CAD solutions for moulds and dies ideal for manufacturing engineers

CAD solutions for moulds and dies have revolutionised design in the architecture, engineering, construction and manufacturing industries. Thanks to their data exchange functionality, there is greater accuracy, quality and collaboration for high quality products saving time and money.

One way to reach a competitive level in the market and optimise processes is with the use of CAD solutions, because there is a quick integration between the design and manufacturing of a product. It is applicable for companies of all sizes, as its function is to simulate in three dimensions the movement of a part through a production process.

CAD applications are used for both product design and manufacturing process programmes. They mostly use models and assemblies to generate tool paths that drive machine tools to convert designs into physical parts, manufacture prototypes, finished parts and production runs.

In order to diagnose whether our company needs to use CAD solutions for moulds and dies, we need to answer the following questions:

• Are we efficient in the delivery of our designs, i.e. are we able to deliver in real time and respond to our clients in a timely manner?
• Are our engineering and IT teams truly integrated?
• Are our methods proven for business growth?
• Is there fast, quality, zero-defect centralisation of design delivery?
• Are the modification times for designs exceeded, or are design times high?

If you are familiar with these concerns then we are in the presence of a requirement to use computer aided design (CAD) technologies for the manufacture of moulds and dies, which not only provides industry with a productive tool that guarantees speed and quality of manufacture, but also avoids design errors during processing, which means a great saving in development time and costs, thus being a step forward in productivity and competitiveness.

10 Benefits that we as a company will gain if we succeed in designing with CAD solutions for moulds and dies.

1. Manufacturing engineers can design quickly with few defects through the use of tooling, jigs, fixtures, custom gauges and fixture components for fastening work such as part geometry separation, engineering data changes and detailing of all project elements (mould, dies, tooling, electrodes, etc.).
2. There is a highly flexible part configuration of the mould which would facilitate prototype construction and process optimisation.
3. There is a full implementation of the moulds of most of the world's manufacturers.
4. CAD solutions for moulds and dies have powerful and unique tools for the design of slides, runners, ejectors, castings, cooling systems and more.
5. Better 3D management and export in XLS with configurable template, with the characteristics of all mould components.
6. Automatic positioning of mould components according to predefined standards.
7. Data and design backup in the cloud.
8. Tool and die suppliers can be prepared accurately and relatively quickly with CAD data for moulded, cast or pressed parts.
9. CAD data can be sent simultaneously from anywhere in the world, both for quotations and for the production of parts.
10. Suppliers can generate automatic bills of materials, giving the option of budgets for outsourcing. If so inclined, production can be outsourced to parts of the world at lower costs, with the potential to overcome language barriers as data is digital.

While it is true that CAD solutions for moulds and dies would not only allow us to offer a quality product, but would also help us to be more competitive in the market due to the greater availability of designs in time and therefore better communication with potential customers.

So is it worth studying how CAD solutions for moulds and dies work?

The answer is yes, because before turning down the opportunity to get great results or make a big investment, it is necessary to know the main requirements for handling this technology. We see how most of these CAD solutions for moulds and dies work:  

• In the first instance there must be preparation and programming. This should be done using the CAD software which provides dedicated modelling and preparation tools for electrodes and surface run-out of moulds and dies, thus ensuring that moulds are finished and ready for manufacture.
• Secondly, we must take advantage of improved toolpath strategies specifically for mould and die. Simulating toolpaths and the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine tool to minimise the risk of collision, generating optimised and safe toolpaths, which provide the confidence to run "lights out" production.
• Verification and inspection are important to avoid devastating and costly errors during manufacturing, so on-machine verification can confirm the quality and efficiency of handling.
• Finally, additive and subtractive manufacturing processes are combined to gain a competitive advantage. Adding conformal cooling to mould designs for shorter moulding times and better parts.

Results to be obtained when applying CAD solutions for moulds and dies

• They allow a high level of design precision to be achieved.
• They raise productivity.
• Execution of complex works.
• Reduction of downtime.
• Concentration of operations.
• Storage of technological information.
• Rationalisation of personnel as well as improvement of working conditions.
• Cost reduction for large batches.

All this translates into competitive advantages that generate significant profits for our business, and CAD solutions for moulds and dies allow us to interact more efficiently with those customers with a proven track record. If you would like more information, I invite you to subscribe to the Technology for Industry Newsletterwhere you can also find content from technologies to optimise industrial factories.