Understanding through Video: A Grand Reveal of the Mold Manufacturing Process Using Metal 3D Printers!

[With Video!] A mold with efficient cooling channels that enables high-cycle molding! Special reveal of the manufacturing process using metal 3D printers and 5-axis machining!

Metal additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) is a technology that produces shaped objects by irradiating metal powder with a laser to melt and solidify it. By layering metal powder in micron-order thickness, it is possible to obtain dense and high-precision objects. A wide range of products can be manufactured, from large components up to 250×250×H325mm to small precision parts. We accommodate various needs from prototyping to mass production. The advantage of metal additive manufacturing is its high design freedom! For example, cooling channels in molds can be designed freely without considering the processing methods. However, the downside is that the layering pitch in microns results in longer manufacturing times. To address this, we propose a hybrid manufacturing approach where we directly build on a base made through machining! Parts that can be manufactured through machining are created separately, and only the complex flow path sections are made using metal additive manufacturing, which can reduce processing time by about 30% for mold components, for example. Additionally, it is also possible to remove unnecessary parts of existing components through machining and add new structures using metal additive manufacturing!

Plastic Mould