Page 28 - Plastics News Issue - January 2025
P. 28
FEATURE NEWS
suring they are optimized for production while Lastly, Accumold’s capabilities extend to auto-
meeting functional requirements. This collabora- mated assembly. For many customers, the abil-
tive approach reduces the risk of costly rede- ity to integrate micro-molded parts into larger
signs or tooling modifications later in the pro- assemblies is a key consideration. Accumold’s
cess. expertise in micro assembly minimizes handling
and ensures that tolerances are maintained
The importance of micro tooling cannot be throughout the process. This end-to-end capa-
overstated. Tooling is the foundation of micro bility not only streamlines production but also
molding, and achieving micron-level tolerances reduces the risk of errors or damage to delicate
requires a level of expertise that only a select components.
few possess. Accumold has invested heavily in
its in-house micro tooling capabilities, with state- MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF SCALABILITY
of-the-art equipment and a team of experienced
toolmakers who routinely deliver tools capable One of the most significant challenges in micro
of producing the most complex and precise molding is scaling production to meet the needs
components. of high-volume applications. While many com-
panies can produce small quantities of precision
In addition to tooling and molding, Accumold has parts, scaling to millions or even billions of units
embraced emerging technologies like micro ad- without compromising quality is a completely
ditive manufacturing (micro AM). This technol- different challenge. This is where Accumold’s in-
ogy complements traditional micro molding by frastructure and operational expertise come into
enabling the production of complex geometries play.
that are difficult or impossible to achieve with
conventional methods. Furthermore, micro AM Accumold’s manufacturing facility is designed to
can be used to create direct rapid soft tooling handle large-scale production, with dedicated
(DRST), which significantly reduces lead times cells for high-volume molding and assembly. The
and costs for prototype and small-volume pro- company’s investment in automation and ad-
duction runs with certain thermoplastcis. By of- vanced process controls ensures that it can de-
fering both traditional and additive manufactur- liver consistent quality across large production
ing capabilities, Accumold provides customers runs. For customers in industries like telecom-
with a level of flexibility that is rare in the industry. munications or medical devices, where demand
for micro components can extend over years,
Validation and quality assurance are equally Accumold’s ability to scale production is a criti-
critical in micro molding, as even the smallest cal advantage.
deviations from design intent can render a part
unusable. Accumold employs advanced metrol- In addition to physical capacity, scalability also
ogy techniques to measure and verify every requires financial stability. Customers need to
component, both during production and as part know that their supplier has the resources to
of final inspection. This ensures that parts meet sustain production through economic downturns
the stringent requirements of industries where or other disruptions. Accumold’s decades of ex-
failure is not an option, such as medical devices perience and proven track record provide reas-
or high-performance electronics. surance that the company can meet long-term
28 PLASTICS NEWS January 2025
