Thank you so much to the fabulous team at Toshiba Machine co., America! We partnered with them once again to build a Smart Work Cell for NPE 2018. Every time our team and their team collaborates it really turns out amazing and this show was no different. It was nice seeing old friends and making new friends.
We also would like to say "Thank You" to everyone that visited the booth. We had a great time talking to people that have used Aluminum Tooling in their prototyping and production projects with great success and educating those who were not familiar with the technology.
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]In the video below Mike W. from Toshiba Machine is describing all of the elements in the cell and how they integrate together.
This Aluminum Tool built by Phoenix Proto is a cell phone cord holder. It was running in Toshiba's 250 ton SX3 all electric Injection Molding Machine. The interesting part of this system is that it utilizes a system with a universal quick connect / disconnect of electric and water lines. that preheats a mold with a robot that swaps out the molds. Magnetic plates are used for placing the mold into the press platen, then clamping down in the mold.
As parts come off with the help of a robot they are laser etched with a QR code for complete traceability of critical processing data.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text]
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Bob from Phoenix Proto describes below Toshiba’s 250 ton Hydraulic Toggle TI250 Injection Molding machine running an Aluminum Mold designed and built by Phoenix Proto in 2 weeks. Toshiba and Phoenix Proto brought together the additional services of 5 other companies to create this unique demonstration for visitors to the Toshiba booth.
The pillbox given away at the NPE show is made out of Polypropylene. The all Aluminum Tool was slowed down to a 26 second cycle to accommodate the robot and it's flexing of the living hinges 3 times to ensure they are flexible. We have in the past run this tool at a 14 second cycle.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/GRTLBSVTqj0" align="center"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Below is a closer look into the pillbox mold running with the robot at the show.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/At1ArcP_-yU"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Here is the pillbox mold running at a 14.25 second cycle at a Toshiba Machine Tech days.[/vc_column_text][vc_video link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7P3QDUpnpE"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator border_width="2"][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][ultimate_carousel speed="500" autoplay_speed="5100" arrow_size="40" adaptive_height="on"][vc_single_image image="2440" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2423" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2444" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2414" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2465" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2471" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2469" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][vc_single_image image="2473" img_size="medium" add_caption="yes" onclick="link_image" lazy_loading="true"][/ultimate_carousel][/vc_column][/vc_row]
View 2 Fully Automated Production Work Cells Featuring the newest innovations in Injection Molding, Robotics and Aluminum Tooling at the NPE show – booth W1363.
Orlando, FL May 7-11, 2018 - Learn more about Electric Injection Molding Machines and Aluminum Tooling in a production environment before purchasing conventional tooling.
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[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/4"][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="3/4"][vc_column_text]Toshiba Machine of Elk Grove, Illinois and Phoenix Proto of Centreville, Michigan have teamed up to showcase Toshiba’s 250 ton Hydraulic Toggle TI250 Injection Molding machine running an Aluminum Mold designed and built by Phoenix Proto in 2 weeks at the 2018 NPE show. Toshiba and Phoenix Proto brought together the additional services of 5 other companies to create this unique demonstration for visitors to the Toshiba booth W1363.
The pillbox to be given away at the NPE show is made out of Polypropylene. Toshiba is providing it’s new V50 controllers to run with the Yushin robot that will be collecting the finished plastic parts.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Here is a short video of us testing the Pillbox mold at Phoenix Proto in an all electric Injection Molding machine by Toshiba Machine. We are testing our process along with the robot we will be using in our production cell at the 2018 NPE show.
[/vc_column_text][vc_video link="https://youtu.be/JQeMcDlQMLI" align="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text]The second Aluminum Tool built by Phoenix Proto is a cell phone cord holder. It will be running in Toshiba's 250 ton SX3 all electric Injection Molding Machine. The interesting part of this system is it utilizes a system with a universal quick connect/disconnect of electric and water lines. that preheats a mold with a robot that swaps out the molds. Magnetic plates are used for placing the mold into the press platen, then clamping down in the mold.
As parts come off with the help of a robot they are laser etched with a QR code for complete traceability of critical processing data.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Bob Lammon of Phoenix Proto feels that “Running an Aluminum Tool in an electric Injection Molding machine is the perfect way to show case the cost benefits of both companies services. Less energy consumption and reduced cost tooling equals an excellent way for medical companies to reduce their overall cost of R&D into production. We think that visitors will be surprised to know that we (Phoenix Proto) are expecting 1 million parts from this Aluminum Tool.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
We are very excited about going ISO 9001. Our current clients know that Phoenix Proto is all about speed & quality. There are those that say you cannot have it all. We say, “that is because you cannot do it or haven't found a shop that can”. We CAN & DO every day.
Every tool / mold we build is production quality. So why not go ISO 9001:2015. We already delight our clients with our speed and quality. Especially as we have no design limitations for our clients beyond designing with good molding - tooling practices in mind. We provide mold flows to ensure good tooling practices and the best molding opportunities to help our clients engineer the best part design for their purpose, this gives them a reliable production quality part. Our DFM process (Design for Manufacturing process) enhances our ability to succeed with getting the best suited process for the part geometry of our clients part designs.
The importance of ISO 9000 is the importance of quality. With ISO 9000, an organization can identify the root of the problem, and therefore find a solution efficiently and quickly. All of our customers place a high value on quality parts to ensure their products are perfect for their end use customers. And because the consumer is most important to a company, ISO 9000 makes the customer its focus.
What is ISO 9001:2015
For those that do not know ISO, it stands for International Organization for Standardization. The numbers 9001 is the set of standards that refer to a basic quality management system that can be used in industries of any size and type anywhere in the world. Registration to ISO 9001 provides objective proof that a business has implemented and satisfied all the requirements of a quality management system. The numbers 2015 just refer to the most updated version of the ISO standard which was revised in 2015. “ISO 9001:2015 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and is the only standard in the family that can be certified to (although this is not a requirement).
ISO standards can be used by any organization, large or small, regardless of its field of activity. In fact, there are over one million companies and organizations in over 170 countries certified to ISO 9001. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top management, the process approach and continual improvement. These principles are explained in more detail in the online PDF Quality Management Principles. Using ISO 9001:2015 helps ensure that Phoenix Proto customers get consistent, good quality products and services, which in turn brings many business benefits. “
Why we’re choosing to go ISO 9001:2105
3D Printing creates fit & function parts in hours. We also now are making 3D printed molds for short run prototyping. fit & function from 3D printing is great but even better is understanding quickly how well the design works in an injection molding process using production materials in injection molding equipment. This is where Phoenix Proto is bridging the gap between 3D printing & injection molding & tooling.
Rapid Prototyping More Options = 3D Printing
Phoenix Proto purchased a 3D printer to offer more options to our clients prototyping needs. Many of our clients require prototypes that prove out their designs by the fit & function, and an Aluminum Tool can create more production parts than they need. Aluminum Tools if we know on the front of the program can run up to a million shots of unfilled resin.
Depending on the resin and part geometry, 3D printed molds are well suited for about 100 shots in general. This is especially useful for prototypes, which can now be created on site in just hours, from mold design to final test product. From what our client’s designers learn and our mold makers learn from the process, we can go straight into Aluminum Tooling to prove out the design and create production quality parts. Depending upon the number of parts required, the Aluminum Tool is generally sufficient to fulfill those requirements.
We have taken 3D printing for fit and function to the next level. Prototypes are wonderful tools but if you do not learn from them the next step into production can be rather painful. Unfortunately we have had so many clients come back to us to run production quality parts off of the Aluminum bridge tools we created as their “Production Tooling”. On occasion, P20 or other hardened steels molds don’t perform with the same level of quality that Aluminum tooling does.
The Rapid Prototyping Dilemma = 3D Printing
We started seeing more and more clients using 3D printing and not learning anything from the process. Here were clients looking for fit and function with the exact thermoplastic resin needed for production, yet once they got to that point... recreating it in the production process was quite another thing.
It was like Aluminum tooling all over again. So we were advocates of building Aluminum Tooling for their prototypes, so they could validate their design and go into the production process.
The Rapid Prototyping Solution = 3D Printing + Injection Molds
Phoenix Proto's 3D Printer
To help these clients, we are now building 3D printed molds. Yes we are! We can quickly create custom injection molds that produce low volumes of parts in the final production plastic material required. They are fitted with everything a traditional mold is fitted with... water lines, cam slides, etc. 3D printed molds are far less costly than a traditional steel mold or Aluminum tool. They are perfect for 100 or less prototypes, depending on the exact grade of resin. The information that’s learned on how the design worked using the normal plastic injection molding process, allows the customer to confirm their design with the chosen production resin.
What was learned from the 3D Mold injection molding process can be tweaked into an Aluminum Tool for perfecting the production process. Aluminum Molds are perfect for several hundred thousand to a Million + shots depending upon the resin. So the term “Production” is very subjective when it comes to Aluminum Molds.
Contact us today to see how we can "bridge the gap" from your prototype to production needs.
Time is money. And no one understands that better than our team at Phoenix Proto. With lead times at 3 weeks or less and every single mold we create is production quality... Speed & Quality are our top priorities. While we don't cut corners on quality, we do want to cut our molds as fast as possible with greater accuracy and better finishes. This is why we keep reinvesting in high speed CNC machines.
We already have several high speed CNC machines running at 42,000 RPM Spindle. All of our high speed CNC's have an automatic pallet feeder/Robots to keep them running 24/7 lights out cutting molds.
(5) Major reasons to go 5 Axis
Due to many suppliers using the wrong grades of materials and poor design practices, Aluminum has been given a bad rap.
Used for years as just a “Tool” for quick, cheap and dirty prototype parts; Aluminum materials have struggled to get the necessary notice as a strong alternative to Steel tooling.
However, the Future is Today - not next year, and no matter what Mold Material is chosen, the following points are important and most vital when considering Aluminum Tooling:
Used today for cycle time advantage and lower tooling costs, high-strength Aluminum alloys are making an impact in the Medical, Automotive, Defense, and Commercial industries for a competitive alternative to steel.
