Manufacturing

Designing And Manufacturing Of Molds For Medical Components

RAPID TOOLING

Rapid tooling is one the benefit of rapid proto typing. We can manufacture core and cavity with metal rapid proto typing with H11, SS316 material and reduce mold making time. IGTR has produced plastic injection molds and die casting dies with metal proto typing machine. The core and cavity can be hardened with 50 HRC and any surface treatment is possible on core and cavity surface.

The other advantage is conformal cooling. The conformal cooling will reduce 30% cooling time and produce components in less cycle time. This will give more productivity. The example of conformal cooling is in below pictures.

Conformal cooling can be provide very close to cavity surface which give uniform cooling

Core and cavity of mold made with metal proto typing.

3D SCANNING WITH BLUE LIGHT SCANNER

The scanning will reduce manual errors of measurement. This is the fast process of capturing data and make 3D model for the product reverse engineering.

Scan data of body inplants

Inplant made with metal proto typing after scanning the object and made 3D model.

MOLD MAKING WITH USE OF CAD

The input is product design in 3D model. The product design confirmed with proto type and its application and function. The mold design can be done with use of CAD  software. The steps are...

• Use database of CAD software for standard parts
• Use of libraries for frequent use of components
• User interface for machine suitability
• Mold ability assessment of product design
• Nos. of cavity to be done with layout
• Mold base selection from library
• Feed system design
• Shrinkage calculation according to use of plastic material
• Parting line design
• Cooling design
• Venting design
• Detail mold design

After the completion of mold design mold flow analysis will confirm the mold functions and product design defects solving. The mold flow analysis can give clear idea about mold filling, cooling and warpage. The animation of mold function is also possible to give idea to mold manufacturing section as specially assembly and processors.

PREVENTIVE MOLD MAINTENANCE

• Parting surface to be clean with mild clean solvent with soft tissue papers
• All water lines should be drained and blown free of all residual water
• Do not use hard tools on any molding surface, parting surface or shut or surface
• Use soft or treated water in cooling
• Avoid excessive clamp pressure, high injection pressure and over packing
• Use rust preventive like WD40 on molding surface before unloading mold from machine
• Lubricate the appropriate mold components
• Bag the last shot as an example of the typical quality of this run and store this part with mold.

INSPECTION OF MOLD

• Inspection is to note small problems and scheduled for repairs
• This inspection to be done by experience operator after about 20,000 cycles.
• Preventive to be done every day and every time the mold unload from the machine
• It is recommended maintenance after 1,00,000 cycles
• It is also recommended major maintenance like replacement of wear parts, bearings, ejector pins, springs, resurfacing or re plating etc., after 2,50,000 cycles. The use of above technology will improve product quality and reduce time of correcting mold after first trial.