Continuous five-axis machining powered by Delcam CAD/CAM technology improves mold-surface finish quality and eliminates polishing operations at Quantum.
Quantum Engenharia e Montagens Industriais, a tire-mold manufacturer in southern Brazil, cuts its 3D-modelling time from three weeks to one and slashes machining times by almost half. While few Brazilian companies in the industry use CAD/CAM technology, it is the key to Quantum's fast modelling and machining.
The shop partners Delcam's PowerShape CAD software with a PowerMill CAM system. Once the shop receives a 2D drawing, it creates a 3D digital model in PowerShape and discusses any possible alterations or improvements with the customer's designer.
Upon approval, the shop converts the model into machining data for producing a mold. Until recently, Quantum used PowerMill only for positional five-axis machining, but now the shop does continuous five-axis work.
Positional five-axis machining left unpreventable marks on tire molds. But with continuous five-axis machining, along with the Delcam CAD/CAM technology, the shop not only improved mold-surface finish quality, it eliminated polishing operations.
"With the productivity gains generated from both PowerShape and PowerMill," says Quantum operations manager Sidnei Fraga, "average mold tool delivery times dropped to 15 days."
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