China Prototyping Center

Rapid tooling

Posted by roger |

One of Triple-c China rapid prototype center distinctive service is to make quick moulds: this is what we call rapid tooling: either by Steel or silicone material. Usually rapid tooling is applied for low volumes series of plastic parts, volumes under the 10.000 pc.

what is possible with Rapid tooling?;

We can make moulds , quick, within 4 weeks, normally the lead-time for steel moulds, hardened or unhardened are 6 to 8 weeks respectively. In the western world this can be much longer.

With an aluminum mould or p20 steel low volume or series of 1000-100.000 parts can be made.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF rapid tooling?

The main advantage is a faster lead time compared to conventional hardened steel tooling,  which means you can introduce your product earlier or test it in a market much quicker than expected and  scheduled.

Besides a shorter lead time , tooling cost are usually lower than hardened multi-cavity mass production injection tools. To create these moulds, we don not have to harden them. Hardening can bring some risks in the manufacturing process.

Not an advantage but neither a disadvantage is that the plastic parts are exact the same as the mass production plastic injected parts.

Other reasons to choose for Rapid Tooling:

1. a product with a shirt lifespan
2. testing mould or product structure before mass .

Sometimes other companies or technicians mention Rapid tooling as a process to create a silicone mould/tool with the help of a rapid prototyped model ( either SLA, SLS , FDM or a CNC machined-model). We call this "soft tooling". For mass manufacturing or large series of plastics parts moulds please visit injection mold manufacturers china or our dedicated injection molding company china

 

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