Mold Builder Invests in Five-Axis Milling to Open the Envelope

Part of the mold building process used by Mold-Tech Inc., serving the designing, building and sampling of high-quality injection molds, includes the addition of a Makino D200Z five-axis machine to its hard milling department. The company says that five-axis milling opens the envelope to options not always possible with more traditional three-axis machining, equipping its moldmaking professionals for efficiency to meet customer needs.

Five-axis milling provides many benefits to Mold-Tech’s products. Cutter reach capability and cutter protrusion length are noteworthy. Moreover, when milling with the five-axis machine, rotating and tipping the working piece allows the operator to cut on the side of the cutter radius — rather than the centermost part of the tip, which is smaller in diameter. The company says that five-axis machining also reduces the need to set up work pieces multiple times when working on more than one surface. 

Mold-Tech claims that milling with the larger portion of the radial ball end mill increases cutter life and improves quality, size and surface finish of an end product; that reduced cutter protrusion from the collet adds to the improved performance of surface finish and accuracy; that a five-axis can enable more complex geometries; and ultimately, delivers faster production speed (enhanced lead times).