Additive manufacturingAM

The moulds, mandrels, jigs and fixtures on and in which parts are laminated, formed and cured. Tooling material selection, from GRP and epoxy tooling board through to nickel alloy and steel, is driven by cure temperature, thermal expansion match, accuracy requirements and production volume.

A polymer that softens when heated and hardens again on cooling without chemical change, so it can be reshaped, welded or recycled. Thermoplastics range from commodity materials such as polypropylene and PVC to high-performance matrices such as PEEK used in advanced composites.

A high-volume process in which molten polymer, often short-fibre reinforced, is injected under high pressure into a closed metal mould, solidified and ejected. It provides tight tolerances and complex geometry at low unit cost once tooling costs are recovered.

A full-size master shape, machined or hand built to the finished part geometry, from which production moulds are laminated. Plug surface quality is critical because every defect transfers first to the mould and then to each part made from it.