Machining Technology Spotted at Amerimold 2018
Amerimold presents a range of mold production equipment, strategies and best practices. Here is some of the mold machining technology displayed at this year’s event, ranging from automation to CAD/CAM.
Makino demonstrated five-axis continuous cutting on its D200Z vertical machining center (VMC). The machine’s table is at a 45-degree angle, which keeps the workpiece stable and closer to the center of rotation for higher accuracy.
The structure of Poco Graphite’s material enables its customers to make EDM electrodes with fine details. The company displayed graphite electrodes, as well as the molds and parts produced with them. The graphite electrodes pictured here are for small plastic toys.
Creative CNC’s ZW3D CAD/CAM software package has a mold-design module that is designed to be a turnkey CAD/CAM solution for makers of molds and dies. It features solid-surface modeling technology for flexible 3D modelling, as well as a built-in library of mold bases, standard parts and cavity-preparation tools.
This electropermanent magnetic chuck from Braillon Magnetics enables a five-axis milling machine with a swivel table to fully access a workpiece. Electropermanent magnets only require an electrical current to turn the magnet on and off, so the workpiece stays cool and will stay in place in case of a power failure, the company says.
Makino was using a barrel cutter from Mitsubishi-Hitachi in its demonstration. These tools are said to enable high metal removal rates and reduce cycle time by as much as 60 percent.
Universal Robots was demonstrating several applications for its collaborative robots, including this cobot with a camera system that was performing a pick-and-place task. Moldmakers can use cobots to safely polish parts or tend machines, maximizing skilled labor.
This TSX milling cutter from Sumitomo Electric Carbide is designed for high metal removal rates. It can be used for both roughing and finishing, making it an economical cutting tool option.
In addition to a variety of workholding devices, Hirschmann displayed its synthetic dielectric fluid for EDM. Unlike natural dielectric fluids, synthetic dielectric fluid does not break down, improving electrode life and surface finish, the company says.
Compared with the regular retention knob seen on the left, the high-torque retention knob on the right from JM Performance Products has a larger relief area that moves the threads deeper into the toolholder, where the wall is thicker. This prevents toolholder deformation and improves tool life.
The Vio 50170 Linear Microset tool presetter from Haimer uses a camera to measure tools offline. Offline measurement enables operators to preset tools while a machine runs instead of measuring a tool with a laser system while it is in the machine. This presetter is designed to move into position quickly and automatically for further time savings.
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Amerimold 2018 featured a range of technology from nearly all aspects of the injection mold manufacturing process, with some exhibitors showcasing these capabilities with live demonstrations.
Mold machining products on display included CAD/CAM software for mold design and machine tool programming, five-axis machine tools designed to improve accuracy, tool presetters that can save save time by determining tool offsets offline, cutting tools to enable higher metal removal rates, collaborative robots to automate production tasks, workholding designed to provide machine tools with unobstructed access to workpieces, and EDM equipment that can deliver quality surface finishes. Scroll through the photos and captions above for highlights from the show.
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