A Short Review of Rapid Tooling China
What is rapid tooling?
Rapid tooling is a manufacturing process which has been developed when customized parts in low volume is widespread. The demand for these parts established flexible technologies. Manufacturing preparation has to be short and tooling production has to be shortened. Rapid tooling is known as prototype tooling which involves rapid prototyping processes like 3D printing to speed up manufacturing processes. Rapid tooling is an important process to make prototypes and low-volume production. Rapid tooling approach consists of transforming CAD models into real tools by rapid manufacturing methods. So, rapid tooling shortens development cycle for products. The 3D printing may not be suitable for high volume production. The it allows manufacturers to test and evaluate product design and quality before running into mass production.
Rapid tooling today
Rapid tooling China is currently developing from a scientific concept into a commercial industry. The rapid tooling China process is used by prototyping manufacturers to shorten the lead-time of the product. It is difficult to combine multiple manufacturing techniques with design possibilities and part properties they offer. Because of a lack of research in rapid tooling processes, the biggest problem which has not been solved yet is repeatability.
What are rapid tooling methods?
Except for rapid tooling, a large number of rapid manufacturing techniques are used today. Many rapid manufacturing techniques descended from rapid prototyping technologies but with some changes. The requirement of precision and durability is higher than for simple prototypes. Below are the rapid tooling techniques.
CNC machining
CNC machining is the most traditional rapid tooling techniques. CNC machining process is flexible and lead time is short. With CNC machining, any kind of surface can be produced with a tight tolerance on the 5-axis machines tools. With rapid CNC machining, it is possible to produce a prototype or a low volume without investing expensive equipment. CNC machining is one of the best manufacturing methods regarding to precision and available material range. CNC machining parts have some limitations when it comes to cavities. CNC machining has difficulty in manufacturing sharp edges and deep grooves.
3D printing
Additive manufacturing is one of the newest rapid tooling processes. There are the many different additive processes. The most commonly additive processes are bed fusion and direct metal deposition. Both bed fusion and direct metal deposition use metal powder sintered and layer by layer methods to produce parts.3D printing is flexible. The metal powder is universal. Sharp corners and cooling channels can be created by 3D printing. The limitation of 3D printing is the surface quality is not good and it will need some time to do post-processing.
Soft silicone tooling
When making plastic prototypes or parts in low-volume, it will cost long time and money to create traditional injection molds. Soft silicone tooling is a good alternative method. Soft silicone tooling needs a master model which has to be produced manually or by 3D printing, CNC prototypes machining. The master part is stopped over the tank and liquid silicone is poured over it. When the silicone hardens, the master model is ejected. Silicone mold can withstand up to 15 uses.
EDM tooling
EDM tooling is useful when the tooling has to be made of hard material. For example, some dies which are used to produce titanium alloy parts withstand high stresses even when producing prototypes. Instead of spending a lot of time to cut small chips off the blank by a milling center, it is better to make a reversed cavity from on a softer material and install it as tool on EDM machines.
What are the advantages of rapid tooling?
Rapid tooling is a key process to manufacture a low volume of prototypes and shorten development cycle. Rapid tooling plays an important role to market samples, evaluate purpose, and production process.
l Rapid tooling is a good way to make custom mold for personal application.
l Rapid tooling offer flexible materials which can be decided by customers.
l Quick prototypes can be launched into the market faster.
l Compared with the parts produced by traditional injection tools, products produced by rapid tooling is cheaper.
l Rapid tooling has shorted tooling time and cheaper cost compared to traditional tool.
l Rapid tooling shortens production lead time and lowers the cost.
l Rapid tooling has ability to use wide range of injection molding materials to build custom molded parts.
What is different between direct rapid tooling and indirect rapid tooling?
Two categories of rapid tooling include direct rapid tooling and indirect rapid tooling.
l Direct rapid tooling
With direct rapid tooling, manufacturers use rapid prototyping processes to produce core and cavity mold inserts. Direct rapid tooling is useful to make geometrically complex tools. Direct rapid tooling creates a tool by CAD software. And create the physical mold or tools by 3D printing or CNC machining process. Then the physical mold is available for producing prototypes.
Direct rapid tooling offer fast production and short lead time. It allows to produce several prototypes by a single mold or tool. Direct rapid tooling is flexible. So, multiple mold or tools can be made even design is changed.
Compared to indirect rapid tooling, the mold made by direct rapid tooling is not durable. As direct rapid tooling does not need a master pattern, there is an increase in getting mistakes. If the mold is broken or using a new material, the whole direct rapid tooling has to redo. Direct rapid tooling is not good for high complex design or materials.
l Indirect rapid tooling
Indirect rapid tooling involves using rapid prototyping process to make a master pattern. The master pattern is durable. It can be used to produce a tool by soft tooling or a sacrificial model. Soft tooling is mainly for plastic production and sacrificial molds are for metal investment casting. Indirect rapid tooling creates a tool by CAD software. The master mold or tools are used to make others. The master pattern is durable. Unless the design is changed, the only need is a master pattern. Indirect rapid tooling is suitable for complex and simple designs. Compared to direct rapid tooling, indirect rapid tooling is slow. Indirect rapid tooling is not good for constantly design changes. Cost for indirect rapid tooling is higher as it needs high quality material for master pattern.
What is the future of rapid tooling?
Rapid tooling has a bright future of customized products. Many manufacturers invest in inventing new ways to produce rapid tooling. Current rapid tooling process are constantly improved. In the past, we could not dream of using printed parts rather than models. Today, printed parts are widely used in a wide ranged of different industries. CNC precision, materials and speeds are improved. Speed and improvements are growing at a rapid rate. Soft tooling and silicone molds are improved to increase durability. New plastics are being developed. Contact us to learn more about rapid tooling China.
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