3D Printing for Mold and Die Manufacturers

GF Machining Solutions (Lincolnshire, IL) and EOS of North America, Inc. (Novi, MI) have partnered to integrate the Agie Charmilles AM 290 S Tooling powder bed-based additive manufacturing machine with an EOS M 290 metal laser sintering system that is configured to meet the expectations of players in plastic injection and die casting. These additive manufacturing machines are integrated for the production of mold inserts, including the necessary combinations of software and automation links with downstream machine tools and measuring devices to fulfill Industry 4.0 requirements. In the mold and die sector, additive manufacturing makes it possible to produce metal mold inserts that feature thermal exchange close to the surface to ensure optimal control of temperature homogeneity for shorter throughput time and a higher part quality.

Thanks to industrial 3D printing, mold and die manufacturers now have unlimited freedom of design to build inserts with conformal cooling channels, meaning they are placed closer to the final molded part and that they respect the part’s geometry. This breakthrough then aligns the exchange of temperature inside the mold and therefore optimizes production in terms of time, cost and quality. Such inserts can be used for any kind of plastic product in all segments. Due to a better temperature homogeneity during the injection process, shops can reduce their cycle time, lower their energy consumption, increase their productivity and improve the overall quality of, for example, a critical plastic part with thin walls.

https://youtu.be/r96sR24dcmU

The aim of this collaboration is to provide both the best machine and the expertise needed to assist implementation of additive manufacturing in mold and die. As such, the AgieCharmilles AM S 290 Tooling machine is supported by a continuum of GF Machining Solutions Customer Services:

• Operations Support covers the full range of original wear parts and certified consumables to ensure that customers’ machines are performing at the highest levels.
• Machine Support maximizes, through GF Machining Solutions’ best-in-class technical support, preventive maintenance services and quality wear parts, machine tool uptime.
• Business Support is more strategic, in scope and scale, and is designed to help customers to make a real step-change in terms of productivity and performance.

GF Machining Solutions LLC, 560 Bond Street, Lincolnshire, IL 60069-4224, 847-913-5300, Fax: 847-913-5340, www.gfms.com/us.