Automating the moldmaking process

New software tools take the grunt work out of mold design and manufacturing. Delcam's Die Wizard automatically finds a product model's split line and forms the two die halves. PS-Moldmaker generates a 3D, solid-model assembly of the mold and tooling. The approach is said to reduce errors and speed production. PS-Electrode software identifies areas where EDM electrodes are needed, generates the design, and selects the most suitable blank and holder from a catalog database. Offshore competition is becoming a fact of life for tool and moldmakers. To compete with low-cost producers, established manufacturers have no choice but to improve efficiency, speed delivery, and offer more flexibility. It's not a hopeless battle, according to the experts, if companies are willing to change their approach to moldmaking and take advantage of the latest software tools. One solution is automated moldmaking, a new approach to mold manufacturing that encompasses CAD-data transfer, design of core, cavity, mold, and EDM electrodes, and production of the final parts. "Everyone talks about China's low labor costs," says Peter Dickin of Delcam plc, a supplier of product-development and manufacturing software based in Birmingham, England. "But the labor-cost content in a typical mold tool is probably less than 10%. If you can make your skilled people more productive and reduce waste by eliminating mistakes, you can easily overcome that 10%. "Automation is about making people more skilled and more productive," says Dickin, not about putting moldmaking responsibilities in the hands of low-wage novices. "No software can turn unskilled people into skilled moldmakers. Rather, automation reduces the routine work and allows more time for creative work. It lets experienced workers design better molds and quote more business, and it eliminates repetitive work and reduces mistakes." Delcam has developed a range of software tools that integrates moldmaking processes from concept to completed