Meeting fine tolerances

A key market for the shop has been providing mould tools for electrical/electronic connectors. The rising complexity of the products has necessitated the adherence to very fine tolerances down to 0.5 mu. One connector body could require over 20 tools -usually four-impression – and the move to using micromoulds with QCO (quick changeover) tooling with a changeable central cassette insert presented a major challenge for ND Precision. Such fine tolerances are also needed when manufacturing spline gauges on the tool maker’s Agiecut Vertex wire EDM machine. Tooling and workholding from System 3R is said to play a vital role in the production of electrodes for making mould tools. Pre-setting on the company’s holders (mini-pallets) with universal machine-fitted chucks saves time, the company said, as the assured accuracy and positioning of the 3Refix system guarantees repeatable accuracy throughout the entire spark erosion, wire EDM and milling cycle on their Mikron HSM 300 Mouldmaster.