PRODUCTION TOOLING
PRODUCTION TOOLING.
PROTOTYPE TIMING.
Mantle automates and speeds the toolmaking process for production tooling, shaving months and tens of thousands of dollars off traditional production tooling fabrication cycles.
Mantle tools can also incorporate conformal cooling to reduce cycle times and produce better parts in production tooling.
RUN
MILLIONS OF CYCLES
FAMILIAR,
TRUSTED TOOL STEELS
REDUCE
COST, LEAD TIME, AND LABOR
ENABLE
CONFORMAL COOLING
FAMILIAR, DURABLE TOOL STEELS
Mantle’s tool steels have the properties required for molding even the most demanding plastics.
Mantle’s H13 is a mainstay of production tooling and can be heat-treated to 52 HRC, enabling excellent wear resistance and millions of cycles.
REDUCE COST AND LEAD TIME
With Mantle, toolmakers can print production tooling with the push of a button, eliminating the bulk of the costliest, most time-consuming, and labor-intensive steps of conventional toolmaking.
ROUGH PART
PRECISION FINISHING
12 STEPS / 12+ WEEKS / $$ COST
While familiar, the time and cost associated with conventional manufacturing is not sustainable.
ROUGH PART
POST-PROCESSING NEEDED AFTER 3D PRINTING
10 STEPS / 14+ WEEKS / $$$ COST
3D printing only addresses a small portion of the process, costs more, and takes longer.
PRINT & SHAPE
SINTER
4 STEPS / 2-4 WEEKS / $ COST
Mantle’s process addresses the entire precision part process while reducing lead time and cost.
CONFORMAL COOLING
WITHOUT ADDED TIME AND COST
Reduce cycle time with improved cooling
Enhance part quality with more uniform cooling
Improve process stability for better repeatability and consistency
EASY POST-PROCESSING
FOR PRODUCTION
TOLERANCES AND FINISH
- Post-process with no changes to standard toolmaking operations
- Steel remains stable and flat during secondary operations
- Polish to A2, texture, and repair using traditional methods
MOLD REPAIR AND
MAINTENANCE
CASE STUDIES
3.4 MILLION CYCLES AND COUNTING
TESSY PLASTICS RUNS MANTLE’S METAL 3D PRINTED INSERTS IN HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION
Tessy Plastics conducted a benchmark test to assess the accuracy, durability, and reliability of Mantle’s metal 3D printed mold inserts in a high-volume production injection mold that produces personal-care products.
PRODUCTION MOLD TOOLING IN DAYS
NICOLET PLASTICS INVESTS IN MANTLE TO PRODUCE H13 MOLD TOOLING
Nicolet Plastics used Mantle’s metal 3D printing technology to produce three tooling components for their customer Gamber-Johnson, reducing the time to deliver molded parts from six weeks to just two weeks.
PRODUCTION TOOLING FAQS
What is production tooling?
Production tooling refers to the durable molds, dies, and fixtures used to manufacture large volumes of components at high throughputs and low costs while maintaining consistent quality and precision. These tools are designed to withstand the high pressures and temperatures coupled with the long lifetime required of mass production, ensuring that each part meets stringent performance and dimensional requirements even after years and millions of cycles on the tool.
Why does production tooling take so long to produce?
Production tooling is some of the most precise and complex metal components fabricated in any industry. It demands extraordinary precision and stringent surface finish requirements. These tools must endure millions of cycles under high heat and pressure, necessitating the use of specialized high-hardness materials.
Traditional fabrication of production tooling involves a multi-step process that includes design, programming, rough milling, heat treatment, EDM, and finishing. Each step requires time, as well as a different machine and skillset, to ensure the tool is made to the required precision. Additionally, production tools often feature hundreds of parts that need to be designed to fit and work together. Mantle’s TrueShape™ technology simplifies this process by automating many steps, drastically reducing lead times while maintaining the precision required for production tooling.
What are the most common materials for production tooling?
Production tooling is typically made from specific tool steels designed for durability in specific applications. H13 is a hot-work tool steel known for its high hardness and resistance to heat checking, making it ideal for molds subject to constant temperature fluctuation. S7 is a shock-resistant tool steel often used for injection mold slide components. 420 Stainless Steel is commonly used for mold tools that require high hardness and corrosion resistance, such as medical device tooling. A2 and D2 steel are air-hardened steels known for their exceptionally high hardness and abrasion resistance, making them popular for cold working applications such as stamping.
Read more about common tooling materials here: Tool Steel Comprehensive Guide