MMT Chats: Pushing Further 3D Printing Development for Tooling

Partnership yields improvements to how tooling components are made with a new level of precision, accuracy and surface finish right out of the printer. Hillary Thomas, Westminster Tool and Paul DiLaura, Mantle tackle these topics with MMT Editorial Director Christina Fuges. This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.

^{This episode is brought to you by ISCAR with New Ideas for Machining Intelligently.}

MoldMaking Technology has been following and covering the partnership between Westminster Tool and Mantle to develop metal 3D printing technology specifically for moldmaking for years. Mantle says its technology can dramatically simplify the moldmaking process and reduce lead times and costs but more than that Westminster is proving that out.

Here, Hillary Thomas of Westminster Tool and Paul DiLaura of Mantle share where Mantle’s 3D printing technology stands today compared with where it was when they first started working together in 2019.

Here are a few tidbits to whet your appetite to watch the full 10-minute interview above:

Mantle is only focused on tooling.
Working together with mold builders to tweak technology.
Westminster Tool watched metal 3DP space for 10 years before working with Mantle.
Westminster did a blind test of Mantle’s steel with its CNC equipment with no to minimal changes to how they machine and it held its flatness.
Westminster took hold of Mantle’s first beta system in 2022.
Seamless integration and training with system and software.
Employees also understand how the cost and lead time of printing a part will be.
Eight employees can quickly support customers with 3D printing.
And more.