Modern technologies in tool and die making

Shorter product cycle time demands rapid response and high levels of felxibility in the production of dies and molds. However, the typical manufacturing sequence of pre-milling, heat treatment, EDM and manual finishing is usually associated with high lead times, high machining costs and limited flexibility. Die and mold makers are, therefore increasingly being compelled to utilise modern technologies in their productions chains to satify actual customer needs. This contribution will present potentials and limits of modern technologies for the manufacture of preseries und series die and molds, taking into account the currrent requirements on the market. It will also give a general overview of technological approaches in Rapid Tooling and NC-Milling.