Techniques | Moulds and dies Moulds and dies
Moulds in own production
The moulds and dies we use are largely made in-house based on a 3D file provided by our customer or which we can develop in consultation with our customer.
We can read most of the files. Our preference is for files in STEP or DXF format.
This model defines all product details for the plastic parts such as dimension, tolerances and material thickness. If you do not have the ability to manage these drawings yourself, the process will be carefully supervised by us and we can also do the drawing for you.
A prototype mould or an aluminum die
We use a mould of PU foam (Polyurethane) for prototypes and 0-series and an aluminum die for large series.
The advantage of a mould from PU foam relative to an aluminum die is that the costs are low and the model is relatively easy to adjust.
The advantage of an aluminum die relative to a mould out of PU foam is that aluminum is extremely suitable for large series due to the excellent cooling properties and shape resistance of the material.
Another advantage of an aluminum die is that it can be cooled by applying cooling lines to the die. By cooling the die we can produce faster and that will reduce the price of the product.
Milling, casting or 3D printing
In addition to milling, we can also cast a die of aluminum. This is done by a mould of PU foam which is pressed in sand and this print is filled with liquid aluminum. Thereafter the cooling lines are applied and the aluminum die is further finished by milling.
Also, there is the possibility of printing a mould / die by means of a 3D printer!
We have the latest machines and techniques in the field of vacuum forming and thermoforming in the house, so there is a lot of potential.
Please contact us at info@plastica-thermoforming.eu or call: +31 (0) 164 23 60 33