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Take a look around you, and before long, you will spot items made through injection molding or created with parts made from molds. It’s a quick and easy example of the value of molds in everyday life.

At Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc., we manufacture the molds that other companies use to build their products. Our company is always looking for talented, skilled, and hardworking individuals, and we’ve decided to create this post on why you should choose a career in mold engineering.

This field is a dynamic one that allows many industries to exist. Without molds, some companies wouldn’t be able to create their products.

Mold engineering is at the leading edge of technology. You will get to use many pieces of modern equipment such as five-axis milling machines and high-speed scanners that can capture 3D coordinates. And while using that machinery and much, much more, you will be working for clients as diverse as the U.S. military, automotive companies, and car seat manufacturers. In short, it’s a career that offers variety and the chance to practice the skills you already have and learn new ones while keeping pace with the rapid advancement of products and equipment.

Contact us today at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc. to learn more about job opportunities in mold engineering.

When your company is creating a new product, a mold is a crucial part of the process. Without one, you cannot make the part, so having an exact mold made is a critical step along the path to a finished item.

It takes specialized skills to design and make a mold that allows your manufacturing steps to proceed to the finished item. We have those skills at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc., and we’re going to discuss in this blog post how injection mold design and manufacturing are vital to making an item.

When you need to make an item but do not have a way to create it, you need a mold to produce one from scratch. A mold is the key to the process, and making one with accuracy is essential to a flawless finished product.

When trusted to a skilled workforce using modern equipment, such as ours, injection mold design and manufacturing can meet any specs, including geometries for a mold. For example, our design technicians use machines like an ATOS 5 with ATOS Scan Box 6 and a high-speed scanner to map out the mold dimensions. Molds made with such high-tech equipment ensure that the finished product will be the exact size, shape, and surface finish you need. Each part you make with our molds will be identical and deliver the consistency you want across your entire production run, regardless of the size.

At Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc., we provide a mold you can use to satisfy your production needs and meet your clients’ needs. Contact us today to learn more.

Precision is essential to ensure that the parts you need function properly when it comes to mold manufacturing. A clean-cut finish means a streamlined production for clients, which is why companies like Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc. have been one of many reliable businesses for molds. Several fields heavily rely on molding services, including consumer, appliance, automotive, medical, military, and defense industries. That’s why using the latest technology, such as the ATOS 5 and ATOS 5 Scan Box 6 with the high-speed scanner, is paramount for the best precision.

This tool allows the mold manufacturer to create 3D designs that follow the required dimensions that are requested. Once the design process is completed, the mold injection follows suit to create a precise mold. Using the Optical 3D Coordinate Measuring Machine, Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc. is able to capture every angle and surface no matter how complex; this feeds into computerized cutting tools so clients can always expect a high-quality job. You can count on their customer service skills to discuss the project in more detail.

Contact them today to learn more about their products and services; they’ll be more than happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Any other technology can’t match the precision offered by modern laser scanning equipment. In this blog post, we’re going to look at how these scanners provide essential services for companies.

When you have a specialized part that you need to replicate but don’t have the designs for it, reverse engineering is the path to take. A high-speed 3D laser light scan from machines such as the ATOS 5 and the ATOS Scan Box 6 that we have here at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc., will provide the minute detail that you need. With these specifications in hand, it will be easy to recreate the part in question.

That same precision scanning is advantageous when you need to inspect a component thoroughly. With an irregularly shaped object, it can be difficult to get an accurate picture of its condition by using traditional inspection methods. A laser scanner will inspect and record every detail of the object’s surface, regardless of its construction, to deliver the data you require. You will then have a clear indication of the fitness of the part backed by measurable and factual results.

We’re always happy to discuss reverse engineering further at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc., so please don’t hesitate to contact us with your question.

Plastic injection molding is a cost-effective way to create products by injecting molten material into a mold and allowing it to cool and solidify. The molds may be virtually any shape or size, facilitating the production of anything from plastic packaging to furniture and automotive parts. As injection mold builders, we design and manufacture the custom molds necessary for the process.

For over half a century, Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc. has been a premier plastic injection mold making company, serving clients from industries such as:

• Aerospace
• Appliance
• Automotive
• Container
• Medical
• Military

Our equipment includes nine Nissei injection molding machines ranging in tonnage from 72 to 946. The people operating our machinery are highly experienced process technicians and quality control specialists, all dedicated to producing the finest molds possible. There is virtually no project we cannot handle.

Endless Possibilities

Injection molding began in 1872 with simple products like buttons. Thanks to technological advancements, today’s injection mold builders can create molds with extremely complex geometries, facilitating the cost-effective mass production of endlessly diverse products.

Contact us today to discuss the specification of your application. Based on the details provided, we will mock up a design for your mold, create a sample, and quality test it to ensure it meets your demands.

Reverse engineering reproduces a product by following a detailed examination of its construction or composition. It is attempting to duplicate the product, or mold, by taking all the original dimensions and recreating it. Manufacturers often use this process to remake molds for plastic parts when the original design files are lost or no longer exist. The closest comparison is in redeveloping parts for vehicles that are no longer manufactured.

Replicating An Original

Reverse engineering differs from an original design mainly because manufacturers don’t create the mold from scratch. The design team aims to duplicate an existing part to the exact specifications of the original. Once the mold is complete, the piece can be fabricated without limit.

Practical Processes

The process must include several considerations, such as shape, function, and material reversal. The practical application of reverse engineering for injection mold manufacturing primarily comprises:

• The design of new parts for product modification or profiling
• Duplicating existing parts to reproduce the original product’s design intent
• Restoring damaged or worn parts
• The detection and comparison of digital models

Reverse engineering technology provides good technical support for rapid design and prototyping. It’s one of the most essential and concise ways of information transmission in manufacturing.

When it comes to tool design, entire teams are dedicated to their creation and function. That is why companies like Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering Inc. pride themselves on using precision machines and computer programming that create the best finish for their customers. They have the technology to take the dimensions and measurements given to them by customers and manufacture the perfect tools for their use.

Multiple factors contribute to tool design so that they make life easier for the industrial field and everyone in general. We use tools every day in every scenario, at home, at school, and at work. This is why designers must consider the following:

• The Function of the Tool
• Size and Type of Machine Tool
• Number of Components
• Aesthetic (in some cases)
• Environment
• Types of Workpiece Material
• The Degree of Accuracy
• Interaction with User
• Interaction with Other Components and Buildings
• Safety
• Availability of Material, Tools, Technology, and Expertise
• Trends

Tool design is meant to make help make things more streamlined and convenient. That is why companies like Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering are highly reliable in ensuring the designs are manufactured to perfection. Contact them today to learn more about their products and services.

At the end of the day, both CNC machining and conventional machining aim to achieve the same goal using the same raw chunk of plastic or metal. The difference between the two is how they are able to achieve this goal.

Conventional machining can be effective when it comes to small-quantity projects, especially since it can typically cost less than CNC machining. A highly skilled operator sets the gears during the machining process to help create a part that is as close to your requirements as possible.

If you need a large quantity of precision parts and want them quickly, then you want to look into CNC machining. Fully automated, this process improves speed, production rate, and accuracy when compared to the manual nature of conventional machining. This makes it the best choice when you need to create a quantity of parts all at once or need something with complex concave or convex arcs, imperial and metric threads, or two tapers of differing degrees.

The key to deciding between CNC machining and the conventional option is how many pieces you need. The more significant the amount, the more you should consider CNC as your machining option.

Many suppliers state they deliver custom machined parts; however, customers can sometimes be left with a piece that is unsatisfactory for their needs. One major cause of dissatisfaction is that suppliers will often utilize a part they have already created and modify it. Reliable custom machining experts like those at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering, Inc. create truly custom parts for each order request.

Professional custom machining offers these crucial benefits for your business:

Time Savings

One of the biggest benefits of custom or CNC machining is that you don’t waste time and money looking for parts that are no longer in production and so may not be readily available from a third-party vendor. The right custom machining shop can take your specifications, create the parts you need, and deliver them to you in less time than it takes you to search.

Specifications Are Always On File

After your first order, your part specifications are kept on file so that the next time you need replacement parts, they are ready. The convenience and peace of mind that comes with knowing you can place your custom machining order on Monday, and the parts will be in your inventory by the end of the week cannot be overstated.

Reduce Lost Production Time

Every hour you have to wait for a custom part to arrive, your business is losing money. Your machines are down, and you are paying your employees. Building a partnership with a reputable custom machining shop means you get help in an urgent situation and have your machines up and running again with minimal delay.

The manufacturing sector looks at reverse engineering as an important way to sustain competition or as a tool to understand the flaws in a design and to re-work it. The process may differ between manufacturers, yet it is evident that the rise of reverse engineering has gained momentum, and the integration of CAD tools has amplified its impact. Here are a few benefits that come with the use of reverse engineering in product innovation.

Filling Up Voids in Design Information

Reverse engineering is applied to discover or develop full design information about obsolete components. It is of utmost importance to have accurate design data documentation for production efficiency in computer-aided manufacturing.

Figuring Out Why Products Failed

Reverse engineering is also critical for product failure investigation and extending the product’s functional life cycle. For example, if a component like an engine crankshaft is showing signs of premature failure, it can be investigated by applying reverse engineering methodology. These stress regions or cracks can be identified and improved.

Improving Manufacturing Processes

The concept of reverse engineering is not restricted to analyzing product designs. It is also applied to make a product easier and faster to manufacture without compromising on quality or performance. Identifying the most cost-efficient way to manufacture components is crucial for lean manufacturing and is hugely beneficial in cost savings and quality control.