The Five “Ms” of Molding—Part II: The Mold
A bad mold can cripple a process; learn what areas should be considered as a tool is evaluated and reviewed.
Tooling is a key foundation block when developing a work program. A poorly designed or improperly functioning mold can become the root cause for systematic failures. In addition, as continuous improvement projects are outlined, the mold should be reviewed for potential improvements through modification. The next section outlines major areas that should be considered as the tool is evaluated and reviewed:
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Design: The very first step of successful molding is how well the mold has been designed to fit a particular application. Molds that do not perform well because of poor processing capabilities, frequent breakage or fluctuating molding conditions are crippling to a company’s productivity and efficiencies. Molding simulation software is a great tool for mold development. The ability to analyze mold temperature, pressure fluctuation and how the flowfront will likely perform greatly improves the designer’s ability to make adjustments to the tooling to counteract potential molding problems before they happen.