Thursday, April 24, 2008

LUNCHTIME LESSON
12:45pm-1:30pm
Session 23
2008 Leadtime Leader Panel Discussion
Large Shop Winner
Small Shop Winner
Large Shop Honorable Mention
Small Shop Honorable Mention

This annual award was designed to recognize outstanding North American mold manufacturers and their ability to succeed in a globally competitive environment. It rewards moldmaking excellence in innovation, efficiency, quality and commitment.

Winners are chosen based on performance in leadtime, current and projected sales growth, innovation in the moldmaking process as well as the business side of moldmaking, technology, industry involvement and customer service. MoldMaking Technology magazine will present the winners to the industry at an awards ceremony during the evening reception on Wednesday, April 23 at 5:30 p.m., and the winners will participate in this free lunchtime lesson panel discussion on the strategies and technologies that helped them gain a Leadtime Leader title.

WORKSHOP: MOLD TRYOUT
1:30pm-5:30pm
Session 24
Rigorous Mold Tryout: Do Your Homework Prior
Gary Chastain, RJG, Inc.

How do I know if the customer is giving the mold a chance to perform? How do I know if the customer has the mold in the correct machine? How do I know if this machine is even capable? Why, when we adjust the tool steel to meet the dimensions, are they not correct the next time the customer tries the tool out? With increasing pressure from a global economy and local competition we need to be more thorough in bringing the mold to production at a faster rate. If we understand more facets of how the end user (the processor) will use the mold, we as tool builders can help them reach that success to be more profitable, build more confidence in our abilities and develop a partnership relationship. In this presentation we will look at mold size, cavitation, machine size and using risk management to validate if there will be a process window prior to producing parts.

CASE STUDY: CAD/CAM/FIVE-AXIS
2:45pm-3:45pm
Session 25
Successful Five-Axis Machining for Mold Manufacture
Mold Shop To Be Announced
Jeff Jaje, Sescoi

The usage of short cutters is a key feature of five-axis machining. It significantly reduces the deflection of the tool, results in a better surface quality, prevents reworking and reduces the amount ofEDMburning tremendously. The requirements to CAM systems grow heavily at the same time; especially the collision control of CAM software, which is a complex and time-consuming task. The knowledge of a collision for a given point and tilt angle is important, butultimatelyuseless if the collision cannot be avoided. Thus, the active collision avoidance is an important part of five-axis machining. In addition, the system mustconsiderthe dynamics of the machine while changing the position and angles. It should keep the machine at the same speed. On top of this challenge we have the milling machine itself, whichmay be limitedin its axes. The limits of angles differ heavily depending on manufacturer and construction type of the machine. Therefore, to have a collision-free point and direction is not enough. The milling machine must be taken into consideration at an early stage in order to avoid its limitations.

PANEL DISCUSSION: ISO/QUALITY ASSURANCE
2:45pm-3:45pm
Session 26
Is ISO 9001: 2000 Worth It?
Larry Mull, H.S. Die & Engineering
Brandon Kerkstra, Management Solutions Group, Inc.

This presentation will be a discussion lead by a mold manufacturer and quality consultant on whether or not your shop should pursue the following registrations: ISO9001: 2000, ISO/TS 16949, AS 9100, ISO 13485, ISO 17025. It will also review the associated costs, benefits and challenges to maintaining an effective quality system, and focus on how to implement these registrations/certifications cost effectively in just a few months. Ways of reducing documentation using a management system as a way to run your business and drive improvements also will be explained.

CASE STUDY: SURFACE TREATMENT
2:45pm-3:45pm
Session 27
Mold Coatings and Finishes Synergy for Success
Rick Finnie, M.R. Mold & Engineering
Harry Raimondi, Bales Mold Service

Today there are many materials being molded and everyone is looking for the edge to perform more efficiently and with no wasted plastic. The cost of raw materials combined with the need to get the product to market is a constant concern that needs to be addressed using any and all avenues.  This session will address the need for the proper finishes combined with the appropriate coatings for protection and the ultimate in release properties. Preventative maintenance is important to the life of a mold and getting the maximum potential out of a mold. There are many choices and the details of those choices will be discussed. Customer and plating/polishing synergy has become more important in recent years. A mold shop customer representative will interact with our presentation giving a real case study of a typical hot job situation. Details on how the combined communication and efforts of both parties can lead to a positive solution to the hot job syndrome.

CASE STUDY: ADDITIVE FABRICATION
4:00pm-5:00pm
Session 28
Dan Mishek, Vista Technologies
Jeff Hanson, RedEye RPM
Digital Manufacturing’s Role in Today’s Mold Shop

With customers placing repeat orders that tend to be low volume and take time and resources away from in-production projects, it makes sense for moldmakers to look for fast, efficient alternatives to in-house production of those projects. In the past, mold shops hesitantly outsourced those projects to competitors because other options were absent. Recently, mold manufacturers are seeing the benefits that low-volume digital manufacturing services can provide as a non-competitive alternative. This team of presenters will share customer application stories and discuss how digital manufacturing allows mold manufacturers to quickly and efficiently process low-volume orders with a non-competitive partner, which means avoiding scheduling conflicts and offering a speedy delivery to your customers without shutting down your production line. Ultimately, you can continue running your current projects without interruption.

CASE STUDY: MOLD DESIGN/SIMULATION
4:00pm-5:00pm
Session 29
Effect of Gate Diameter on Filling Imbalance in Multi-Cavity Molds
Mold Shop To Be Announced
Mason Myers, Beaumont Technologies, Inc.

Mold filling imbalances in multi-cavity molds are particularly sensitive to variations in gate sizes.  These gate variations are built unknowingly into a new mold and may also develop or increase as the mold is run in production.  The size variations result from several factors, including general machining tolerances, non-uniform shearing of the material and fillers, and flow rate variations in different cavities.  This seminar focuses on the results from two studies, which use filling simulation to predict pressure variations and filling imbalances as a result of gate size variations.  The first study evaluates the effect of gate differences on pressure within the cavities, and the second study looks at the effect on mold filling imbalances in an eight cavity geometrically-balanced cold runner mold.   

CASE STUDY: INSPECTION/MEASUREMENT
4:00pm-5:00pm
Session 30
Complex Mold Inspection with Cross Sectional Scanning Technology
Vince Arboleda, Tyco Electronics
Craig Crump, CGI

Traditional inspection tools often yield an incomplete assessment of complex parts.

Cross sectional scanning technology generates high density point clouds and 3-D color maps that are used in the metrology of complex injection molded parts. From first article inspections to multi-cavity mold re-qualifications, these tools provide a faster, more accurate and more comprehensive capture of data—often reducing inspection times from weeks to days. In this presentation, 3-D scanning technologies and their practical applications will be discussed to illustrate the process and the benefits for moldmakers and injection molders. The presentation gives real-world examples of applications and savings with high density point clouds and 3-D color maps. As the demand for quality heightens, required time-to-market shortens and designs become increasingly complex, new tools are needed to maintain a competitive advantage and reduce costs.  Increasingly, manufacturers are relying on optical inspection tools, such as cross sectional scanning, that produce high density data point clouds and 3-D color maps for rapid, 100 percent inspection. Applied to both first article inspection and multi-cavity re-qualification, these tools offer more information while reducing overall inspection reporting time.