MMT Blog
OPEN MIND Technologies USA showcased the advanced capabilities of hyperMILL® CAM software at Amerimold. The showed attendees how its capabilities offer significant advantages when using 5-Axis machining for moldmaking. For example, the latest release of hyperMILL® MAXX Machining offers three powerful modules for finishing, roughing and drilling, plus a range of new features and enhancements including an expanded Finishing Module.
Top Solid/Missler Software introduced the new TopSolid’Split 2019 to mold designers, demonstrating how this feature enables more precise control of the creation of automatic parting surfaces. In addition, TopSolid’Mold now allows designers to easily modify the process of several components and it features a new, time saving function for placing injection gates. Also new is dynamic collision detection.
3D Systems exhibited its latest edition of Cimatron 3D mold design software at Amerimold. Visitors to the booth learned about how the software offers an accelerated workflow for designing, producing and inspecting high quality molds, translating to greater productivity and overall value.
TST Tooling Software Technology showcased its CAD/CAM/CAE software, support services, and Tool Shop Tracking software for the Tooling and Production industries. Visitors learned about TST Tracker, the company’s proprietary job tracking software, can streamline shop floor processes and increase the bottom line.
Mold shops that design medium to large size molds learned that XMD-Expert Mold Designer’s revamped mold design software incorporates Real Intelligence to evaluate relationships between all plates, components, holes and pockets without the need for the user to build and manage complex constraints and linking. They say their design model manipulation and viewing speeds are faster than ever!
CGS North America spotlighted its recently updated version of CAM-TOOL, V15.1, the CAD/CAM system corresponding to the five-axis machining center for molds and dies. In this version, a five-axis conversion algorithm significantly decreases the occurrence of inefficient interference avoidance, or warning exit by interference, by automatically calculating un-interfered, fixed-tilt angles on simultaneous five-axis automatic conversion function (simultaneous five-axis auto).
Creative CNC LLC featured two software packages for moldmaking at Amerimold. One is NCG CAM, which offers all the tools moldmakers need to manufacture prototypes, models, molds, dies, patterns and finished products. In fact, the company is now a NCG CAM reseller for Canada and the U.S. The other is ZW3D, an affordable, advanced CAD/CAM software package for hybrid 3D modeling, reverse engineering, mold design, machining and more.
eNETDNC debuted its new "Smart Manufacturing" software and hardware at Amerimold. Booth visitors were able to interact with live machine monitoring software, dashboards and reports at the show, and many also received a free eNET G-Code Editor.
CGTech showed Amerimold attendees demos of VERICUT’s FORCE Optimization, additive module, and new graphics and features coming soon in version 9.0. The company says VERICUT’s FORCE optimization reduces machining times by as much as 30-70 percent, even for superalloy metals, and makes cutters last longer.
7/18/2019
2019 Technology Review: Cutting Tools
MoldMaking Technology’s online database offers more than 1,000 manufacturers, distributors and suppliers for more than 200 product and service categories that you employ daily. To keep this information current, MoldMaking Technology surveys and updates its supplier database every spring with the latest company contact information and product/service offerings in our July Technology Review and Sourcing Guide.
Here are the some of the highlighted product/service offerings for cutting tools featured in MMT over the past year that were republished in our special July 2019 Technology Review and Sourcing Guide:
Read MoreBy: Steve Johnson 7/18/2019
Maintaining Mold Components
Delicate tooling components, such as these hot runner nozzles, should be placed in a tray that keeps them separated so they do not bang into each and cause damage. The eyebolts at the corners of the tray allow it to be placed directly into an ultrasonic tank for cleaning. Then the components are dried using compressed air, which saves steps and time, and reduces handling risks. Image courtesy of Mold Trax.
The typical injection mold comprises hundreds of types of plates and tooling components that help to form and eject a molded part. Component type, required function, and construction dictate the proper maintenance procedure and frequency plan. To help toolroom technicians better understand the time and money they are spending on mold component maintenance, we have classified mold components into three categories: frame plates, frame components, and cavity tooling.
Frame or base plates include only the individual mold plates, which can range from seven plates in a simple stripper plate mold to 20 or more, depending upon mold size and complexity. Frame components include all tooling that is within the frame that does not form the part. For example, guide or leader pins, bushings, return pins, interlocks, bolts, and seals. Ejector pins are often also placed in this category. Cavity tooling is the most critical and expensive tooling in a mold because it includes the cavities, cores, sleeves, and pins that directly form the part. Cavity components dictate dimensional and aesthetic part features, so they are costly to build and replace.
Read More7/17/2019
2019 Sourcing Guide: Cutting Tools
MoldMaking Technology’s online database offers more than 1,000 manufacturers, distributors and suppliers for more than 200 product and service categories that you employ daily. To keep this information current, MoldMaking Technology surveys and updates its supplier database every spring with the latest company contact information and product/service offerings.
This month’s Technology Review and Sourcing Guide includes a portion of that database listed in sourcing grids tailored to match suppliers with their respective product/service offerings along with a sample of product releases that the magazine featured throughout the year. These are the 40 companies from the July 2019 cutting tools section:
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