MoldMaking Technology

FEB 2018

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International Perspective 32 MoldMaking Technology —— FEBRUARY 2018 This additively manufactured injection mold was made from 140 layers at 50 microns each (tool steel) with a build time of 45 hours. Sodick's OPM250L com- bines direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) with high- speed milling and is primar- ily designed for moldmak- ers. In addition to creating conformal cooling channels, the OPM250L enables the machining of workpieces before the additive process is complete. The OPM250L alter- nates between milling and laser sintering, which reduces the number of parts necessary to build a mold. Sodick also follows the trend of developing products that enable manufactur- ing at higher speeds. In a setting called "Parallel Mode," the OPM250L can grow parts at three locations simultaneously. Sodick designed the OPM250L to require only a single beam to accomplish that task. Sodick explains that this is because laser sintering equipment must take fumes and shape deviation into consideration when generating the laser path. For this reason, the laser unit is not necessarily utilized at full capacity dur- ing processing. In parallel mode, the machine makes optimal use of the laser unit by targeting multiple loca- tions concurrently. Matsuura showcased its latest hybrid machine, the Lumex Avance 60, which opens this technology to bigger applications in new industries, such as aerospace and automotive, accommodating a maximum workpiece size of 600 by 600 by 500 millimeters and a maxi- mum weight of 1,300 kilograms. New products are available for those who do not want to go big. For instance, OR Laser, a German laser systems manufacturer, debuted the Orlas Creator hybrid, an SLM machine with the added benefit of three-axis milling to create net parts. The machine combines the build platform of the original Creator, an SLM machine that OR Laser launched at Formnext 2016, with a 250-Watt laser and processing speeds of 3,500 millimeters per second. The Orlas Creator hybrid would fit even a small workshop environment. Tomorrow's Injection Molds Protiq, part of the Phoenix Contact Group, showcased an injection mold that the company developed with the design freedom of AM in mind. The injection mold leverages simu- lation and numerical optimization to address the structural, thermal and manufacturing aspects of designing an injection mold. Designed for in-house use at Phoenix, the mold is 75 percent lighter than the original tool that the company cre- ated a couple of years ago with traditional methods. Conformal cooling was integrated into the AM process, which reduced the cycle time by 3.2 seconds. "It is one of the fastest tools we have ever built at Phoenix," Protiq Managing Director Dr. Ralf Gärtner says. "Of course, the topology opti- mization in this mold doesn't necessarily make sense for all kinds of tools, like 128-cavity molds. Additively manufactured molds or mold inserts do not replace traditional moldmaking by any means. The question is: How do shops complement their existing portfolios?" CONTRIBUTOR Barbara Schulz is Gardner Business Media's European correspondent. She can be reached at bschulz@gardnerweb.com. Additively manufactured molds or mold inserts do not replace traditional moldmaking by any means. The question is: How do shops complement their existing portfolios? FOR MORE INFORMATION DMG MORI / us.dmgmori.com EOS / eos.info/en GF Machining Solutions / System 3R / gfms.com Hermle / hermlemachine.com Matsuura / matsuurausa.com OR Laser / or-laser.com Phoenix Contact Group / phoenixcontact.com Renishaw / renishaw.com Sodick / sodick.com Trumpf / trumpf.com

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