Technology Tuesday: All about Aluminum
Cruise through this week’s Technology Tuesday slideshow to brush up on your knowledge of aluminum, its benefits, the challenges it poses for moldmaking and strategies for overcoming those challenges.
Read the 2015 article, “Expanding Aluminum’s Potential.”
Hard-coating provides a number of benefits that make aluminum tooling an attractive alternative to steel. This automotive instrument panel light guide was made from an acrylic resin in a one-cavity, 7000 series aluminum mold coated with electroless nickel for a Class A surface finish. Image courtesy of Phoenix Proto Technologies and Bales Metal Surface Solutions.
Read the 2011 article, “Benefiting from the Properties of High-Strength Aluminum”
When designed and engineered properly, high-strength aluminum has become a mainstream tooling material. In this image, a worker processes the next generation of aluminum mold material on a metal-cutting saw. Image courtesy of Yarde Metals.
Read the 2016 article, “Lessons Learned with Aluminum Tooling.”
Developing a team business plan and making changes to design, operation and maintenance procedures help increase the chances for a successful aluminum mold project. The block of 7000-series Alumold in this image was used in the production of the wheel-well liner for a Honda Civic. It was the largest block ever forged to produce a high-volume aluminum production injection mold. Image courtesy of Unique Tool & Gauge Inc.
Read the 2013 article, “Let’s Be Clear About Aluminum.”
Within the injection molding industry, a negative perception of aluminum for anything but prototype plastic parts persists, despite aluminum tooling being able to produce and run almost any resin that steel can, as well as produce millions of shots with unfilled resin with uniform results. This image shows one side of an aluminum mold. Image courtesy of Phoenix Proto Technologies.
Read the 2016 article, “What’s All the Chatter about Aluminum?”
Special cutter geometries can virtually eliminate vibration in machining of aluminum molds. One of the challenges that moldmakers face in looking to improve cutting tool performance in machining of aluminum molds is chatter, or vibration. Image courtesy of RobbJack Corp.
Read the 2014 article, “Applying the Right Alloy.”
A focus on mold operating temperature and welding effects will help determine the right aluminum alloy for future mold builds. This original equipment manufacturer, automotive fascia mold was made from modified 2618 cast aluminum mold plate. Image courtesy of Clinton Aluminum.
Read the 2016 article, “Cutting Aluminum Faster.”
Sometimes high-speed CNC machinery with the latest software can cut much faster, requiring less EDM work. To better take advantage of high-speed spindles, aluminum prototype molds can be designed with inserts that allow deep ribs to be cut without hesitation. This aluminum mold was cut with a high-speed CNC machine. Image courtesy of Phoenix Proto Technologies.
Read the 2014 article, “How to Bridge the Gap with Aluminum Tooling.”
Whether you call it bridge tooling, soft tooling, pilot production, semi-production or aluminum production tooling, it still refers to producing pre-production quantities of plastic products with potential final part volumes in the millions. This image shows an injection molded consumer component that was created in seven days using bridge tooling for pre-production. This mold was built with 7000 series aluminum as an independent mold with cam slides. The resin is polypropylene with a cycle time of 24 seconds. The mold was hard coated as a backup tool to a multi-cavity hardened steel production mold. Image courtesy of Phoenix Proto Technologies.
Read the 2016 article, “Aluminum Welding.”
The use of aluminum tooling is becoming more common. Choosing the right wire and the right welding technique will produce the most effective mold repair. Technique is the largest contributor to a successful weld repair in aluminum. It involves the actual welding as well as considering ambient conditions and preheating of the material to remove condensation and increase weldability. The modified 2618 and modified 5083 cast aluminum that makes the mold plate products here have been popular for more than 20 years in critical mold applications. Image courtesy of Clinton Aluminum.
Aluminum. Steel’s alternative? Traditionally, aluminum has been useful for the production of prototypes. While it’s not as strong as steel, it’s typically cheaper, lighter and softer, which can make it an attractive option for molds and tooling. Cruise through this week’s Technology Tuesday slideshow to brush up on your knowledge of aluminum, its benefits, the challenges it poses for moldmaking and strategies for overcoming those challenges. Links to relevant articles on aluminum are located within the captions.
Interested in the broader topic of mold materials? Get the latest products, articles, blogs, columns and more at the Mold Materials Zone. Experts from related suppliers contributed to the articles linked in this slideshow, including RobbJack Corporation, Accurate Welding, Arconic, Yarde Metals, Phoenix Proto Technologies, Clinton Aluminum and Stainless Steel, Bales Metal Surface Solutions and Unique Tool and Gauge Inc.
