sales are in the hundreds of millions of dollars and it is not uncommon for the larger commercial hot runner systems suppliers to have sales approaching $50 million or more.

Read the complete article here.

Mold Builders Turn Challenge into Change Amid Coronavirus

Amid all of the negative headlines, stories and effects of the coronavirus so far this year, there is positive news. At the risk of sounding trite, “With every cloud, there is a silver lining.” “Every negative has a positive.” “Look for the best in the worst rather than the worst in the best.” and “There is no great loss without some gain.” These are all true, and we are pretty much living them out these past few months.

Read the complete article here.

A Virtual Handshake Takes on COVID-19

M.I. Integration does mold building and molding work for some critical automotive and defense industry projects. Still, as the virus hit, the injection molding facility was shut down, temporarily laying off all the employees. With its top priorities being the health and safety of its people and the financial health of the company, M.I. management focused on managing its cash flow properly and connecting to all available government aid to minimize the impact on its workforce.

Read the complete article here.