Part Buyers Authority Issue #2

Traditionally lines are added by drilling holes and either making side intersecting holes and plugging them or not being able to cool some of these areas at all. With conformal cooling technology companies can now decrease cycle times of the parts, increase tooling life of the mold and reduce scrap. This is a new process – we have many studies that show the substantial cost saving benefits and better part production with the use of conformal cooling technology. Conformal Cooling Aluminum Die Casting We have saved the best for last and the most exciting one for us. The challenge with conformal cooling and aluminum die casting is the extreme heat and pressures of the die casting process. Our company Innovative 3D Manufacturing has started a joint R&D project with a large die casting company, a large powder supplier and Purdue University. Our goal is to develop conformal cooled die cast mold inserts that will revolutionize the aluminum die casting market and will have a direct impact on the automotive parts industry. Stay tuned! 3D Metal printing has proven itself to be important especially in complex part prototypes and production. It is proven in rubber mold applications as well. Watch for conformal cooling technologies as they are in the works now. that can be printed quickly for mockups. The brackets can also be Topology Optimized (TO) for weight reduction and fit for tighter spaces in engine and drivetrain areas. When it comes to high performance automobiles, supercars and race cars the use of lattice structures and materials such as Titanium are also a huge game changer. Contact: CHRIS BECK [email protected] 19 Click here to SUBSCRIBE o r CONTRIBUTE a s an author. Producing Fixtures, Replacement Parts, End Effectors Another problem that we face is the skills gap shortage in manufacturing. As time goes on most predict that this is only going to become increasingly worse. With the use of AM it’s possible to take a person without the skill set of a Journeyman Machinist or Tool & Die Maker to make a fixture detail or replacement part very quickly. This can be a huge advantage in the automotive world when something breaks and the replacement part has a long lead time. With today’s technology we are able to reverse engineer a part and make it quickly. We can also generate backup details, tooling and end effectors at a very competitive price, in many cases at less cost versus traditional manufacturing. Conformal Cooling Injection Molding Conformal cooling is one of the places where AM can deliver HUGE time and cost savings. The use of contoured cooling channels (called conformal cooling), gives the mold maker the ability to add water cooling lines in very tight spots and follow complex contours.