Business Area Tooling | Plastro Mayer GmbH

Tooling

Tooling

What we offer ...

New tools

20% of our annual demand for new tools is covered by our own tool shop.

Tool maintenance

Any repairs, modifications and maintenance of all customer tools are carried out in-house.

Takeover tools

We also carry out adaptations to transfer tools in-house.

Internal

With approx. 15 employees in our in-house tool shop, we offer the highest flexibility and maximum speed. Capacities for unforeseen events are continuously kept free.

Partner

In addition, we work together with long-standing and reliable partners in toolmaking. These are made up of a pool of toolmakers from Germany, Europe and China.

Construction

We process the customer data and do our design and development plastic-compatible. Via our CAD system NX Siemens we are always up to date. Mold flow analyses, etc. complement our capabilities.

Toolmaking in the plastics industry ...

A tool is called an injection mold in plastic molding shops. This is created from hardened steel in precision engineering production. A mold for plastic injection molding consists of two halves, the nozzle side and the ejector side. Everything necessary for injection molding, e.g. cooling, sprue system, ejector, is installed in the two halves. In addition, the surface of the plastic part and any engravings (lettering, symbols, etc.) are already planned here.

An excerpt of our possibilities ...

Get in touch with our experts ...

Toolmaking

You need an injection mold for your plastic part? Then simply write to us here via the contact form. Our expert will also be happy to help you with any questions and our in-house design office will be happy to help solve your problem. Just send us your inquiry and the right contact person will get in touch with you directly to clarify all specifications. If you already have a precise idea of your injection molding project, you are welcome to send us drawings and, if necessary, 3D data with your inquiry.

FAQ's

Tooling

What is an injection mold and how is it constructed?

In plastic injection molding, the mold used to produce plastic parts is called a tool. Roughly speaking, a mold can always be thought of as a square steel block consisting of two halves with a cavity in the middle. More precisely defined, an injection mold consists of an ejector side and a nozzle side. The nozzle side contains, in addition to the clamping plate (with which the mold is fixed in the machine) and the mold plate (which contains the surface structure of the component), the cooling system, the guide elements, a centering ring and the sprue bushing. In the ejector side, you will also find a clamping plate and a mold plate, as well as ejector plates, ejector bolts and support bars. Thus, the nozzle side, as the immobile half of the mold, is responsible for introducing the plastic into the mold, and the ejector side, as the opening side, ensures that the component can be removed from the mold again. This is usually done by robots. An injection mold is therefore a complex mold that must be designed for years of production.

How is an injection mold manufactured?

Our machinery includes various CNC milling machines, lathes, etc. By using modern machines, it is possible for us to realize precise and most different contours in the tool. However, before it comes to the production in the tool shop, the mold must be developed and designed on the PC. This is done in our own design department on the basis of the CAD data of the component, which is provided to us by the customer. After making a first sketch, the mold technology is determined. After the technical design of the mold has been determined, it must be matched to the selected plastic and the sprue system must be developed. Once the individual mold elements have been designed, a mold flow analysis can be carried out and, if this is alright, the mold then goes into mechanical production. Here, milling, turning, drilling, grinding, eroding, polishing and much more is done in order to implement all customer requirements and to obtain a functioning injection mold. Afterwards, the finished tool can be tested in our injection molding production during the first sampling and if it does not deliver the desired result, it is optimized and adapted directly in our tool shop.

Why is Plastro Mayer the right partner for us?

Our own tool shop with approx. 15 employees completes our production program. Our flexible tool shop is busy with the creation of new tools, repairs, modifications and maintenance of all customer tools. We also carry out adaptations to takeover tools. Our own design department processes customer data and designs and develops data suitable for plastics. Through our CAD system NX Siemens we are always up to date in the design of molds. Mold flow analyses and similiar services complement our capabilities. We offer our customers the highest flexibility and maximum speed. In addition, we cooperate with long-standing and reliable partners in tool making. 20% of our annual demand for new tools is covered by our own tool shop. Capacities for unforeseen events are continuously kept free. For the remaining tools we cooperate with a pool of toolmakers from Germany, Europe and China which already are our partners for many years. For every customer wish and their corresponding part requirements we can offer the right tool at a fair price. Please contact us directly, if you have any questions or requests.

What do you have to consider when designing parts that are to be produced by plastic injection molding?

The following should be considered when designing plastic parts: Wall thicknesses should be designed to be as strong as necessary, but as thin as possible. Plastics may be light and inexpensive, but you still want to get the maximum out of cost and weight savings. The larger the volume of the molten plastic, the more likely is the formation of air pockets or bubbles. Plastics are poor heat conductors and have high thermal expansion. On the outside of mold, the component cools quickly (solidifies), whereas inside it is still hot, cools down only gradually and wants to contract in the process. The greater this internal volume, the greater the distortion of the component. An even distribution of the mass should be aimed for. Splices should be cleverly placed and transitions should be rounded. Furthermore, you should chamfer the surfaces for better demolding (insert demolding chamfers). However, the staff in our in-house engineering and design department can help you with the design and construction. They have a great deal of know-how in this area and can support you with your injection molded part.

What options for component optimization can Plastro Mayer offer in plastic injection molding?

We have various options available to optimize your plastic part. Internally, we can offer you the support of our engineering and design department. With a Moldflow analysis, our staff can examine various aspects of a part, such as shrinkage or uniform filling of the mold. Through this analysis, we can identify weak points in the geometry of your plastic part or mold design and eliminate them accordingly before the injection mold is created. In order to carry out a Moldflow analysis for your injection molded part, we only need the CAD data of the part and the specification of which material you would like to use. We can perform the analysis for several materials if you have not yet decided on one. For the optimization of the manifold system or the cooling we can also offer you further warpage calculations, for which we have been working with an external partner for many years. Our experts can answer any questions you may have.