Case Study
X-Cell Tool & Mold, Inc.
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Problem
Manufacturing plastic injection molds is a demanding, time-consuming process. X-Cell's General Manager, James Cummings, wanted a new way to create multi-cavity plastic injection molds with precise tolerances while lowering cycle times.
Solution
Cummings installed a five-axis CNC machine, a YASDA YMC430 RT10, as well as a YASDA YMC650, both of which were automated.
Results
The machines produce exact tolerances and a high level of precision in record time. X-Cell was able to produce 4 two-shot molds for ventilator components in 10 weeks, thanks to the accuracy of the 5-axis YASDA machines and automation systems.
Plastic Injection Mold Manufacturer Achieves Closer Tolerances and Lowers Cycle Time with Five-Axis Machining
Creating plastic injection molds is a challenging process. Customers require exacting tolerances on a short deadline, often serving more demanding end markets such as medical, electronics, and telecommunications.
X-Cell Tool & Mold is a full-service shop that manufactures, samples, tests, and analyzes high-quality molds. About three years ago, the Fairview, Pa.-based company began examining new ways to create multi-cavity plastic injection molds.
General manager James Cummings wanted a machine that could provide precise tolerances and lower cycle times.
YASDA: The Right Choice for Tight Tolerances
Cummings has been in the injection mold industry for more than 45 years. He knows there are only a few machines on the market that could meet the exact tolerances and the level of precision he was looking for.
“YASDA was our number one choice, absolutely,” he said.
Cummings reached out to his longtime machine tool and automation supplier Nicolas Giannotte, currently the director of sales and operations at Maruka USA’s Pine Brook, N.J. precision technical center.
The YASDA YMC430
Giannotte recommended the YASDA YMC430 RT10, a high-precision machining center with a tilting rotary table. The switch to five-axis machining was a bit daunting a first.
“The machine itself was a learning curve,” Cummings said. But once his team understood the programs and software, his operators were soon engaging in full five-axis simultaneous machining, reducing cycle times and achieving greater precision.
Adding Even More ROI with Automation
To get the most out of the machine, Giannotte recommended a 3R Robot. Cummings is no stranger to automation. With the automation system in place, his team bolstered throughput and increased X-Cell’s competitiveness in the marketplace by leveraging the automation system to run the YASDA machine unattended.
“The systems that are out there now are pretty much flawless,” Cummings said. “The automation never seems to break down at all.”
The YASDA YMC-650
When X-Cell purchased a YASDA YMC650, the system’s 3R Robot was already designed to service two machines. With X-Cell’s setup utilizing both high-precision, five-axis machining centers and efficient automation, the company has been able to manufacture superior multi-cavity plastic injection molds in record time.
That setup allowed the company to fulfill a contract for ventilator components during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. X-Cell mold was tasked with creating four two-shot molds in 10 weeks.
Without the automation and the two YASDAs, it would have been impossible to do. We were complimented by our customer as being one of the only shops that were on time.”
The customer was amazed by the accuracy, he added.
“They couldn’t believe the accuracy from piece to piece to piece,” Cummings said. “There were no hidden snowflakes,”
The YASDA PX30i
Seeing the previous machines and automation systems’ success, X-Cell recently purchased a YASDA PX-30i, which comes equipped with a 32-pallet automatic pallet changer (APC). That machine will contribute to X-Cell’s ability to run setups unattended, and, Cummings said, a staple in any purchase from now on.
“I wouldn’t buy another machine without automating it,” he said.
