Mould Making And First Article Trial
Cutting, fitting and proving the tool in our own press before it ships
What This Stage Covers
Cavity and core work runs through CNC machining, EDM and wire cutting in our own tool room, and the finished mould is trialled on an injection machine here before anything is packed.
Stage By Stage
Steel preparation
The problem. Blocks that are not checked on arrival turn into a hardness surprise halfway through the cavity work.
How we handle it. Cavity and core blocks are inspected against the specified grade before they enter the machining route.
CNC machining
The problem. Cavity geometry cut from an out of date model produces a tool that is correct for a part nobody is buying.
How we handle it. Programmes are generated from the released model and the revision is recorded against the mould number.
EDM and wire cutting
The problem. Sharp internal corners, deep ribs and text cannot be cut with a rotating tool.
How we handle it. Electrodes are cut and burned for the detail a cutter cannot reach, and inserts, slide pockets and ejector holes are wire cut.
Fitting and spotting
The problem. A mould that is dimensionally right can still flash if the shut offs have never been spotted by hand.
How we handle it. Parting line, shut offs, slide travel and ejection are fitted at the bench before the tool goes to the press.
First trial
The problem. A tool shipped untried arrives as somebody else's problem.
How we handle it. The mould is run on an injection machine here. Short shots, full parts and a measured cycle time come out of the trial and travel with the tool.
Correction and re-trial
The problem. First trials find things. The question is whether anybody records them.
How we handle it. Corrections are listed against the mould number with the reason, the tool is run again, and the second set of samples is measured the same way as the first.
What You Receive
- Trial samples from the finished mould
- First article measurement report
- Measured cycle time from the trial
- Correction list against the mould number
- Spare component set packed with the tool
Products This Stage Applies To
Moulds For Sanitary Ware Parts
ABS Shower Head Mould With Two Cavities And Six Slides
The most complex tool in the archived catalogue
Product materials ABSMould material DAIDO NAK80
Moulds For Home Appliance Parts
PC Home Appliance Mould With Two Cavities
The fastest cycle in the whole archived catalogue
Product materials PCMould material S136 quenching
Moulds For Other Product Series
ASA Family Mould On LKM Base
A 4+1 family layout matched to a real four to one part ratio
Product materials ASAMould material LKM
Mould Making And First Article Trial Questions
Practical questions about this stage of the work.
Do trial samples come from the actual production material?
They should, and we ask for the grade you will run in production. Trialling in a substitute grade gives a cycle time and a shrinkage figure that will not repeat once the real material goes in.
How many trials are included?
The first trial and the corrections that come out of it are part of the tool. Trials caused by a part change after the model was released are quoted separately, which is why the design review matters.
Can we attend the trial?
Yes. Customers in Europe and Japan have historically taken video of the trial instead of travelling, and we can run it that way if it is easier.
Start With Mould Making And First Article Trial
Tell us where your project currently is and we will tell you what this stage would involve and what it would cost.