AM Products » Plastic Injection Molding Inserts » AM Inserts for Preforms

AM Inserts for Preforms

Preforms are mass produced in huge quantities.  The mold design typically includes a core and cavity with the addition of a pair of sliders or neck inserts to form the thread.  These molding processes are highly optimized and typically have very short cycle times.  However, additive manufacturing (metal 3D printing) can still be adopted and deliver improvements over existing inserts and materials, resulting in highly efficient and stable production.

Benefits with AM Inserts

• Improved tool life – the ability to print wear resistant tool steels means traditional Beryllium Copper alloys can be replaced resulting in improved tool life and a lower cost per produced part.
• Simplified production process – the ability to print “single-piece” inserts means expensive multi-stage manufacturing processes such as vacuum brazing can be replaced.
• Reduced risk of leakage – the ability to print a “single-piece” design minimizes the risk of leakage and corrosion between the cavity and gate inserts.
• Improved polishability – our AM print materials very low levels of porosity allowing our inserts to achieve the highest levels of polishability (SPI Gr A-1).

Benefits with AM Sliders

• Improved cycle time – compared to conventionally drilled cooling channels.
• Reduced risk of leakage – the ability to print a single-piece design minimizes the risk of leakage compared to conventional brazed solutions.

Product Material

• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

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