Our Guides
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Standex Engraving Draft Angles
One of the texture suppliers that we often use is Standex. They make and apply standard and custom textures to our tools by method of Chemical etching or Digital transfer. Chemical engraving produces carefully designed textures and finishes without seams or distortion. Create an organic appearance that offers comfort, or an orderly pattern to improve…
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TTH sponsors hospitals and schools
As part of The Tool Hub Corporate Social Responsibility Policy a part of the profits are used to sponsor charities. One of those is Tuki Nepal where The Tool Hub helps support the construction of a Hospital, a school, and 88 houses in Jyamrung Nepal following the 2015 earthquake. 34 of the 88 of the houses…
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The Light guide tool
Please click on the image below to download our short introduction to challenges when manufacturing a tool for Light Guide Lenses
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Efficient Cooling
Download our 5 step quick guide to efficient cooling by clicking the image below.
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PUR-Foaming
There are basically 3 methods for PUR foaming. RIM-process (reaction injection moulding) polyurethane is foamed to PU-compact and PU-integral skin foam. Application examples are: housing parts, dashboards, armrests. SRIM-process (structural moulding reaction injection moulding) a glass-fibre mat is placed in the mould and is foamed around with a polyurethane hard foam. This technique is mostly…
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Turbulent Cooling
Injection moulding process is cyclic in characteristic. Cooling time is about 50 to 75% of the total cycle time. Therefore, optimising cooling time for best performance is very important from quality and productivity point of view. The real objective here is to control the cooling rate and temperature of the parts so they can be…
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Our Processes
Click on the image below to download out process description.
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Steel grades
A more detailed look at some of our steel grades and their characteristics. Steel Grade Comparable Standard AISI / JIS Hardening Delivery Hardness HRC Characteristics Applications ASSAB Steel IMPAX 718S P20 Modified Prehardened 31-36 Pre-hardened type, high purity with isotropic microstructure contains 1.0% Ni High quality mold inserts, best suitable for plastic molding of PA,POM,…
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Rail transport from China
At The Tool Hub we can now offer 3 modes of transportation Air, Rail and Sea for tools and plastic parts. Our newest route is the rail line passing through Chongqing. Cost example An example of transport costs by Rail from Shenzhen to Hamburg LCL below: 1 Revenue Ton = (1 cubic meter or 700…
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Calculating Air Freight
Air freight is a common mode of transport for plastic products. It’s fast, simple and safe – but not always the most cost efficient option compared to Sea freight. The biggest benefit of air freight is the short time a delivery takes from pick up to delivery. At The Tool Hub we can often get…
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Marking plastic products
The marking of components manufactured from plastics, rubbers and thermoplastic elastomers is one aspect of the Design for Environment (DfE) process, which aims to minimize the environmental impact. In order to maximize the intrinsic value of these materials, they must be easily identified and then separated at end-of-life according to their material type and chemical…
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Threads for cooling connectors
Selecting the right cooling connectors can be tricky and most companies stick to previously tested methods when new tools are ordered. That is a good thing as many models are non-interchangeable with each other even if the size is the same. Be especially careful with BSPT abd NTP as they will fit each other but not…
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Submarine gate with Polycarbonate
There are a few things to take in to consideration when trying to use a submarine gate solution with a Polycarbonate material. As the material is hard and very resistant to flex it is important that a steep gate angle is used from the parting line and on to the part surface. This minimizes the…
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Dovetail Collapsing Core
Working with undercuts and the demolding thereof is one of our daily challenges at The tool Hub. Over the years we have worked with and developed many successful options, and one that we truly like to use is the Mechanical Dovetail Collapsible Core System. By using this method, threads can be made with more aggressive…
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Pressure Loss Analysis In Injection Molding
Understanding the pressure requirements to fill and pack a part is a key to developing a reasonable processing window and higher quality of part. When using a Scientific Molding procedure, parts are filled to around 95% in the first injection stage (Just short). When the part is short we know the plastic pressure at the…
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Importing plastic parts and samples
Importing plastic products and samples from China is far from complicated or expensive. The CPC (Commodity Code) number describes what the goods will be used for in the EU. Most samples are duty and Vat free, however goods that are being tested are usually classified as only VAT free. It is therefore important that we know…
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Accelerated ejectors
There are many ways to achieve an accelerated ejector pin movement, but for its simplicity and reliability we often turn to the Strack Z141 acceleration rocker. The rocker pin is pushed forward an extra 7,6mm when the ejector set has reached its forward most position. This is normally enough to get a tricky part to…
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Conformal cooling with TempFlex
A new solution for conformal cooling is available in the HASCO TempFlex. [ut_blockquote_left] No deep-hole boring and plugging gives cost reduction for manufacturing mould plates. [/ut_blockquote_left] The flexible metal-braided hose allows fast and simple assembly and interchangeability, and is adaptable to most groove patterns. Made of stainless-steel corrugated tubing, they are laid into channels milled…
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CoolCross for improved cooling
A recent product development from HASCO, the Z99 CoolCross is making routing of cooling channels easier and more efficient. [ut_blockquote_right] Reduce plate thickness and improve cooling [/ut_blockquote_right] With this new system, it is possible to have cooling channels crossing each other on the same plane in a flexible and inexpensive manner. The CoolCross injection mold…
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Draft angles for VDI surfaces
VDI Ra Rz, DA-PA DA-PC DA-ABS 12 0,40 1,5 0 1,0 0,5 15 0,56 2,4 0,5 1,0 0,5 18 0,80 3,3 0,5 1,0 0,5 21 1,12 4,7 0,5 1,0 0,5 24 1,60 6,5 0,5 1,5 1,0 27 2,24 10,5 1,0 2,0 1,5 30 3,15 12,5 1,5 2,0 2,0 33 4,50 17,5 2,0 3,0 2,5…
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Electric valve gate systems
At The Tool Hub we constantly see new technology in the industry and one that is now adding performance to our tools is the electrically controlled valve gate system. In the old days only hydraulic or pneumatic movement of the pin was a possibility, that is digital technology that only gives you the option of open or…
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Gating for clear Polycarbonate
There are many factors to consider when you are trying to get a cosmetically correct part made from poly carbonate. For a toolmaker gating and venting are 2 of the most important. Gate: At The Tool Hub we recommend you to do all you can not to restrict the flow path. That includes: Increasing the…
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Evaluate your gate balance
First step is to check the physical size of each gate through a dimensional report. Gates should always be made by using multiple rough and fine electrodes to ensure that the electrode wear will not cause any imbalance. We suggest never to spark more than 4 cavities with the same rough electrode, and to then…
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2K – Design for success
Part and Mold Design for optimal 2K success. Part Design Basics •The wall thickness of the substrate and overmold should be as uniform as possible to obtain the best molding cycle time. Wall thicknesses ranging from 1.5 mm-3 mm will ensure good bonding in most overmolding applications. If the part requires the use of thick…
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Eliminating Bubbles in plastic parts
Bubbles in plastic parts is one of the most common defects and it can be tricky to solve. These are the steps we recommend at The Tool Hub. Find out what type of bubble you are dealing with. [ut_blockquote_right] Different Bubbles need different solutions [/ut_blockquote_right] (Is it trapped gas or is it a vacuum void)…
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Perfect Threads In Plastic
Getting that perfect thread in a moulded plastic part takes some skills and know how. Unfortunately many toolmakers still do not quite know how to achieve this. The secret is in most cases to use a process called Orbital tapping. Orbital tapping is accomplished by utilizing a vastly undersized electrode, whose O.D. is small enough…
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Get the polish level you need
Getting to the desired surface quality takes time patience and know how. It should be noted that the surface finish of the end product is not only determined by the tool steel and the applied surface preparation process, but also the application process itself has a big impact on the result. Polymers have different material…
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Modern mould cooling with DMLS
When ultra efficient and even cooling is required we recommend one of our latest technology advancement. DMLS. By using DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) we are able to build core and cavity inserts in a number of materials. Material Info Stainless steel 17-4 • 20 or 40 Micron Layers • 20-25 HRC Built Stainless steel…
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Tooling in 1 week
We understand the importance of a high speed to market. Perhaps you are working on a project where the PP build is quickly coming up and there is simply no time left for normal injection moulding to prove the products fit and function. As one of the first companies in the world we are now…
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Understanding shrink rates
[ut_two_thirds] There are many factors that play a role in the shrinkage that you will experience in your finished molding. Resin nature: Semi-Crystalline (High shrink rate) Amorphous (Low shrink rate) Below you can see more information on Semi-Crystalline Vs Amorphous resin types, and how they group on the shrink rate scale. [ut_one_half] [/ut_one_half] [ut_one_half_last] [/ut_one_half_last]…
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Choosing the optimum mould steel
Choosing the optimum mould steel for best tooling and production economy. The choice of steel grade and supplier is often made at the design stage in order to simplify and speed up the delivery of the mould. This means that the material and parts can be ordered in good time and that the work can…
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Polished finishes
So your customer has given you a surface finish value that you have to hit and you are not sure about the value in your normal standard. Not to worry. There is a way. Types of finishes: Types of Finishes Current SPI Finish Numbers Description and Previous Finish Numbers Ra, µm Diamond #3 Diamond Buff…
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Importing tools to Europe
At The Tool Hub we have many years of experience in imports and exports and our logistics experts are always available to guide you through the process. We can provide you with costs including imports, or if you wish we can take care of the whole process. One thing to consider when importing tools from…
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Transport terms
There are many INCO terms that can be used for transporting tools but the 3 most common are: EXW Ex Works “Ex Works” means that the seller delivers when it places the goods at the disposal of the buyer at the seller’s premises or at another named place (i.e.,works, factory, warehouse, etc.). The seller does…
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Live hinges
Living hinges are thin sections of plastic that connect two segments of a part to keep them together and allow the part to be opened and closed. Typically these are used in containers that are used in high volume applications such as toolboxes, fish tackle boxes, CD boxes etc. Normal hinge design for PP and…