Mold Tool Production
At RJC, we make great tools for low-volume manufacturing. When making your mold tool we use pre-hardened tool steels such as P20 and NAK-80 and fully-hardened S136 tool steel. The material used will depend on your specifications, the type of raw materials that RJC uses, and the number of parts you want to produce. Such as PP , PP+GF(20%/30%),ABS , PC/ABS , PC，PA66 ,POM，PA66+GF( 20%/30%/40%),PPA, PPS，TPE , TPU , TPV etc……
• Quick removal of large amounts of metal material
• Highly accurate and repeatable
• Suitable for many different kinds of substrates
• Low investment in tooling or preparation costs
• Economical
• Fast turnaround
What is EDM?
EDM stands for electrical discharge machining; the applications best suited for this metal removal process are characterized by highly exacting tolerances and situations that would be extremely difficult or impossible to handle with any other machining method.
An Overview Of EDM
The origin of electrical discharge machining goes back to 1770 when English scientist Joseph Priestly discovered the erosive effect of electrical discharges.
In 1943, Soviet scientists B. Lazarenko and N. Lazarenko had the idea of exploiting the destructive effect of an electrical discharge and developing a controlled process for machining materials that are conductors of electricity.
With that idea, the EDM process was born. The Lazarenkos perfected the electrical discharge process, which consisted of a succession of discharges made to take place between two conductors separated from each other by a film of non-conducting liquid, called a dielectric.
The Lazarenkos achieved immortality with this circuit, which today bears their name. Today, many EDMs use an advanced version of the Lazarenko circuit.
How It Works
There are a series of non-stationary, timed electrical pulses to remove material from a workpiece during the EDM process. The electrode and the workpiece are held by the machine tool, containing the dielectric.
A power supply controls the timing and intensity of the electrical charges and the movement of the electrode about the workpiece.A discharge is initiated at the spot where the electric field is most vital.
Under the effect of this field, electrons and positive free ions are accelerated to high velocities and rapidly form an ionized channel that conducts electricity.
At this stage, the current can flow, and the spark forms between the electrode and workpiece, causing many collisions between the particles. During this process, a gas bubble develops, and its pressure rises very steadily until a plasma zone is formed.
The plasma zone quickly reaches very high temperatures, in the region of 8,000 to 12,000′ Centigrade, due to the effect of the ever-increasing number of collisions, which causes instantaneous local melting of a certain amount of the material at the surface of the two conductors.
When the current is cut off, the sudden reduction in temperature causes the bubble to implode, which projects the melted material away from the workpiece, leaving a tiny crater.
The eroded material then resolidifies in the dielectric in small spheres and is removed by the dielectric. All this without the electrode ever touching the workpiece.
Making EDM a no-contact machining process allows you to achieve tighter tolerances and better finishes in a wide range of materials that are otherwise difficult or impossible to machine with traditional processes.
Design for Manufacturability (DFM), or more specifically analysis of a part design for its suitability to being injection molded, is performed to achieve the following:
- Minimize Tooling Costs
- Reduce Design Changes
- Expedite the Manufacturing Process
- Ensure Part Quality
RJC performs a manufacturability analysis on each injection molding project.
Upon receiving a quote request and an appropriate 3D design file, we will perform an initial analysis to ensure that the requested component is an appropriate candidate for injection molding.
Our objective is to produce the component closest to the original design intent. However, modifications are needed to accommodate the fundamental requirements of good injection molding practice in some instances.
In these cases, we discuss with clients suggested improvements to the design or measures we may need to take in the production process before initiating the mold production process to save our customers by minimizing tooling costs and design changes upfront and reducing overall project time.
RJC DFM and Mold Flow Analysis Example: Mold Flow Analysis
Design Tips: Design For Manufacturability Best Practices
To learn tips for designing for the injection molding process, please download our Design for Manufacturability ebook below. If you have questions regarding current or future projects, please contact RJC any time.