Tried-and-True Plus New Technology to Level Up Your Mold Shop

Source (Clockwise) | Vista Metals Corp., Verisurf Software Inc., Edro, Foboha

Are you searching for the next technology, software, material or service to take your mold shop to the next level? MoldMaking Technology makes it easy for you to find your shop’s next innovation with a curated product roundup.

One way to accomplish this is to find the right supplier and equipment for your moldmaking business. Upgrading to the latest technology and services on the market ensures efficiency, accuracy and innovation are forefront for your mold shops.

Bi-Monthly Roundups

MMT publishes technology and industry-related roundups twice a month, detailing recent product announcements for moldmakers. Did you miss these headlines?

Innovative Technology for Your Mold Shop at IMTS 2024: Part 1

Innovative Technology for Your Mold Shop at IMTS 2024: Part 2

Modified Composition Enhances Stainless Steel Capabilities

Edro introduces Böhler’s M333 Isoplast stainless steel. Manufactured via a new melting technology, M333 offers moldmakers polishibility, enhanced thermal conductivity, optimized toughness and exceptional corrosion resistance. According to Edro, testing has shown M333 Isoplast to exhibit up to four times the toughness levels seen in 420 stainless steel and almost matching the toughness of H13. This enables molds to have the benefits of stainless steel without the risk of cracking.

Cube Mold Technology Advancing Injection Molding

Cube Mold technology enhances the production of plastic products by offering technical and economic benefits. This injection mold features a central rotating cube that can split and counter-rotate, with additional gear elements on the exterior. Developed by Rainer Armbruster of Foboha, part of Barnes Molding Solutions, the Cube Mold has evolved since its creation in the mid-1990s.

Stainless Steel Series Benefits Blow Mold and Vac Form Applications

Molder’s World Inc. offers self-venting mold steel technology. The mold material Vortex stepped in to replace the discontinued (and outdated) Porcerax 11 years ago and now Vortex 330, Vortex 360 and Vortex 380 look to mirror the success of their original counterpart.

While Vortex is a 400-series, stainless steel produced for releasing gas from injection and lost core wax molds, Vortex 330, Vortex 360 and Vortex 380 are 300 series stainless steel with larger pores (30 microns, 60 microns and 80 microns).

Safety Strap Secures Parting Lines During Mold Transport, Storage

Progressive Components introduces a mold safety strap that offers safe, assured securing of parting lines during mold transport and storage. Progressive’s safety straps feature an engineered break point designed to prevent the shearing of bolts. Previously, if a mold was opened with a mold strap unintentionally left on, the bolts were then sheared, preventing the attachment of a new strap to remove the mold from the press safely.

Steel Plates Enable Accuracy for Quality Tool and Moldmaking

Steel 21 offers 21 Micro Mill accuracy. Each plate is then checked for flatness and parallelism. The company says all steel plates are verified and documented. Steel 21 believe verification is the start for the building
of a quality tool.

The company uses an indicator on every plate that runs through its process to ensure customer requirements are being met. Along with holding tighter tolerances, another key advantage of the 21 Micro Mill is the surface quality.

Deep-Hole Drilling, Milling Machine Purpose-Built for Moldmakers

Custom machine manufacturer Tarus highlights the DHDM line of deep-hole drilling and milling machines, purposely designed to handle large
injection molds and die-cast dies.

Their functions include gundrilling, BTA drilling, as well as CNC milling, tapping and thread milling. Features include dual spindles — one for dedicated gundrilling/BTA and a second spindle for milling functions.

3D Printing Metal Powder for Tooling

Uddeholm USA highlights its mold material, Corrax as the first additive manufacturing (AM) powder made for tooling. According to the company, Corrax is a stainless steel made for AM with superior corrosion resistance and polishability. The material offers a fexible hardness 36-50 HRC: Achieved by an aging treatment in the temperature range 425-600°C (790-1110°F). Good dimensional stability. No hard “white” layer after electrical discharge machining (EDM) (Will not be as hard and is therefore more easily removed).

Plastic Leak Protection System Protects Injection Molding Machine Nozzles

PCS Company introduces its Airtect Plastic Leak Detection system to provide round-the-clock, direct protection of injection molding machine nozzles and manifold systems, reducing unwanted downtime and costly repairs. “The Airtect Plastic Leak Detection System is a tool that can be installed directly onto the injection molding machine nozzle or hot runner manifold system. It quickly alerts users of leaks in the form of an alarm and/or the suspension of production, enabling faster operator response and repair,” says Company VP of Sales, Derrick Jones.

Large Aluminum Mold Plate Sizes Enable Machinability for Moldmakers

Vista Metals Corp. offers its Duramold-5 Aluminum Mold Plate produced
in large slab sizes. The company says its technology combines this aluminum-magnesium alloy with its unparalleled size capabilities.

The resulting product is an aluminum plate with high strength to weight ratios, good machinability and a virtually porosity-free structure to meet moldmakers’ critical surface finish requirements.

Modular Reference System Boosts Smart Moldmaking Productivity

System 3R’s modular tooling reference system has moldmakers in mind, as it is designed to help boost manufacturing output through smart
productivity solutions regardless of machine make or model.

In fact, System 3R’s automation and modular workholding was developed specifically for the moldmaking process to transfer parts from one process to the next, the company notes, as is all of its technologies.

Inspection Software Suite Optimizes Inspection Planning, Execution

Verisurf Software Inc. highlights the addition of the Inspection Planner Suite, the latest in a series of application suites. Inspection Planner provides an affordable solution with full-featured CAD capabilities, open device compatibility, and an optimized inspection and reporting process. Inspection Planner enables users to quickly and easily create and execute inspection plans for arms, trackers, scanners and manual CMMs.