HYVAC-LCM CMT Materials' new mold material was developed for low- to medium-volume, heavy-gauge thermoforming runs. Mold makers can use it to prototype and test mold designs as they are creating a new mold, or as a material for a short-run, small-production part. The material's last three letters stand for lightweight composite material.
What's new? The material. Still in beta testing, it is being used by a few CMT customers to assess its performance. CMT hopes to market the material in the next six to 12 months.
Benefits Improvements in material distribution and mold weight, fast cycle times and reduced costs. HYVAC-LCM molds can be created more rapidly at lower cost than aluminum molds. In addition, the material offers many benefits over wood, which is often used when first testing a new mold design. With the material, mold makers can achieve decreased sheet thickness and increased uniformity, in comparison to aluminum tools. HYVAC-LCM has a porous core covered with a layer of syntactic foam, which allows it to maintain optimal forming temperature. That ensures the plastic flows over the mold rather than cooling and creating stress or orientation issues; because of its thermal advantages, the material allows for faster part production. Also, mold makers can easily create a uniform vacuum by drilling through any area of the foam.
CMT Materials, Attleboro, Mass., 508-226-3901, www.cmtmaterials.com
