MoldMaking Then and Now

This year has been a bit reflective for me so far as I look back on 20 years of covering the moldmaking industry. One of the things that has come to light is the topics. After two decades, the topics are fairly consistent, but each iteration of key topics becomes more and more advanced.

In 1998, we were covering:

Network infrastructure
Mold material selection
Hot runners
High-speed machining
At-the-machine CAM
ISO certification
Polishing
Hard skills training
Welding
Vertical machining centers
EDM as the focus of an entire issue
Texturing
Customer communication
Mold spotting
Mold heating
Employee stock ownership plans
Anticorrosion solutions
CAM automation
Rapid prototyping/tooling

Today, we are discussing:

IoT and Industry 4.0
Data management
Aluminum molds
Robots and cobots
Lights-out production
EDM automation and reduction
Hot runner controllers
Multi-tasking and hybrid machines
Massive machine tools
Modular and high-feed tooling
Software automation
Process simulation
Laser welding
Reduced polishing
Better surface treatment
Additive manufacturing
Five-axis machining
Local-level training
ISO updates
Supply chain management
Workforce development

Some of the big advances in 20 years have been automation, standardized mold components, more hot-runner usage, five-axis machining becoming more common, fine-tuned inspection processes, maintenance and repair becoming more than just an afterthought, the use of 3D printing for conformal cooling inserts and an increased interest in learning about plastics, plastic processing and molding.

I would say that the biggest game changer for moldmaking over the past 20 years has been data.

Overall, I would say that the biggest game changer for moldmaking over the past 20 years has been data. From mold design, 3D printing, quoting, job scheduling, machining, automation, inspection, measurement and maintenance, data impacts products and processes across the entire moldmaking operation. Data is king. Now it is a question of learning what to do with all this data that is available to gather and analyze.