Huge potential of using Additive Manufacturing to be exhibited at formnext 2015 by the international tool and form-making industry

The international tool and form-making industry is set to display the huge potential of using Additive Manufacturing at formnext 2015, taking place November 17 – 20, 2015 in Frankfurt, Germany. The latest findings for even faster product development and manufacturing will be presented at the international trade fair for additive technologies and tool and form-making, the organiser has stated.

Current trends in tool and form-making will be presented, including faster and more flexible production of mould inserts, use of new materials, and use of different Additive Manufacturing methods. “Visitors to formnext will discover solutions and ways to tackle current and future challenges in product development, which are demanding greater speed and flexibility with high quality,” stated Sascha Wenzler, Head of Division for formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the exhibition organiser.

Besides additive technologies, tool and form-making is one of the main topics on the agenda at formnext 2015. The event will also feature a special Audi tool-making exhibit, providing unique insights into product development in the automotive industry.

Combined Additive Manufacturing and tool-making to be demonstrated

Sprue brushes manufactured for hot

runner systems using a hybrid technique:

The lower part has been turned

conventionally, while the top has been

created with a cooling channel by means

of Additive Manufacturing.

Source Ecoparts

The potential of combining Additive Manufacturing and tool-making will be demonstrated at formnext by Swiss company Ecoparts. The company has specialised in Additive Manufacturing of moulding inserts, supplying to mould manufacturers across Europe and overseas.

Daniel Kündig, Managing Proprietor of Ecoparts, stated, “Combining both technologies allows us, for example, to further reduce the cycle times in injection moulding. Besides this, Additive Manufacturing has a great advantage in that we can produce competitively also on the high-wage island of Switzerland as most of the processes are operator free.”

Kündig also expects demand for Additively Manufactured mould inserts to increase further in the future due to the rapid advancement of technology that boosts speed and precision.

Mold insert for an injection molding tool,

which has been built on an existing

mold section. Source: Ecoparts

New Additively Manufactured applications for tool and form-making will also be shown by Fraunhofer IPT. The VentOpt project involved using a laser to place vent ducts in an injection molding tool, whereby component quality was increased within a shorter cycle time. This tool will be presented for the first time at formnext 2015.

Writing instruments manufacturer Lamy has relied on additive technology it its tool-making for around five years and will present its corresponding know-how at formnext. “We use it to manufacture mould inserts with conformal cooling or to prepare cores,” stated Bernd Hirth, Sales Manager for tool-making at Lamy. Hirth also sees significant potential for tool and form-making, particularly through the further development of new materials and alloys.