Category: Advanced Manufacturing

One of the most important things to consider when you’re looking to create a mold is surface finish. No matter what material or method is being used to create your mold, whether you’re machining or using an EDM system or another form of mold making, the surface finish of your mold will always affect the…

Many different manufacturing processes are used to actually manufacture tooling for mold making. Most mold making involves CNC machining, or subtractive processing of the material. Other operations besides milling are used, including 3D printing and EDM operations. Moldmakers today are under pressure to create their mold tooling faster than ever before. Although EDM manufacturing is…

Traditionally, 5-axis mills were built and marketed for the domain of aerospace and power generation manufacturers. However, the adoption of 5-axis machining centers has increased for moldmakers in recent years. It is the purpose of this article to provide some information if shopping for a 5-axis mill for moldmaking. Advantages There are many advantages to…

Dealing with five axes when machining isn’t a simple process in any industry, but it gets especially interesting in the realm of aerospace. When we’re talking about subtractive manufacturing in general, you have to consider everything from your material and holding that work to your tooling and the toolpaths to get to your finished part.…

For machine shop operators considering milling machines, one of the most basic questions they have to answer relates to configuration: vertical or horizontal mill? The answer depends on the nature of the business—in particular the type and volume of work being done in the shop—but also cost, capabilities of the workforce, and the facility itself. All…

In the constantly evolving world of manufacturing, mold and die shops must continually improve productivity without sacrificing part quality. As you strive to stay competitive, you may need to work smarter and harder… With harder materials, that is. Many molds and dies require these hard materials to operate optimally. For example, H13 steel is capable of…

Computer-aided design changed the engineering realm just a few decades ago. The latest change to the tools available to engineers is the full integration of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) into CAD programs. Let’s take a look at the biggest benefits that a CAD/CAM integrated workspace brings us as engineers. One thing that CAD did when it first was implemented…

A look at how one mold manufacturer has embraced new manufacturing technology, unlocked the full potential of its workforce and become the dominant supplier in its field. Article by Clinton Perry, PowerMill Product Marketing Manager Today’s mold manufacturers are under pressure. Yep, it’s a shock revelation, right? Your end customers demand, even expect, to see…

Image Source The days of affordable rapid prototyping and instantaneous production are upon us, but how have they changed the manufacturing industry as a whole? Initial hype around the 3D printing industry had everyone believing that they would be able to print whatever they want in their own home. While this is true, it isn’t…

If you’ve ever taken shop class in high-school or watched an episode of how it’s made, you probably have some idea how lathes and other metalworking machines function. As technology and computers have improved over the years, a new high-precision computer controlled manufacturing technique called CNC machining has spawned. CNC machines, or computer numerically controlled…

When was the last time your 3D CAD tool “aided” your design? Sure, the software enabled you to document an already determined outcome, maybe validated an instance of a design for strength, or even allowed you to convert a 3D object into those wonderful 2D views, and of course they updated when the model changed.…

Image Source Additive manufacturing isn’t only limited to parts manufacturing, rather it is beginning to transform how electronics engineers manufacture circuits. When examining the realms of additive manufacturing within the constraints of electronics, there are 2 distinct production methods. There are 2inkjet-stylele printing techniques used to produce circuit boards. Typically, this method involves a printhead…

Design for manufacturability is a proactive process used to maximize the design of components for the intended manufacturing process. Let’s take a look at how we can use this process can be improved or eliminated with the use of additive techniques. Looking over the typical manufacturing processes of machining, casting, injection molding, and forming, we…

Image Source: Wikipedia The concept of a digital twin in manufacturing is one that has grown out of increasing connectivity. It’s a concept that allows manufacturers to monitor a product’s performance in real time using a digital model that responds identically to the real world product. As Industry 4.0 continues to drive forward the manufacturing…