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18 MoldMaking Technology August 2015 Case Study / Inspection/Measurement This is a particularly valuable capability, because a complex mold might require dozens of electrodes with intricate shapes and myriad depths. Prior to laser scanning, the company had no way to check every aspect of an electrode to eliminate mistakes before manufacturing. "This is an incredible pre-check, as car- bon is much cheaper than steel," says Rus Emerick, director of application engineering for Laser Design. "Versatile realizes the value in burning steel right the first time rather than finding out an insert or mold is incorrect only after parts have been molded." An Elegant Solution A recent project for Utility Inc., a provider of real-time data acquisition systems for mobile operations such as transit sys- tems and law enforcement, is a case in point for how 3D laser scanning helps accelerate product development and ensure part quality. Versatile provided all the plastic parts for Utility's Rocket vehicle router, a system used by police departments to provide a continuous video feed from squad cars to headquarters. One major challenge was creating a mold for the video camera cover. "The design needed to be integrated with the existing mold of the camera and not appear as an after- thought or a kludgy quick fix," says Ted Davis, president and chief technology officer for Utility. "The elegant design was a joint effort between Utility and Versatile Mold. "From design to first article, it took about eight weeks. The outcome couldn't have been better." Versatile scanned the Utility camera, then reverse-engineered the scan to pro- duce a CAD model of the camera. Based on that CAD model, Versatile's engineers The Laser Design Surveyor 3D scanner has helped Versatile Mold and Design accelerate inspection and reduce mold errors. Image courtesy of Laser Design Inc. For current open positions, please visit our website: www.mcmachinery.com or email: jobs@mcmachinery.com EOE M/F/D/V WHO HAS THE HIGHEST EDM INTELLIGENCE? (It's a no-brainer.) While most manufacturers can talk about EDM intelligence, only one can say they sparked a new way of thinking. Since its intro- duction in 1992, our fuzzy logic monitoring software has brought sinker efficiency to new heights. Combine that with a break- through pulse-control system that can reduce electrode wear by up to 30%, and it's easy to see why we're the obvious choice for EDM precision and profitability. Learn more at MCMachinery.com/sinker. Our Intelligent Digital Power Master Control (IDPM) circuit can save up to 30% in electrode wear.