The first part of the demolding is the key to the entire process and the mold itself. The first part inspection is a detailed measurement process to measure whether the test piece shape and size are consistent with the original CAD model. The process involves the CMM and the vision system The multiple measuring devices within may require dozens or even hundreds of hours when checking the geometry of a multi-cavity mold article.
One of the most difficult challenges facing injection molding is to pass the first part inspection and successfully produce. When waiting for the first approval, delays in mold verification and performance verification often delay the assembly, delivery and sales of finished products. This is as soon as possible. The key reasons for completing the mold verification and molding process. CT METROTOM X-ray scanning is a very useful tool that can quickly complete the approval of parts production, speed up the production problem solving process, and no longer rely on subjective speculation to work.
First Article Inspection
The first part of demoulding is the key to the whole process and the test of the mold itself. The first part inspection (FAI) is a detailed measurement process to measure whether the test piece shape and size are consistent with the original CAD model. This process involves the inclusion of CMM and Multiple measuring devices, including the vision system, may take tens or even hundreds of hours to examine the geometry of a multi-cavity mold product.
To develop a mold and process that meets the requirements, the entire process may take weeks or months and lots of resources. When a simple part has only a few measurement requirements, a CT MEMTROTOM scan may not be required. But more complex parts have more Features need to be measured, which is the real value of CT MEMTROTOM x-ray scanning. The more complicated the parts, the more time CT MTROTOM saves. With CT MEMTROTOM, FAI can complete the preset and operational inspection of all critical and non-critical part sizes. No extra time is needed. Imagine that you can complete the first part inspection on complex parts that need to measure more than 1500 performances in less than an hour.
Measuring Tool - Computed Tomography (CT METROTOM)
The CT METROTOM scan is a powerful tool for the mold designer as well as the production and quality department. In the medical field, it can be used to find abnormalities in the brain or heart, or to find fractured bones. In the industrial field, it can be used to probe the interior of castings. The voids and other defects can also be used to exclude other faults.
The object to be evaluated is placed on a rotary table and rotated to form a plurality of two-dimensional X-ray images. The computer combines these images into a detailed three-dimensional image. In the past, 3D CT METROTOM images were only used to identify specific performance. Or defect, not measuring. CT METROTOM is essentially a pass/fail imaging process, so its center of gravity has never been placed on a high degree of dimensional accuracy. However, today with the development of technology, CT METROTOM devices have measurements Accuracy, in addition to the discovery of defects, can also be used to measure the internal and external dimensions of parts or even assemblies. Precision software combines the functions of CT METROTOM and CMM, using actual measurement results to design a CAD model to understand the difference between the two Where, how different and how accurate the degree of difference. CT METROTOM scanning enhanced measurement capabilities provide designers and engineers with the information needed to implement process modifications or mold remakes. It can evaluate molded parts faster and more accurately, and for production Process modifications or re-cutting of the die provide more accurate information.
With the CT METROTOM scan, the total time required for the evaluation of the shape and dimensions of the test piece can be reduced from weeks to hours. Therefore, the intuitiveness of rapid resetting of the process and mold can be reduced, relying more on hard data and descriptive Size. The number of iterations decreases with the reduction of resource consumption and the cost of the final mold production. It shortens the molding time of the part and enables the product to be brought to market faster.
Strengthen the Benefits of CT METROTOM Scanning for Injection Molding
Performing FAI on injection molded parts is an ideal application for CT METROTOM scanning. During the molding process, each repeated measurement and mold modification brings huge cost and time delays, so any effort to increase accuracy and speed up the process is It is precious. Second, almost any type of plastic is an ideal material for X-ray imaging. With the right hardware and software, even if there are metal inserts in plastic, it is equally applicable.
The enhanced CT METROTOM scan has X-ray-like vision and is ideally suited for nondestructive testing (NDT). It is able to inspect the interior of parts and measure the dimensions without damaging the parts. Currently, in the field of applied CMM touch detection, microscopy and optical inspection, Accurate measurement with CT METROTOM at the same time.
CT METROTOM quickly overlays actual scan data with the original CAD model - 'perfect' - simultaneously displays user-defined pass/fail criteria, compares actual values with nominal values, and clearly visible colors and graphics Shows the out-of-tolerance variance. This process can be used to reverse engineer an existing product, generate a file, and then generate a tool path for a die, die or fixture tool.
One of the most important advantages of CT METROTOM for injection molded parts is that it can explain the degree of shrinkage of the entire part and graphically display the exact shrink position. It provides complete wall thickness and demolding angle data, helping to avoid parts The problem of ejection. This process will identify part warpage, voids and porosity, thus detecting structural integrity issues and possible failure points. It will quickly find missing features, identify human errors, and help solve assembly problems.
By comparing the CAD model or the first inspection image with the latest production running image, CT METROTOM can measure the wear of the mold to determine the degree of mold wear during product use. The image of the part produced late in production can be processed with the previously measured image. Graphical Comparison The CT METROTOM scan is ideal for analyzing small parts and features, but it is difficult or even impossible to perform such measurements with other technologies. It can be used to scan 'miniature molds' for extremely small parts. With CT METROTOM imaging technology It can make small parts look larger, easier to observe and analyze - in contrast, CMM imaging can not get small features, and probe probes may be larger than the features or parts themselves. This process can often replace the visual system Or the microscope. The entire process is simplified because it eliminates the need for traditional fixtures. Parts can simply be placed in a piece of styrofoam.
Investigation and failure analysis
CT METROTOM X-ray scanning is also suitable for system failure analysis. In fact, it can observe the assembly of components and the common operation mode of plastic, rubber and metal parts, without dismantling or destroying objects. In this way, it can be identified through Verify that the removed individual parts are not recognized.
CT METROTOM can be used to perform permeability tests, predict steam or moisture transfer, and measure content loss and shelf life. This feature is especially important in applications such as container manufacturing. When the container wall becomes thinner, it must be ensured that the wall thickness does not Leakage or evaporation loss of contained substances and shortened product shelf life. Manufacturers of liquid plastic caps that need to test for seals and leaks can also benefit greatly from the use of CT METROTOM scanning technology.
By measuring the amount of plastic material consumed, CT METROTOM can help achieve cost savings. In the absence of leaks and sufficient durability in applications, the thinner the wall, the more material is saved. CT METROTOM can view containers in one scan Overall wall thickness. Nowadays, in order to save costs, people are recycling more plastic products. Therefore, CT METROTOM can be used to analyze how many times a plastic product can be recycled without losing its integrity.
Meet FDA requirements
In response to possible litigation or other regulatory issues, FDA requires medical product manufacturers to hold a seven-year 'starting sample'. The problem is that storage of molded parts requires a lot of space and creates a variety of logistics problems. , Saved parts will be deformed over time. CT METROTOM scans provide constant 'thumbprint' during part forming and machining. Currently, people have the advantage of saving data files with complete part information, not just the part itself. Various discussions with the FDA. In addition, modern CT METROTOM scanning system can generate a variety of documents required by the FDA, including system installation, identification and calibration data.
in conclusion
The CT METROTOM scan offers a variety of positive factors for the producers of molded plastic parts, typically saving hundreds of hours in the mold making, mold testing, and the entire injection molding process approved by the first piece. By providing comprehensive first-piece inspections and measurements quickly. , CT METROTOM scans can release professional resources, maximize accuracy, reduce the number of mold remakes, record all measurement data, and help to accelerate the time to market. Modern CT METROTOM scanning equipment can replace multiple detection systems , it can even reduce the total cost of the equipment. It can directly compare the actual measured value with the reference value, whether it is the original CAD model or a previous set of measurements, and graphically highlights the difference between the two. It can Inspection of smaller parts and multi-component components than CMM inspection objects alone, and the CMM cannot be checked at all. In addition, CT METROTOM scans can be combined with internal and external measurements. Through these methods, it can complete other systems such as CMM and normal CT. Task.