MoldMaking Technology

AUG 2015

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moldmakingtechnology.com 13 Ameritech has applied its mold building expertise to an entirely new segment of business: automation systems like the one shown here, which is used to assemble dust caps into watertight plugs used by electricians running underground power lines. an assembly line. Costs, schedules and other aspects of a job are broken down into functional areas (roughing, sinker EDM and so forth), and employees with expertise in each relevant department have a hand in strategizing about the work. Once the mold design and manufacturing sequence are finalized, cutting exactly to the 3D model ensures consistent, repeatable results, Rotman explains. For Ameritech and others, this strat- egy was the answer to an exodus of work to low-cost overseas manufacturers in the early 2000s. The shop has come a long way since its first experiments with pallet changers, standardized workholding and other technology that helps make the most of this strategy. Consider the aforementioned robot, installed two years ago. Able to accommodate loads as heavy as 400 pounds, the Erowa Robot Dynamic services a DMG MORI HSC 75 Linear five-axis machining center used to cut inserts, components and smaller core and cavity blocks. Previous experience in automating sinker EDMs and graphite-cutting machines minimized the learning curve for the new system, which was up and running "right away," Rotman says. Perhaps more importantly, doubling down on the strategy of driving production through engineering has proven critical to keeping the robot busy enough to justify the investment. "Although we already had the right kind of thought process before we got the robot, it prompted us to start looking even more closely at how we can design molds in a way that makes the most of it," he explains. One example of this evolution is a trend toward break- ing mold surfaces down into multiple inserts to generate enough volume for consistent automation. This can also help build a better mold, Rotman says. For instance, using more inserts also helps with plac- ing cooling lines in areas that would otherwise be impossible to access. Inserted cooling lines are also easier to access for cleaning once the mold goes into production. Another common example of increasing part volume while simultane- ously improving mold design and manufacturing efficiency is machining fixed "cap" inserts to fit over slides and other actions. Incorporating geometry into these fixed caps can eliminate the need for complex and time-consuming machin- ing operations on the insert itself (machining from the side, for example). Of course, the mold actions themselves are also ideal candidates for the robot-tended machining center. Engineering a Culture Designing for automation wasn't a difficult sell at Ameritech, Rotman says. After all, it makes sense for an engineering- driven manufacturer, and engineering-driven manufacturing is the only strategy that many employees know. Ameritech is an exceptionally young shop, he explains, noting that the average age of the employees is only about 35. That's largely thanks to the company's role as a founding member of Apprenticeship 2000, a European-style training program in which apprentices split time between the shop floor and the classroom starting in high school and culminating with graduation from the local community college. During the nearly 20 years since Ameritech helped found the program, the evolution of the shop's approach to training has mirrored its evolution toward a more engineering-driven process. For instance, treating EDM, rough milling and other operations as essentially separate departments opened the door for a more specialized approach to grooming apprentices. Historically, training often consisted of simply shadowing a senior toolmaker to learn the tricks of the trade. Today, new

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