Reprinted from MoldMaking Technology
Case Study / Software, Automotive
Based in Rochester, NY, Aluminum Injection Mold Company
(AIM; Rochester, NY) is an industry pioneer in providing creative production aluminum tooling solutions to a wide range
of markets including automotive, medical, computer/business
machines, telecommunications and consumer products since
1985.
“We have a distinct advantage because we strictly build
aluminum molds,” says Tom Bergman, Vice President of
Manufacturing. “A big portion of the industry is not familiar with
aluminum yet, but the interest and demand is growing due to the
unique process and cost advantages of the material.”
Operating in a niche segment of the tooling market presents
some specific challenges. For example, there are no off-the-shelf
mold bases made out of aluminum, which means that AIM builds
every mold in-house from the ground up, including the mold
base.
To make up for the lack of ready-made mold bases, AIM has
created its own library of common mold bases designed in
Cimatron. “In the past, we used to create every mold base from
scratch. With Cimatron, when we get a new job we can expand or
shrink the mold base size with just a couple of clicks. This allows
us to create a new mold base very quickly yet still customize it to
the specific job,” explains Bergman. “And even though the mold
base might be a custom size, we have all the flexibility of utilizing
components from the Cimatron library available to us.”
Challenges
•
•
•
•
Keeping up with increasingly shorter delivery times
CAD models received from customers are often incomplete for molding
Lack of standard off-the-shelf aluminum mold bases
Creating complex molds with few or no flat surfaces
Solution
AIM has streamlined all aspects of its operations:
• Process: one person takes the mold from design all the way to production and even sampling of the mold
• People: employees are all cross-trained to handle the entire moldmaking process from start to finish
• Machining: all CNC machines and molding equipment are standardized
on the same brand and model so there are no variations in production
or multiple types of machines to learn
• Software: the entire process from quoting to design and production is
performed in Cimatron, allowing moldmakers to work in a consistent
environment and eliminating the need for any translation.
Images courtesy of Aluminum Injection Mold Company and Cimatron.
Taking Streamlining
To the Next Level
AIM has also garnered a reputation for handling complex parts, becoming
the moldmaker of choice for cooling fans for many of the automotive brands.
A Different Moldmaking Approach
What makes AIM stand out even more is its approach to moldmaking. It’s a unique blend of old-time craftsmanship with new world
efficiency.
Unlike most companies that
“Cimatron is the perfect
have different people assigned to
software for our streameach task, AIM assigns one moldmaker to handle a single project
lined workflow process,
from start to finish. “Instead of
where one person is in
having one person do the design
charge of creating the
and then hand it off to someone
else who is not familiar with it,
mold from start to finish.
we’ll have the same person do the
Everything from the
mold design and then machine
the mold right up to completion,” quoting to the design
says Bergman.
and production is done
The same employee that built
in Cimatron.”
the mold would even go out and
sample the mold at the molding
Results
AIM has carved a niche in the production of aluminum molds. Among other
products, it has become the supplier of choice for cooling fans for multiple automotive manufacturers. Due to AIM’s extensive knowledge base
and experience in aluminum machining and mold building, the company
was selected by Alcoa as a beta site for machining their new mold plate
offering, QC-10®.
When it is time to build the mold the person simply switches to machining
mode, and the design just flows naturally right into machining.
Case Study / Software, Automotive
machine. “This way each employee has a complete understanding of
what they’re building. It gives them a unique perspective that allows
them to optimize the design and streamline it for production.”
This multidisciplinary knowledge that AIM employees hold is
extremely valuable to AIM’s customers, as Bergman explains, “We look
at the customer CAD file and we can tell them where they might have
some trouble in the molding phase, pointing to things such as wall
thickness or where they may not have enough draft.”
However, this unique approach requires a special skill set that is
not always easy to find. “It’s a little more difficult to find individuals
who meet these requirements because we’re looking for people who
can perform multiple tasks and take ownership over an entire project,” concurs Bergman.
Supporting Process Streamlining with
Standardized Technology
AIM has carefully selected its technology suppliers to support its
streamlined philosophy. Just like Southwest Airlines has only one
type of aircraft, AIM has standardized on a single type of CNC
machine and a single type of molding equipment.
It has also standardized on a single CAD/CAM software.
“Cimatron is great for our approach because we never have to leave
Fan molds are challenging because nothing is flat. All the shut-offs are
rolling and curving geometries with very little flat references. Cimatron is very
effective in doing this type of shut-off work in the mold design.
the software. We use it right from the get go in the quoting process.
When we get the customer file, Cimatron is great for viewing and
analyzing the part,” says Bergman.
According to Bergman, Cimatron is extremely helpful in the
design phase, compensating for lack of details in the part design
that AIM is commonly experiencing. “Cimatron is a perfect fit for
our industry because we’re always working with somebody else’s
CAD model. More often than not the CAD models we receive from
our customers are not quite complete and ready for mold design.
“For example, they might come with surfaces missing or might
not have draft or certain radiuses. That’s where Cimatron is very
powerful because we can take an incomplete CAD model and start
working with it right away instead of losing time going back to
the customer to have them fix the file.”
Bergman explains that when it’s time to build the mold the very
same person just switches to machining mode, and the design just
flows naturally right into machining. “There is no time lost in hav-
TOP IMAGE: Files often come undrafted so
draft needs to be added to certain parts
of the geometry.
LEFT IMAGE: The fan blade itself might be
the shape they want, but the center area
the blade is attached to may not have any
draft. With other software you are stuck,
but AIM has the ability with Cimatron to
work with a file that isn’t 100 percent
accurate.
ing to bring in more people, explain the design, export the file to
other software … it’s all done from start to finish in Cimatron.”
AIM does a lot of unattended machining, Bergman notes, “The
toolpaths generated by Cimatron are so robust and error-free that
we have complete confidence that the machine is not going to take
some bad motions and damage the workpiece or have tools crashing.”
Speedy Delivery of Complex Aluminum Molds
With its streamlined approach, AIM is able to deliver high quality
custom aluminum molds in weeks rather than months, even without
relying on ready-made mold bases.
AIM has also garnered a reputation for handling complex parts,
becoming the moldmaker of choice for cooling fans for many of
the automotive brands. “These molds are particularly challenging
because there’s nothing flat,” explains Bergman. “All the shut-offs
that have to be created tend to be rolling and curving geometries
with very little flat references. We found that Cimatron has been
very effective in doing that kind of shut-off work in the mold
design.
“In addition, these files often come undrafted so we need to add
draft to certain parts of the geometry” adds Bergman. “The fan
blade itself might be the shape they want, but the center area the
blade is attached to may not have any draft. With other software
you’d be stuck, but we have the ability to work with a file that
isn’t necessarily 100 percent accurate. I know of no other software
where you have the capability to do that, and our customers really
appreciate that.”
For more information:
Cimatron Technologies / (248) 596-9700 / cimatrontech.com
Aluminum Injection Mold Company
(585) 502-6087 / aluminuminjectionmold.com
Reprinted from the January 2012 MOLDMAKING TECHNOLOGY and Copyright © 2012 by Gardner Publications, Inc., 6915 Valley Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45244-3029.