Mold in a Day Technology Slashes Tool Production, Eliminates Supply Chain Headache
Next Chapter Manufacturing says its Mold in a Day additive manufacturing technology slashes the production of tooling down to hours while maintaining the same quality and tolerance standards of conventional molds.
Mold in a Day (MIAD) product shot. Photo Credit: Next Chapter Manufacturing
Next Chapter Manufacturing highlights its transformative “Mold in a Day” (MIAD) technology to accelerate the injection molding process, meeting the challenge of supply chain disruptions.
Currently, the company says, it can take weeks or even months for production tooling to be completed so that it can be used to produce parts. However, with MIAD which employs the additive manufacturing (AM) process, Next Chapter is said to be able to slash that timeline from weeks or months to hours, while maintaining the same high quality and tolerance standards of conventional molds.
According to owner Jason Murphy, MIAD is made with an exceptionally durable, reinforced photopolymer. Like some other molds, MIAD is 3D-printed. Unlike other molds, MIAD is treated with a proprietary coating that reportedly offers up to 10 times the durability and longevity of other 3D-printed molds. As a result, difficult-to-use resins like filled resins, PBT, POM, PEEK, Ultem and engineered resins can be used to produce an average of 2,000 parts off one set of inserts. In addition to using it for short-run production cycles, Murphy adds that these attributes can help U.S. molders compete effectively with offshore manufacturers.
MIAD technology can be applied to molds both simple and complex. It fits both standard mold bases and common MUD unit frames. Molders can use multiple iterations simultaneously, without the need for excessive engineering tweaks.
Related Content
-
MMT Chats: 4 Keys to a Successful Mold-Building Operation: Innovation, Transparency, Accessibility and Relationship
MoldMaking Technology Editorial Director Christina Fuges chats with Steve Michon, co-owner of Zero Tolerance in Clinton Township, Michigan, about the excitement of solving problems, the benefits of showing gratitude, the real struggle with delegation and the importance of staying on top of technology. This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.
-
How Hybrid Tooling Accelerates Product Development, Sustainability for PepsiCo
The consumer products giant used to wait weeks and spend thousands on each iteration of a prototype blow mold. Now, new blow molds are available in days and cost just a few hundred dollars.
-
3D Printing Technologies for Moldmaking Applications
3D printing technologies, from conformal cooling to complex mold building, are making an impact on the moldmaking industry, one innovation at a time.