INDUSTRY 4.0
EPISODE 7
Rob Miller, Wittmann Battenfeld Canada Inc. / ROTOLOADTM
Happy April!
It’s hard to believe that April is already upon us. For many of us in the North, spring is just around the corner, giving us hope of warmer weather, sunshine, and getting back outside. Even though it sometimes seems like our days are on endless repeat, time is still passing, and some days are passing quickly. In the last episode, we made a request of some industry questions, interested in where 4.0 can perhaps take us. Thankfully, there were a few responses. Our first question comes from Dutchland Plastics. Question: Will we be able to accurately predict the range of ‘size dimensionally’ knowing the construction of the mold and the material specifications? In other words, if I have my final design, using digital reproductions of the mold and material, can you tell me for 100 pieces what the high and low dimensions will be, factoring in the breaking in or conditioning of the new mold? Answer: In trying to determine the best investigation and response, I looked very basically at what is required to make any ROTO part. This includes the mold, resin, machine, and process (process parameters). In order to provide the most detailed and accurate answer, I wanted to investigate each of these factors a
little deeper to see how they might contribute to the net result. The Mold To get started with the mold perspective, I first reached out to Vince Costello of Diversified Mold and Castings Co. Vince responded with “All mold styles (CNC, Cast, and Fabricated) are built to more or less ‘industry standards’ from a tolerance standpoint. Each individual mold builder has tolerance standards they work to, but they may vary from mold builder to mold builder. That said, what’s important is that any mold can be measured dimensionally and qualified to meet the dimensional tolerance expected by the mold builder and the customer. That is the easy part.” Then I reached out to Sandy Scaccia of Norstar Aluminum Molds, Inc. He responded with “Interesting question, because ‘range’ or ‘dimensional’ tolerance is not in control of the mold.” Things that affect dimensional range are as follows: • Material consistency • Rate of heat up • Rate of cool down • Amount of cure of the parts www.rotoworldmag.com 49
