Trends Shaping the Future of Moldmaking

The integration of advanced technologies is reshaping traditional manufacturing processes and opening up new innovation possibilities for mold builders. Let’s explore some of the challenges impacting moldmaking and the technological advancements that offer opportunities for improvement.

Hurco showcases ProCobots-Hurco machine-tending automation across various models, including the VMX42Di ideal for mold work. The Automation Job Manager feature simplifies setup without robot programming. This system demonstrates easy implementation of automation in small- to medium-sized manufacturing operations. Source: Hurco

Market Dynamics and Business Strategies

Reshoring trends are leading to increased emphasis on domestic production in many markets. This shift is driven by concerns over supply chain resilience and a desire for greater control over quality and lead times.

Diversification is a key strategy for many mold builders. Companies are expanding their capabilities beyond traditional moldmaking, venturing into areas such as mold maintenance and repair, production molding, work cell automation systems and production machining. This diversification helps to create more stable revenue streams and opens up new business opportunities.

The electric vehicle (EV) market is creating new demands for mold builders, particularly in the areas of battery components and lightweight structural parts. Innovative lighting trends and the growing robotics industry are also presenting new opportunities for specialized mold designs.

Mergers and acquisitions activity continues to reshape the industry landscape, leading to consolidation and the formation of larger, more diversified companies. This trend is driven by the need for economies of scale and the ability to offer a wider range of services to customers.

Workforce Development and Skills Gap

The moldmaking industry continues to face challenges related to workforce demographics and skills shortages. With the average age of skilled moldmakers in the upper 50s to early 60s, there is an urgent need to attract and train the next generation of professionals.

Companies are implementing various strategies to address this issue, including mentorship programs, partnerships with educational institutions, and the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for training. These immersive technologies provide hands-on experience in a safe, controlled environment, accelerating the learning process for new employees.

In addition, cross-training initiatives are becoming more common, enabling employees to develop a broader range of skills and increasing operational flexibility. This approach also helps to create more engaging career paths, potentially improving employee retention.

The industry is also focusing on attracting a more diverse workforce, recognizing the need to tap into a broader talent pool. Efforts are being made to change the perception of moldmaking as a traditional manufacturing job and highlight the high-tech aspects of modern mold production.

Technology can be the solution to many of these challenges, including the products, equipment and services showcased at IMTS. Here are a few key points to keep in mind as you explore the show floor.

CAD/CAM software showcases precision in mold machining. This 56-58 HRC part features mirror finishes on core and cavity shapes, deep rib machining and intricate lens reflex areas. It demonstrates reduced post-machining time and superior control in creating high-quality, detailed molds. Source: CGS North America Inc.

Design and Manufacturing Advancements

CAD and CAM software continues to evolve, offering moldmakers powerful tools to create complex geometries and optimize production workflows. The latest CAD/CAM solutions provide seamless integration between design and manufacturing phases, streamlining the entire process from concept to finished mold.

Additive manufacturing, particularly 3D printing, has transitioned from an experimental technology to a mature and widely accepted tool in the moldmaking industry. It is increasingly used for creating complex geometries and multi-material tooling components. The technology enables rapid prototyping and the production of mold inserts with intricate cooling channels that would be difficult or impossible to manufacture using traditional methods.

Five-axis machining has become a standard in high-precision mold manufacturing. This technology enables the efficient production of complex shapes and contours, reducing the need for multiple setups and improving overall accuracy. Advanced toolpath strategies like trochoidal milling and adaptive clearing are being used to optimize material removal rates and extend tool life.

Manufacturers continue to push the boundaries of cutting speeds and feed rates, particularly beneficial for mold roughing and finishing. For example, high-speed, high-feed milling tools achieve higher feed rates at light depths of cut and improved surface finishes.

The push for higher precision is driving innovations in cutting tool materials and coatings. New formulations of carbide, ceramics and advanced coatings like TiAlN are enabling longer tool life and improved surface finishes, even when machining hardened materials.

Automation and Smart Manufacturing

Automation is playing an increasingly important role in moldmaking operations (see sidebar). Robotic systems are being integrated into various aspects of the production process, from material handling to finishing operations. Automated machining cells for milling and EDM allow for extended hours of unattended operation, improving productivity and reducing labor costs. The concept of “lights-out manufacturing” is gaining popularity, with moldmakers implementing systems that can operate autonomously during off-hours. This approach requires sophisticated monitoring and control systems to ensure quality and detect any issues that may arise during unmanned operations.

Data-driven decision-making and artificial intelligence (AI) are advancing mold manufacturing as well. The integration of cloud-based mold monitoring, AI-driven automation and data analytics is improving operational efficiency and quality with real-time insights into mold performance, predictive maintenance and optimized production schedules.

Digital twin technology is being applied to mold design and production, allowing for virtual testing and optimization before physical manufacturing begins, reducing errors, minimizing waste and speeding up the development process.

Quality Control and Precision Manufacturing

As product designs become more complex and tolerances tighter, moldmakers are taking a serious look at quality control. Advanced inspection and measurement technologies, such as CMMs and laser scanning systems, are being integrated into production workflows.

On-machine verification is being considered more as a way to ensure accuracy and reduce setup times. By performing measurements directly on the CNC machine, moldmakers can quickly identify and correct any issues before they impact the final product.

By leveraging technology, fostering creativity and maintaining a focus on quality and precision, the moldmaking industry will continue to play an important role in driving manufacturing innovation.

2024 Award-Winning Shop: Fully Embracing Technology for Success

MoldMaking Technology’s 2024 Leadtime Leader Award Winner Dynamic Tool Corp. (DTC) of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is a great example of how the right technology and mindset can enhance efficiency, quality and productivity in this specialized niche of manufacturing.

DTC builds molds ranging from single-cavity prototypes to four-cavity bridge tooling to multiple high-cavitation molds and offers additive manufacturing, CAD/CAM, grinding, milling, sinker and wire EDM, tool maintenance and repair, mold finishing and injection molding for consumer products, packaging, medical and electronics/computer industries.

The diversity of machining processes and the quality of equipment on the Dynamic Tool shop floor are mandated by the technical requirements of its customers. “We need advanced gear to successfully meet the tight-tolerance specifications of our customers’ mold builds,” Ken Eberle, DTC vice president of business development, says. “An average Dynamic mold is hardly that. The part designs we work with require sophisticated engineering and tool building, with one or more of auto-unscrewing, multiple slides, lifters, in-mold closing, multishot, thin-wall and insert features — with production cavitation ranging from 16 to 256 cavities.”

The Dynamic Tool team designed and integrated its automation cells. To date hard-cutter, graphite-cutter and EDM sinker processes are automated and include multiple machine centers, inline CMMs and robotic workpiece handling. Source: Dynamic Tool Corp.

Whether it’s 3D metal printing, five-axis milling, high-speed machining, lathes with live tooling, robotically integrated CMM inspection or automated cutting and EDM operations, you’ll find it on the floor creating injection molds. Due to their history of investment, leading machining center brands provide frequent training and updating support.

For instance, three distinct machining processes are currently automated — hard-cutter, graphite-cutter and EDM sinker — and were designed and integrated by the in-house team. “These cells include multiple machine centers, inline CMMs for component validation and workpiece staging via pallet and rotary shelf, all integrated with custom rail-mounted robots,” Eberle says.

“Automation allows us to take on more volume with the same amount of people. The skillset has changed as our specialists must be more technical,” explains Lucas Lemberger, lead sinker EDM specialist. “They not only program the EDM, they program the robot and the CMM — it’s the whole cell.”

The cell consists of five Makino EDM sinkers, one Hexagon CMM and an integrated cleaning station. It also includes 30 12 × 12 Dynafix Pallets and four electrode carousels with 800 electrode positions, expandable if needed. Only three people manage the equipment, programming, setup and teardown.

Dynamic Tool also excels in implementing conformal cooling design into production tooling systems, enhancing thermal control. Traditional processes are augmented by 3D printing technologies to create conformal cooling channels for more precise control of thermal dynamics. The Sodick OPM250L, combining laser sintering with high-speed milling, prints and finishes products in one automated operation. “This machine allows us to further problem solve and develop conformal cooling inserts,” Eberle says. Benefits include increased production, improved part dimensional stability, reduced warpage, lower scrap rates and a uniform temperature profile during cooling.

Finally, Dynamic Tool integrates metrology into its automated machining processes for quality assurance. With in-machining cell quality reporting, any fabrication issue is detected upon workpiece completion, ensuring it is identified, corrected and not duplicated. This inline accuracy and data eliminate rework loops and add value during process validation, enabling precise targeting and a larger process window. The result is documented, archived inline quality validation for future reference needs. This in-process metrology provides customers with the assurance that mold components are built to specification and forms the groundwork for any steel adjustments required after sampling.