Dedicated to mould and die makers
From 3D printing to measuring, control and training, up to the Machine Directive while crossing the Zero Defect Area: numerous, innovative and all worth “seeing from close up” the initiatives that MECSPE organizes for mould and die makers this year.
“Manufacturing with 3D printing”,
Among the demo units dedicated to mould and die makers proposed this year at Mecspe, stands out the area “Manufacturing with 3D printing”, where we will see live all manufacturing phases of a gadget, from the CAD modelling up to the product implemented by injection moulding, without forgetting the mould manufactured in real time on the spot with 3D printing.
Mould made of Digital ABS with 3D Stratasys printer
The object, given as souvenir of the demo area, has been designed to demonstrate concretely what levels of quality, precision and definition the additive manufacturing can attain. They will print it in polypropylene, in different colours for the various days of the international trade fair. In the area, we will see at any time in operation both the 3D printer that creates the necessary moulds to grant the gadget printing in the days of the event and the injection press. In the first case, it is the 3D Objet30 Prime printer by Stratasys (www.stratasys.com, among the world leaders in the additive manufacturing and partner of the initiative) based on the PolyJet technology, an advanced method of additive manufacturing that allows implementing prototypes, parts and tools with smooth surfaces and accurate details. Once ready, it will be picked from the 3D printer, introduced into an apposite tool holder and mounted on an injection press, supplied by another partner of the initiative, the German company Dr.Boy, represented in Italy by ST.A.TE (www.state-art.it). Dr.Boy produces a broad range of presses that share a compact design and the easy accessibility for all components. In particular, in the area Manufacturing with 3D printing, the very compact BOY XS, suitable for the single-cavity injection moulding, will produce figures. In this case, too, the press will be always in operation during Mecspe, and therefore we will see its working cycle, from the drawing of parts to mould changes and the necessary operation to change the colour of manufactured parts. Moreover: the experts in modelling, 3D printing and moulding from Dr.Boy and Stratasys will be at visitors’ disposal to clarify any technical doubt.
Matrix and punch of the protagonist mould of the measurement and control square at Mecspe
Measurement and Control demo area
Visitors’ attention will be also captured by the Measurement and Control demo area, which will focus on the testing of the final object, essential phase for the implementation of products and equipment.
In the square organized at MECPSE, coordinated by prof. Claudio Giardini of Bergamo University and director of the magazine Stampi, member of AITEM (Italian Association of Manufacturing Technology), thanks to the collaboration of UCISAP, we will see a practical application of what described, with the participation of various partners: GF Machining Solutions, which will specifically supply the machining centre and the robotic product handling system, ZEISS, which will supply the contact measuring system for the detection of sections and profiles, QFP, which will provide the contactless measuring system.
The measurements carried out will be used as input for a software that compares geometries, able to provide in its turn the input for the CAM system that will control the machine for the correction of the detected errors. All this will concretely constitute a measuring and control unit that, thanks to the integration of the relative elements, will represent an example of how today we can actually use automation for the enhancement of machine intelligence, in line with what defined “smart machines”.
Salesian laboratory for Mould production
Finally, to complete MECSPE offer dedicated to the mould world, they will replicate for the second year the Salesian laboratory for the Mould Production that will constitute an opportunity to reaffirm the school-enterprise partnership, in which they will present an innovative didactic/experiential model adopted by Salesian Professional Education Centres. This year the area will be focused on the “Mould Project”, the initiative promoted by Meusburger, Vero Solutions and Ucisap, oriented to the training of teachers of CNOS FAP about mould and die technologies, devised to allow the transfer of the necessary know-how for students. Core of the “Laboratory” will be the maintenance and the overhaul of a mould. Ten students attending the fourth year of Professional Education, coordinated by their technical teacher, will operate in the various manufacturing ambits and will implement their working processes daily, under the supervision of business specialists who will guide them in the development of the technologies and of the processes connected with the plastic injection moulding.
Zero-defect production chain
Noteworthy the Zero-defect production chain in which they will develop a project according to parameters of the lean production and of Industry 4.0: from the machine tooling to the control of process parameters up to the finished piece quality, through a QR code visitors will identify and trace, step by step, the manufactured good and will verify concretely the numerous advantages deriving from the optimization of production times and from the reduction of process criticalities. A real concrete example of qualification, of process parameter control, of early detection of drifts and of quality control, with each peripheral interfaced and controlled by the central ALS system in Arburg.
“Mould and die: equipment or semi-machine?
To answer this question, Stampi magazine in collaboration with Ucisap and Senaf, on Thursday, 17th March 2016, from 10 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., at Palacassa Congress Centre of Parma Fairground organizes a round table that provides for the introductive speed by an expert who will illustrate the subject. They will follow, in the order: a legal study, a report about the position of Ucisap and of Istma Europe and the speeches by mould and die makers bringing their experience, from which, we hope, will spring a lively debate, giving birth to a participated and fruitful round table
For all information about the exhibition, please contact info@mecspe.com tel. 02332039470 http://www.mecspe.com/
