A Family Mould is a production process in steel: cooling, gating, venting and ejection have to work together before the first acceptable part appears. This page covers a Family Mould built in NAK80 steel and a textured finish for consumer electronics work: mould design, steel cutting, EDM detail, fitting and tool tryout. The tool is designed around the part and the volume rather than copied from a previous job.
In practice the difficulty is rarely the nominal size. cavity tolerance ±0.02 mm is held on the features that locate the part in the assembly, and the process is set up so that the first piece and the five hundredth measure the same way.
Specification
| Process | Mould design, steel cutting, edm detail, fitting and tool tryout |
|---|---|
| Material / configuration | NAK80 steel and a textured finish |
| Size / capacity | cycle times from 12 seconds |
| Tolerance | cavity tolerance ±0.02 mm |
| Surface finish | SPI or VDI finish as specified |
| Application | family mould for consumer electronics |
| Inspection | Dimensional report, material certificate, first article report on request |
| Lead time | 7–15 working days for samples, 3–4 weeks for production |
| Minimum order | 1 piece for prototypes, from 50 pieces for production pricing |
Manufacturing process
Production begins with a drawing and material review. Stock is certified, the operation sequence is fixed, and mould design, steel cutting, EDM detail, fitting and tool tryout is carried out on equipment maintained to hold cavity tolerance ±0.02 mm over a full shift, not just on a first piece.
Material is purchased against a certificate and checked on receipt, so the composition is known before any cutting starts. Work in progress is identified by part number and operation, and the finished parts are deburred, cleaned and protected before they leave the machine area.
Typical applications
Most of the work supplied in this category falls into the following examples.
- Electronic housings and connectors.
- Automotive interior components.
- Medical device disposables.
- Appliance control panels.
- Packaging closures.
Quality control and documentation
Inspection is not a final formality. Dimensions are checked during the cycle and again at the end, so drift is corrected while there is still stock to remove.
Material certificates to EN 10204 3.1, dimensional reports and first article inspection reports are issued with the shipment where the application requires them. Calibration dates and measurement uncertainty are recorded alongside every result.
Ordering, lead time and packaging
Orders start from a single piece. Samples are quoted from the 3D model, and production pricing follows once quantity, finishing and inspection are agreed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a mould take to build?
Prototype aluminium tools run 2 to 3 weeks, hardened production tools 6 to 10 weeks depending on cavity count, slides and the amount of EDM detail required.
What determines the steel choice?
Annual volume and resin. Abrasive or corrosive materials and volumes above a few hundred thousand shots justify hardened steel, while short runs are cheaper in aluminium.
What is the minimum order quantity?
One piece for prototypes and first article work. Production pricing usually starts at 50 pieces, and repeat orders run on fixtures retained from the first batch at no extra charge.
Send the drawing or the 3D model for a quotation. Include material, quantity, tolerance and finish, and a detailed quote with lead time is returned within one working day.
