Tool & Die / Moldmaking

Machining molds typically involves creating complex contours and fine surface finishes. Molds are high-value items usually produced in single-digit volumes, making gradual process development and scrapping parts a costly exercise. Moldmakers' customers generally want to get their products to market as fast as possible, so lead times can be short and inflexible.

Quality Mould Inc., a maker of molds for glass products such as lamps and headlights, thrives by leveraging its skills and using advanced technology.

U.S. moldmaking has been hit hard by overseas competition. Makers of molds for glass products face added pressure because alternate materials—mostly plastics—are replacing many glass applications. Quality Mould Inc., one of a handful of independent glass mold shops remaining in the U.S., machines molds for pressed-glass products.

There are five tool tips for moldmakers for speeding up production and aiding in highly repeatable, precision machining. Included are deep-hole drills to avoid pecking, high-feed cutters, tools for reducing EDMing, high-precision cutters and PCBN cutting tools.

Keys to lights-out production of molds. Today's moldmakers can apply equipment, processes and strategies that let them turn on the machine, turn off the lights and go home.

Die and mold shop carves a niche by focusing on contour and hard milling.

Tool and die shop continues to expand and add advanced technology to prepare for the road ahead.

U.S. moldmakers must adopt new business strategies to remain competitive.

Forward-looking moldmaking shops are taking on tool repair as one way to survive the onslaught of foreign competition.

Metal injection molding is growing--and so is the need for tooling.

A mold and die shop shares the lessons it has learned about hard milling.

A series of short Articles on the subject of minimizing or eliminating manual mold polishing.