Rapid Tooling
Rapid Tooling
Resin tools
Small series-capable injection moulding tools for processing thermoplastics are not ground or eroded, but created using a resin compound. In this process, a stereolithographic original model is embedded in an epoxy resin-aluminium mixture and the resulting form is stabilised with a supporting frame.
A basic prerequisite of this procedure is a tool construction carried out previously, which takes into account the establishment of the mould parting line, the planning of the later mould release with the associated establishment of possibly needed loose parts for the exposure of undercuts, the bringing in of mould inclines, the planning of gating and de-aeration, as well as the positioning of the knock-out pins.
Delivery time for a resin tool is usually around 10-12 days.
- Prototypes/small series in original material
Aluminium tools
Aluminium tools are mostly used for the production of plastic components in small to medium lot sizes. Apart from the advantage of the ease of working with aluminium, the tools are distinguished by their simple structure. Any undercuts are however demoulded, not by automatic sliders but by attached parts removed manually. Tool costs can thus be kept very low. Since the possibility of tempering is usually provided for in these tools, very high-quality components are created, and of course the respective surfaces can, on request, also be given eroded structures or grains or even polished.
Delivery time for an aluminium tool is usually around 10-14 days.
- Small to medium numbers of standard parts
- Surfaces and undercuts freely selectable
Examples of products
Steel tools
Steel tools are particularly distinguished by their very high service life with unchanged quality of parts.
For planned multiple tools (several cavities, high lot sizes) we can initially apply just one cavity to the series-production version of the component.
This cavity can subsequently be repeatedly adjusted until the maturity phase is reached. The series tool can thus be used as a prototype tool and the costs for an otherwise separately manufactured aluminium tool are avoided.
- High to very high lot sizes
- High quality of parts
- High stability under load
3D-printed tools
3D-printed tool inserts are printed virtually “overnight”, so that the serial production of plastic parts can be started the next day. With 3D-printed mould inserts, articles are created using the injection moulding process, which can go directly into mechanical or thermal real-world tests.
In addition to the enormous time savings, the main advantage of this process is the production of sample parts made from all thermoplastics.
The delivery time of a 3D-printed tool is usually about 1-3 days.
- Individual parts, small quantities
- Prototypes
- Very fast production time