Integrated mold development approach surpasses point solutions UGS software permits a new level of automation and better data management, enabling faster delivery of complex molds www.ugs.com Tooling Taking the next step StackTeck is an innovative provider of integrated plastic tooling solutions for the injection molding industry. The company’s molds are used to make a variety of products, including thin-wall food packaging, housewares, consumer goods, medical and pharmaceutical containers, personal care items, cosmetics packaging, cutlery, caps and closures as well as technical and precision components for electronics and automotive applications. StackTeck’s molds, which are used for high-volume applications, have as many as 96 to 128 cavities. The company employs more than 300 tooling professionals and of those, approximately 30 are mold and part designers. Over the years, the complexity of StackTeck’s molds has increased. About seven years ago the company upgraded from 2D to 3D mold design (using I-deas software) as a way of handling the greater complexity.This was a definite improvement over the previous 2D process that required designs to be redrawn in 3D by CAM programmers, who were using Camax software at the time. But in recent years, part and mold complexity has continued to increase while customers want faster and faster turnaround, requiring StackTeck to make its development process even more efficient. “We used to buy the best point solutions, but eventually we realized that an integrated development approach would be better for meeting the business challenges we face,” explains Vince Travaglini, vice president of Engineering at StackTeck. Reducing mold design time That decision led to an evaluation of a number of programs, including NX ™ , SolidWorks and Pro/Engineer software. “For the way we work, and for what we wanted to do with automation, we decided to go with NX, which is one of the best and most robust packages available,” Business challenges Develop increasingly complex molds Meet customers’ demands for faster delivery times Improve throughput Keys to success An automated core and cavity design process that begins before part design is finished Master model approach and integrated downstream applications ensure data accuracy through entire development process Having UGS software boosts customer confidence and helps win orders Results Mold design time has been substantially reduced One-quarter as much time spent on rework as previously Overall engineering efficiencies improved by 20 percent Less human effort required to ensure accuracy of data STACKTECK
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Integrated mold development approach surpasses point solutionsUGS software permits a new level of automation and better data management, enabling faster delivery ofcomplex molds
www.ugs.com
Tooling
Taking the next stepStackTeck is an innovative providerof integrated plastic toolingsolutions for the injection moldingindustry. The company’s molds areused to make a variety of products,including thin-wall food packaging,housewares, consumer goods,medical and pharmaceuticalcontainers, personal care items,cosmetics packaging, cutlery, capsand closures as well as technicaland precision components forelectronics and automotiveapplications. StackTeck’s molds,which are used for high-volumeapplications, have as many as 96 to128 cavities. The company employsmore than 300 tooling professionalsand of those, approximately 30 aremold and part designers.
Over the years, the complexity of StackTeck’s molds has increased. About seven years ago thecompany upgraded from 2D to 3D mold design (using I-deas software) as a way of handling thegreater complexity. This was a definite improvement over the previous 2D process that requireddesigns to be redrawn in 3D by CAM programmers, who were using Camax software at the time.But in recent years, part and mold complexity has continued to increase while customers wantfaster and faster turnaround, requiring StackTeck to make its development process even moreefficient. “We used to buy the best point solutions, but eventually we realized that an integrateddevelopment approach would be better for meeting the business challenges we face,” explainsVince Travaglini, vice president of Engineering at StackTeck.
Reducing mold design timeThat decision led to an evaluation of a number of programs, including NX™, SolidWorks andPro/Engineer software. “For the way we work, and for what we wanted to do with automation,we decided to go with NX, which is one of the best and most robust packages available,”
Business challenges
Develop increasingly complexmolds
Meet customers’ demands forfaster delivery times
Improve throughput
Keys to success
An automated core and cavitydesign process that beginsbefore part design is finished
Master model approach andintegrated downstreamapplications ensure dataaccuracy through entiredevelopment process
Having UGS software boostscustomer confidence and helpswin orders
Results
Mold design time has beensubstantially reduced
One-quarter as much timespent on rework as previously
Overall engineering efficienciesimproved by 20 percent
Less human effort required toensure accuracy of data
Travaglini adds. The company uses NX software forthe entire mold design process, including part design,mold design, and CAM. StackTeck has instituted thesingle source data model approach where one datamodel is used throughout the development process.
Using NX, StackTeck has automated mold core andcavity design to the point where the design of thecore and cavity now begin before the design ofmolded part is complete. “This gives us a jump startso we are not fully dependent on the part design,”explains Theodor Cretu, mold design team leader.This automation was done using out-of-the-box NX. Using associativity, the software generates thecore and cavity automatically. “This has allowed us to cut out a significant chunk of mold design time,”says Cretu.
Process improvement includes data managementThe upgrade to NX brought other advantages as well. Now that the part design, mold design andCAM applications are integrated, there is no longer a need for data translation. “This process is moreefficient, and it also means that the geometry is correct,” notes Travaglini. “We spent a lot of time inthe past, a lot of human labor, ensuring the accuracy of the data. Now we have confidence it is correct.”
Another way that StackTeck ensures accuracy is through the use of Teamcenter® software for datamanagement. “Revision control was our biggest problem in the past,” Travaglini explains. “When wehad the different departments working with different software, it was very hard to ensure thateveryone was working with up-to-date information. With Teamcenter, we have a tight system ofrevision control. Between that and the single source data model approach, everyone is accessing up-to-date geometry in real time.”
With full control of the 3D model, less time is spent on rework. “We don’t have to send a design backto the customer saying, ‘Please change this dimension, remodel it and send it back.’ We do thatourselves,” says Travaglini. The associativity between part, mold and CAM that NX provides alsoreduces rework, according to Sandro Scarsellone, CAM team leader at StackTeck. “As soon as theApplication Department updates the part, we’re already rolling,” Scarsellone says. “We’re spendingabout one-quarter as much time on rework as we did in the past.”
With the company in the early stages of leveraging NX and Teamcenter, the engineering team has seenoverall efficiency improvements of 20 percent. Another advantage of having UGS software is what itsays to prospective customers. “Our industry is very competitive,” Travaglini adds. “Many OEMs useNX. They see us using it and know we’ve got top-of-the-line technology, and it helps us win business.”