Mould-/coating technology

Mould technology

Tooling and moulded parts design for optimal manufacturing conditions and high quality standards is the prerequisite for cost-efficient and reliable production.

The Kunststoff-Institut assists its customers with

• the development of tooling concepts and specifications
• project support from the initial concept to series production both inside and outside Germany
• appraisals of existing parts and tooling according to plastics-related criteria
• optimisation of parts geometry with respect to joint line positioning as well as ventilation, warpage and mechanical strength problems
• flow engineering and thermal optimisation of tooling to minimise cycle times with simulation technology
• structural and mechanical part analysis (FEM)
• optimisation of parts design / topology for the reduction of weight, cycle time and consequently unit cost
• dynamic tempering technologies
• in the reduction of deposit formation and demoulding force
• questions around the topic of generative tool making/rapid tooling

The IAF (Innovation Centre for additive manufacturing technologies) features:

• Extensive printer technologies such as FFF, SLA, etc.
• Support in process selection / design of components
• RapidTooling / industrial 3D printing
• Production of prototypes and components in small series

Coating technology

Coatings optimise the wear resistance and functional attributes of mould surfaces. They enhance the quality of your parts and the productivity of your manufacturing processes. We apply coatings to your moulds and advise you in the selection of coatings and surface structures to suit the application.

• Surface engineering for tooling/parts
• Preparation of tooling specifications
• Application-oriented selection of surfaces and coating technologies
• Lubricant-free production and generation of design surfaces with surface engineering and coating technologies
• Coating technologies
• PVD and PACVD technology
• CVD technology
• Characterisation of coatings: adhesion, friction coefficients, layer thickness, wear resistance
• Recommendation of coatings to suit the application: plastic material, problem definition
• Surface analysis of tooling structures
• 3D measurement technology according to DIN 25178
• Effects of gloss and colours on plastic parts
• Easy-to-demould counterfeit protection structures
• Research and development