Rapid Tooling: Technology, Advantages and Limitations
Rapid prototyping technology plays an important role in modern industrial production, especially in the field of mold manufacturing. This article will deeply explore the characteristics, production process, working method, advantages, etc. of rapid prototyping technology.
1、Overview of Rapid Tooling Manufacturing
Rapid Tooling (RT) is a tool that uses a specific shape to form products with a certain shape, size and surface accuracy. It is mainly used in mass production. Although the production and manufacturing costs of the mold are relatively high, the cost of each product is greatly reduced due to mass production.
2、Characteristics of Rapid Prototyping Technology
1.Improve material utilization
In modern industrial production, reducing costs is crucial. Rapid prototyping technology reduces structural waste by shortening the step distance, using the remaining process waste to stamp more workpieces, saving materials and reducing costs.
Rapid manufacturing technology can be arranged in waste mode, less waste mode and no waste mode. Different arrangement methods have their own characteristics in terms of dimensional accuracy, mold life and waste generation.
2.Improve operability
RT can reduce work intensity and reduce the possibility of finished product damage. Pay attention to the strip width and step distance during design to prevent mutual influence on accuracy during stamping. Unlike traditional “removal method” processing, rapid manufacturing can prevent mold wear and extend service life.
3、How Rapid Prototyping Technology Works
1.Direct method
Direct rapid prototyping methods can produce cavity mold inserts and cores, and can achieve some special geometric shapes, such as “consistent cooling” technology can shorten cooling time.
Advantages include fast production, simple steps, low resource consumption, flexible methods, etc. But there are also disadvantages such as durability, fragility, and easy to make mistakes.
2.Indirect method
The master mold is produced by additive manufacturing, and then the master mold is used to make molds or dies. Soft mold technology is often used.
Advantages include durability, strong flexibility, and suitable for experiments and testing. Disadvantages are time-consuming and not suitable for simple designs.
4、Advantages of Rapid Tooling Manufacturing
1.Reduce product development costs
The materials for making rapid molds are cheaper and more flexible, and 3D printing tools are cost-effective, which can save production costs.
2.Fast time to market
Speed up the production of prototypes and products, reduce the time for prototyping in the production stage, and speed up time to market.
3.Custom molds
Molds of any size can be made according to needs, and material testing and quality control can be carried out, which is very useful when the product materials are uncertain.
4.Conduct comprehensive testing
Multiple prototypes or molds can be made in a short time, and design and functional testing can be carried out to improve the functionality and market value of the design.
5.Increase ROI
Speed up product development time, ensure investment recovery in a short time, reduce production and prototyping costs, and reduce the time required to obtain a return on investment.
5、Limitations of Rapid Tooling
1.Higher injection and labor costs
Rapid prototyping tool prototyping is a repetitive process that requires more injection costs, especially when prototyping multiple times, which leads to higher labor costs and increased production costs.
2.Shorter mold life cycle
Rapid molds do not have a long service life because the injection molding process puts pressure on the mold and the quality of the mold manufacturing materials is not high, so the mold needs to be remade from time to time.
6、 Conclusion
Rapid prototyping technology plays an important role in the field of mold manufacturing. Although there are some limitations, through continuous innovation and improvement of technology, and the use of new materials and processes, it is expected to achieve higher precision, longer life and higher efficiency mold manufacturing in the future, bringing greater value to industrial production.