A lot of mold counterparts mentioned the cost of the mold, often the first thought is the mold design, mold materials, processing, mold parts, test and management costs. In fact, the root causes of these costs are often overlooked or not enough attention to solve the problem should proceed from the root cause, have a forward-looking, as long as the root cause of the problem, solve the problem of the cost of the mold, leaving only the technical details. The three fundamental factors that affect mold costs are: Early Stage Risk Assessment ESI, Mold Design, Mold Project Management, is also the root cause of mold problems.

Here I will do some experience for these three sources to share.

First, the product pre-risk assessment ESI how to reduce the cost of the mold

Mold Design Preliminary Risk Assessment (ESI) is the key

To reduce costs is the most fundamental pre-mold design assessment, that ESI assessment.

Is also the most important part, is not and many boss's idea is different?

Yes, you're right. ESI is a pre-evaluation of mold design.

I firmly believe that the cost of mold is designed

Pre-evaluation (ESI) is important to avoid repetitive product and tool changes, to avoid most process risks, to reduce the number of trial runs, and to save significant resources for subsequent work.

Second, the basic idea of product evaluation (ESI):

Prevent better than remediation, and make full early communication with customers, product design is not stereotypes before the customer easier to accept the improvement suggestions mold factory, product design, styling, it is difficult for designers to accept and then modify the product.

(1) Establish a product pre-assessment team (ESI) to intervene in the product evaluation at 50% stage of product design, mainly evaluate the approximate scenario and molding risk of the mold, and output the evaluation report. Suggest Product Design Discuss Modification, Product Design 80% Detailed assessment and output of detailed assessment report, the report includes: detailed mold development program, mold manufacturing risk assessment, molding risk assessment and product reprocessing, risk assessment, output detailed report, closed-loop management of all risk issues until all problems are solved

2, 80% of the product evaluation stage due to the large structure has been set, the mold department can simultaneously mold design and mold long cycle parts procurement, product design 100% after the completion of the mold design requires only a small amount of local modifications can begin processing, to achieve the product Design and mold manufacturing synchronization, saving mold development time;

3. The pre-product assessment (ESI) team should include senior experts in each mold section: mold design, material analysis (mold flow analysis and structural analysis), mold processing, molding machine and post-treatment process. Technical and responsible for the final design review of the mold design, the mold department according to the program implementation, the details of the mold design and manufacturing is responsible for; ESI team does not require a lot of people, the key is fine. Small and medium-sized mold enterprises lack of experienced technical staff, you can consider outsourcing to a professional technical service company, mold flow analysis, pre-assessment, the final review mold program and other work can be given to professional companies.

4. The ESI team provides major technical solutions to product molding problems;

5, ESI team to provide major product design changes to change the program and a variety of process risk assessment, the problem also closed-loop management. After the pre-detailed assessment of the customer's products, the customer's products can be prevented from repeatedly modifying the molds after the trial molds. In the assessment stage, over 80% of the forming risk is avoided and the number of trial runs is reduced. Through communication with customers can modify the product, optimize the mold processing technology, reducing the processing risk.

In the early stage of communication customers often easy to accept product modifications, easy mold processing and injection molding, is the most effective way to avoid follow-up risk. Optimize the processing technology, processing costs and risks naturally reduced, reducing product modifications, less mold change costs, a significant reduction in the number of test mode, test mode but not a small fee, delivery shortened, quality problems less, the customer Satisfaction will naturally be high, and to avoid the risk of most of the process, the mold cost will naturally be reduced

Third, how to reduce mold design die cost

Above, we share how to reduce the cost of mold and avoid the risk through pre-product evaluation. Below we share the impact of mold cost is another key factor --- mold design. I have always believed that the mold cost is designed. Share this concept first, follow-up will be introduced specific methods. Many small and medium mold business owner and manager mentioned the mold cost, the first thought is not the following method:

Die materials from imported steel to cheap domestic steel?

Material as thin as possible to save material?

Reduce the amount of processing?

Less thimble, insert?

Less design and processing of water?

As far as possible without hot runner?

Cooling water string together to reduce the water pipe joints?

Basically save costs from the cost of materials and processing, in fact, the concept is wrong, you know? You see only the cost of the surface, the above method is precisely to increase costs, not reduce costs.

1, the mold design to give the material strength sufficient insurance factor, because the material problems caused by the modification of mold and test the cost is not much greater than the cost of materials?

2, the mold should be designed to push out the excess, would rather be surplus, not because of the thimble caused by the product Dingding, Dingding imbalance, the top of the product deformation and other issues, a modification of the mold caused by the model is far greater than the loss of several thimbles.

3, do not reduce the processing costs less to do inlaid, difficult to process the region, the product flow as far as possible into the end of the inserts, and in the inserts to do enough exhaust groove, do more inserts seem to increase the cost, In fact, will reduce the risk of a lot of molding, mold processing is small, the insert can be synchronized processing, shorten the mold processing cycle; insert is conducive to exhaust, shorten the filling time, reduce pressure on the formation, to reduce the gas caused by a variety of products Bad problem.

4, mold cooling water to as much as possible, but also consider a balanced and reasonable, especially the product is large and thick product is particularly evident. More design and processing of water seemingly increased costs, if the product molding cycle can be 3-5 seconds, is it possible to better reflect the value of the mold?

5, cooling waterway design In order to reduce the joint, a lot of waterways are connected in series is also an extremely wrong idea. Some injection site staff for the convenience of a number of water directly in series. Cooling water flow too long in the mold temperature will rise, water and water temperature will be significantly different, will affect the product cooling effect, and may even cause the product due to uneven cooling and deformation.

6, mold design should take the initiative to communicate with customers, to determine the customer's products easily modified parts and mold parts easily damaged, make plans in advance to facilitate the subsequent modification of the mold. If made quickly replace the inserts, spare parts in advance, is to make plans in advance, otherwise it will cause the cost of repair mold.

7, the mold design to exhaust as much as possible, and to design a reasonable exhaust, processed; many small and medium-sized mold design mold design is not the exhaust groove, by the field fitter to deal with their own experience, this is very wrong The design and processing of exhaust seemingly a waste of costs, the exhaust problem is a very important factor in product problems, it is important. The benefits of exhaust gas are not explained in detail here.

8, mold design parts must have tolerance standards, processing and testing must be carried out according to tolerance requirements, some factories do not have detailed tolerance standards, processing often failed to sign special signature, these are the problems that cause mold problems, but also Will make the modification mold cost increase.

In short, the mold design must give full consideration to follow-up to modify the mold and injection molding production costs. Mold is for injection molding services, to consider the comprehensive cost. Some companies only mold, mold sales to customers injection, in order to control the cost of mold while ignoring the injection molding production, in the long run these mold factory will be abandoned by customers, even if your mold low prices, no quality is scrap iron. Only full account of injection molding is a good tool. Mold counterparts Remember, mold cost is designed.

Fourth, mold project management how to reduce mold costs

I talk about the mold project is actually mold project management, how to use mold project management to reduce mold costs. The above overview of the pre-assessment of ESI, mold design how to reduce the overall cost of mold, I always think that the impact of mold cost of the three key factors are: pre-product mold Feasibility Assessment ESI, mold design, mold project management mold project managers in different Enterprise requirements and roles are also different, such as the management of large-scale mold enterprises, because the process of more complete system, the fine division of various sections, performance appraisal, technical strength, then the role of mold engineering is to organize meetings, control nodes, follow-up to pay period. Engineers who have been working for 3 years and understand the fundamentals of molds can be competent. Small and medium-sized mold injection molding company management requirements of the mold project is much higher, because they assume more technical roles, and coordination of the scene wrangling work, it is necessary to understand the technology but also understand the project management, can not be easily overlooked by various sections . Small and medium-sized mold enterprises are often the lack of such talent, can not afford such a talent, do not even pay attention to cultivating such a talent, training can not keep. This is also the pain of small and medium mold enterprises. The following talk about small mold enterprise project management issues.

Mold Engineering Management to have the basic ability:

1. The structure of the mold, the various sections of the processing technology to be familiar with, most of them come from experienced fitter, it is best to design and have fit in the fitter who has more than a college degree or above;

2. Have strong planning, coordination, communication skills, focusing on training project management capacity;

3. Conference organization and conference summary ability;

4. Must be proactive, able to withstand the pressure, have the main idea;

5. Small and medium-sized mold enterprises best to have a certain technical capacity and prestige talent to be competent in the various sections of the mold factory wrangling things very much, have the ability to coordinate, can not be good old man.

Mold project management staff's main job content:

1. The progress of the mold preliminary plan, the process of tracking, the results of tracking, the mold is responsible for the entire result; mold project is the mold factory project, a project down by the mold project lead organization PDT team, mold project is the project leader, The result of the project is responsible for;

2. Mold project from the product pre-assessment stage of the mold design will be involved, after the completion of the pre-assessment report to organize the various sections to conduct a meeting review, after the completion of the mold design will also organize the various project members to review the meeting. Small and medium enterprises do not have to die meeting mold room, you can organize a few people in the computer next to a short period of time to complete the review, mold engineering to make a record, to ensure that all the problems closed, to avoid risks. Small mold boss may think sitting is a waste of time, in fact, this is the most effective way to avoid follow-up risk in the strong technical experts will be under the lights, you can not see the problem, after a brief and meticulous review can be effectively avoided Risks and wrangling over future issues.

3. Die Engineering Management is an important task of process tracking, coordination of resources, dealing with emergency anomalies. Is also the most test the ability of mold engineers work in small and medium mold factory process system is imperfect, often in the processing of the status quo, you need the mold project management staff timely and effective judgment and treatment, will not cause abnormal unmanned, parts Processing delays and other issues; try to organize project-related personnel to try out the results of the review, the development of repair program, the project summary, and make a record.

4. Since the mold project is responsible for the final result of the mold and is the leader of the whole project, the mold factory owner should give them the corresponding rights, for example: resource allocation rights, project evaluation rights, etc., all sections have abnormal data and delivery Have data, try to avoid using the data assessment wrangling. Project managers can score individual project members and can even determine the performance of project members. This is a must, and the responsibility must be given to the corresponding rights, otherwise the responsibility can not be mentioned.

5. Die Engineering Organization of the meeting review, in fact, the decision on the entire die mold process, a reasonable coordination of the allocation of resources, assessment to avoid the follow-up risk, mold processing efficiency, and effectively avoid the process of risk, mold costs can be reduced naturally It's

6. In the mold business mold the ability of engineers is very important, they are technical summary of the company, you can effectively carry out the technology precipitation. Mold engineering staff training is very important, to be consciously trained, and to stay, it is best to special training, such as: a project management staff to deal with a certain type of mold, full-time staff, technical management will help to do fine and technology precipitation , The long-term effect will be very obvious, small and medium mold boss to pay attention. Die Engineering Management is a university asked, there are many management theories and methods, do not use fuzzy, rough mold project management model, we must continue to learn and apply new management models and management methods. How to play the role of mold project management is also a major issue, management is a good way to reduce the cost of mold is very effective, the process is reasonable, the processing is smooth, delivery time is shortened, the project risks less, the overall cost of mold injection naturally reduced It's Therefore, mold engineering management capabilities worthy of mold manufacturing enterprises attach great importance.