Whether injection moulding or machining, tooling is essential. Cheaper production and cooling close to the contour are the main arguments for producing tools using additive manufacturing. But there is more to it than that.

Germany — Researchers at the TU Berlin have been looking at how the surfaces of components used of injection moulds could be optimised. Here are some of the results.

Rapid tooling is well on its way to becoming the industry standard in many application areas. In this article we have summarised definitions, applications and much more about rapid tooling for you.

Cutting tools are the be-all and end-all of tool and mould making. Since efficiency and quality requirements in this industry are constantly increasing, suppliers respond with tools that are highly specialised to meet the demands of diverse customer applications.

The electrical discharge machines (EDM) market in Europe was heavily impacted with the emergence of the global pandemic in early 2020. A year down, the industry segment is still struggling to get back on track. We put a spotlight on the current condition of the European EDM market.

Germany — For German cutting tool specialist Bachert, an FX5 Linear grinding machine with an integrated AR300 Scara loading robot from Anca has increased productivity.

Cimatron, the CAD/CAM software supplier for the mould and die industry, has announced the release of its mould & die focused product Cimatron V16. After an intensive period of industrial beta testing, Cimatron V16 is now available for general distribution.

The challenges of high-performance machining have become more complex and demanding. These include high-mix, low-volume production, dynamic machine concepts, materials and high-precision surfaces. Particularly high demands are placed on a stable tool system.

Precision tools are a speciality of the European market. Their quality allows manufacturers around the world to produce high-technology parts and components for sophisticated applications. The innovative spirit of the industry is the trump card for the emerging recovery after the Corona crisis. We present some of the highlights recently launched by international toolmakers.

Focusing on the production of components for machine tools as well as main spindles, SPL Präzisionsfertigung in Germany demands the utmost in precision. This is why it invests in boring and tooling technology from Big Kaiser.