Machinery Minutes: Mold makers meet demand for precision

What you’ll learn on this episode of Machinery Minutes: 

• Mold makers are taking on intricate projects requiring precision that was unattainable just a few years ago, and they are employing a variety of new manufacturing tools to get the job done. 
• LS Mtron employed retractable tie bars to help Stanford Manufacturing fit two large presses under a low roof. 
• M&J Recycling has added a system to capture and reuse energy during shaft reversals to its P250e pre-shredder. 

Transcript

Hello, welcome to PMM Insight, a Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing podcast. I am your host, Ron Shinn, editor of PMM.  

This is an episode of Machinery Minutes, where at the beginning of each week I share with you three things you need to know in about three minutes. You can read the complete stories on plasticsmachinerymanufacturing.com.  

Let’s get started. 

Story number 1: Mold makers are taking on intricate projects requiring precision that was unattainable just a few years ago, and they are employing a variety of new manufacturing tools to get the job done. 

An example: A customer came to Guill Tool needing tooling for a catheter that was 1 millimeter in diameter with a wall thickness of 1 thousandth of an inch. That is smaller than a human hair, which is 3 to 4 thousandths of an inch thick. The tubing is used by neurosurgeons performing procedures on babies, even in the womb.   

Guill met the challenge. It was all in a day’s work for a company trying to survive in a competitive market. 

Mold makers described to Senior Staff Reporter Karen Hanna how they are now using metal 3D printers, plastics stereolithography printers, analytical tools and vision systems.  

Mold makers say their business comes down to two factors: Technologies and human expertise.  To stay competitive, tool makers tout both. 

I hope you will read the complete story. Headline is, “Precision, expertise give mold makers an edge.” 

Story number 2: This is a great story about how working with your machinery supplier can solve big problems.  

Stanford Manufacturing, a North Carolina injection molder, needed two big presses for a new job but the plant roof was about seven feet too low for the size presses they wanted. 

LS Mtron worked out a solution that did not require raising the roof. The South Korean machinery manufacturer supplied a 1,200-ton press and a 770-ton press with retractable tie bars that freed up space and made moving molds easier and faster. 

Removing one of the tie bars allows a mold to be inserted from a lower height. With a push of a button, the tie bar retracts from the LS Mtron machine in about 60 seconds.  

LS Mtron also built special bases so large parts could be ejected from the bottom of the presses and performed other machine customizations for Stanford Manufacturing. 

Headline is, “LS Mtron solves ceiling-height challenges.” 

Story number 3: In new product news, Danish supplier M&J Recycling has added a system to capture and reuse energy during shaft reversals to its P250e pre-shredder. 

The company claims energy use is reduced by 25 percent compared with hydraulic shredders and is quieter when operating. 

The P250e’s capacity is up to 110 tons per hour. Using 12 knives, a grain size under 100mm is possible. 

Headline is, “M&J pre-shredder reduces energy use.” 

Those are my Top 3 items for this week. We have a new list every Monday.  

I hope you have enjoyed this episode of Machinery Minutes. You can always find our podcasts and the latest information about the worldwide plastics industry on our website, www.plasticsmachinerymanufacturing.com and on social media.  

Remember to subscribe to the PMM Insight podcast on your favorite podcast app and tell a friend or colleague if you think they would enjoy the show. This podcast was produced by Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, an Endeavor Business Media brand.