TOOL, MOULD & DIE MAKING FOLLOWING THE CURVE
This tool was
produced using VISI at
Injection Point Srl
Trend
patterns
While two Italian injection mould specialists declare their CADCAM preferences, a UK automotive
manufacturer reveals the gains achieved by 3D printing its tooling. Steed Webzell has more
In Italy, a specialist in hot runners and
injectors for the mould and die industry is
using a range of VISI CADCAM solutions
from Hexagon Production Software (https://
is.gd/daguku) to optimise its work ow.
“Primarily, we use VISI for feasibility
studies before the production phase and to
formulate quotations for customers,” says
Sergio Pozzan, founder and owner of
Injection Point Srl. “Information is better
organised and errors are minimised when
moving from the design to the machining
stage, thanks to VISI’s interface.”
As an integral part of its processes, VISI
Modelling is used for design, VISI Flow to
simulate plastic injection ow inside the
mould and VISI Machining to program
complex toolpaths. The company, based in
Turin, specialises in the manufacture of hot
runners from 8 mm diameter up to 2,300
mm centre-to-centre distances, as well as
injectors and ltering systems for
thermoplastics.
“Our hot runners and injectors are used
to produce medical products – and therefore
extremely small printed details – as well as
large parts such as car bumpers,” says
Pozzan. “This diversity means we must know
the type of press that will be used, the
technical speci cations of the nal printed
part, such as material and weight, plus any
manufacturing constraints, so that we can
customise our injection system accordingly.”
All products are designed and machined
using VISI, which, he says, was chosen
because it is “simple, intuitive and, above
all, reliable”. The company’s rst VISI
solution was a Modelling licence, which it
uses during the design phase. The second
investment was the VISI Machining CAM
module to program complex cycles for the
company’s two CNC machining centres –
a Mikron VCE1250 with a FANUC controller,
and a Bridgeport VMC 1000 XP2 with
Heidenhain CNC.
“Despite the downturn that has hit our
sector globally in recent years, with the help
of VISI our products are always of the
highest quality, meaning customers continue
to have full con dence in us,” says Pozzan.
“In addition, we guarantee one of the
fastest support services in the market –
within 24 hours in Italy, and 48 hours
throughout the rest of Europe.”
Reliance on the latest CADCAM
technology is also evident at Mec-Plast,
another mouldmaking and injection moulding
specialist based in Italy, which is using NX
CAD, NX CAM and Mold Wizard from
Siemens (https://is.gd/raviza).
Mec-Plast has been in the mouldmaking
and injection moulding business for over 35
years, guided by owner Ivan Missaglia and
his father, who founded the company in
1983. Specialising in small and miniature
parts, especially for solenoid valves and
pneumatic assemblies, the company offers
a turnkey service, from feasibility studies,
through design proposal and quote, to
mould machining and injection moulding
operations.
“Our portfolio includes solenoid valves of
different sizes, mainly 10, 15 and 22 mm,”
Missaglia says. “These components are very
small and require tolerances within a few
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