Folding Crate
Challenges:
- Designing a stack mold enabling the molding of 5 different parts, making it possible to mold a complete folding crate every cycle. All for the purpose of eliminating 2 presses, 4 operators, and the costly storage of parts necessary during the use of several molds to produce a complete box;
- Decreasing the closing force needed to mold this type of product, which usually requires a 1500T press by reducing it to an 1100T press or less in order to reduce production costs;
- Guaranteeing a lower and faster cycle time than a similar product already in production;
- Despite a stack mold configuration that usually requires mold supports specifically fabricated for a press, ensuring interchangeability of the mold on different presses.
Realizations:
- The I. Thibault team managed to design a technically complex 5-cavity stack mold and delivering a mold ready for production after only one test;
- Having executed a mold producing straighter folding crates without any deformation, enabling the customer to eliminate the costly operation of part conformation;
- Having executed an innovative concept of integrated and self-supporting mold supports making it possible to assure successfully the interchangeability of the mold on different injection presses;
- Having delivered a mold doing more than respect the cycle time guaranteed by the quote, which was 32 seconds, but producing parts at an astonishing cycle time of 27 seconds;
- Having decreased the closing force required due to the ?stack mold? configuration, but also due to sequential injection in cascade of a system of ?gate valve? hot runners with 16 injection points;
- Having successfully adapted the IML (In-Mold Labelling) technology to the stack mold concept.
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