Space puzzle molding
The Space Puzzle Molding ( SPM ) is a technology that for the production of prototypes , neutral and small series for injection molding parts from plastic is designed. It's an unconventional way of tool design for plastic injection molding. The minimalist tool structure significantly reduces the costs for a mold and thus enables the production of very small series with extremely high complexity of the molded parts. The process was developed by Konrad Hofmann in the 1980s.
Expensive cooling systems and -peripherien and complicated slide technology and automation as ejector is largely unnecessary. The tools are kept as small as possible. They usually only comprise one cavity and are therefore not much larger than the molded part itself.
A conventional injection mold usually consists of two halves, each of which is milled from the solid. With the SPM, on the other hand, the aluminum form consists of many smaller individual parts that are put together like a puzzle . These individual parts are inexpensive and flexible to manufacture. Demoulding is done manually by dismantling the tool and removing the molded part.
The economical batch size of molded parts manufactured with SPM starts from one piece up to 2,000 molded parts. Larger batch sizes of up to 3,000 copies are possible in individual cases, depending on the material. The component size is limited to 400 × 600 × 800 millimeters and a maximum component weight of 2,500 grams.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Small series production with Space Puzzle Molding Article on maschinenbaubranche.de.
- ↑ protoform.de manufacturer.