Mantle to Deliver Production Metal 3D Printers for Moldmakers, Molders

Westminster’s H13 insert developed for Xpress7 is shown above, including its metal 3D printed conformal cooling (top left), the completed 3D printed mold insert (center) and a closeup of the insert’s deep ribs. Photo Credit, all images: Mantle Inc.

Mantle Inc. has announced the deployment and continued market traction for its metal 3D printing system that automates how OEMs, molders and moldmakers make precision mold components, reducing lead times and costs while accelerating how manufacturers go from product idea to launch.

After completing multiple successful beta deployments, the company is shipping production versions of its P-200 printer and F-200 furnace incorporating additional hardware and process refinements. Westec Plastics, a custom plastic injection molder and tool builder based in Livermore, California, received the first Mantle production system.

“Having the Mantle equipment in-house enables Westec to complete prototype and production steel tooling inserts with a much shorter lead time than standard mold builds,” Tammy Barras, president of Westec Plastics, says. “This will benefit our customers by providing production-quality steel tooling with aluminum tooling lead times.” (Read “Westec Plastics 3D Prints Mold Inserts Using TrueShape Technology” for more information.)

Westec Plastic installing its Mantle metal 3D printer.

Another Mantle customer, Westminster Tool, has successfully ued its Mantle beta system for more than 1 year. This manufacturer of precision molds located in Plainfield, Connecticut, has produced components for prototype and production tools, including this announcement of a complex mold insert for an industrial customer that was ordered by Xpress7, a Minnesota-based mold builder. Westminster Tool applied Mantle’s high-precision shaping capabilities to print the insert, significantly reducing the cost and lead time by eliminating more than 180 hours of EDM work and all CAM programming (full case study here).

“The advantages of Mantle’s technology are multiplied when it replaces traditional EDM operations. Running almost entirely unattended, it allows us to accomplish similar geometries with a fraction of the personnel and skill level,” Hillary Thomas, Westminster Tool vice president, says.

Mantle will be featured in a joint presentation at the Molding and MoldMaking Conferences on Aug. 29-30, 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The panel presentation entitled “Metal 3D Printing that Makes Dollars and Sense” will feature Mantle, Westminster Tool and Nicolet Plastics, which is also deploying a Mantle metal 3D printing system.