Notes

1. The preferred 3-D model file format is .IGS/.IGES but it may not be required.

Other drawings must supplement a 3-D model file to include dimensions, tolerances, and other critical specifications.

2. Tools that are worn beyond their usable life may need to be completely replaced instead of refurbished, and may incur a charge at the current pricing. Replacement costs are not amortized in new tools by default. Please talk to your sales person.

3. Ceramco reserves the right to obsolete customer tooling that is inactive for over 3 years. Tools that contain Ceramco intellectual property will be defaced or destroyed before returning to customer, if customer requests to have tooling shipped back to them.

Tooling Department

Ceramco has in-house toolmaking capability using up to date technology to ensure reliable deliveries for new and current customers. With the aid of Solidworks and Surfcam^® CAD-CAM software, and information from your drawing or CAD file, we design and machine the molds used for injection molded products. All of the moldmaking is done on CNC toolroom equipment such as our conversational CNC Lathe and full 3-axis CNC mill with exceptional accuracy and skill.

Tooling is owned by and used exclusively for the company who purchases it and we take the privacy and confidentiality of customer designs seriously. We also consider tooling to be a sound, long-term investment, intended to provide years of service. Therefore we store, maintain, and insure all tooling in a safe and secure location. All documents such as prints or drawings, and electronic files such as computer models, are stored and backed up on enterprise-level secure servers.

New Tooling Lathe

Tooling department

Aluminum fastener tool

Low Pressure Injection Molding (LPIM) Tooling:

Made of 6061 aluminum, low pressure molding tools are excellent for prototyping and low to medium volume production. They are a cost effective solution in most cases because of their flexibility and value.

New revisions and design changes can be implemented with ease when using this high quality aluminum tooling. This is useful during the first-article approval process.
LPIM tools can typically produce 10,000 ceramic parts before any maintenance is needed (depending on ceramic material used), providing reliability in production.
Multi-cavity tooling may be an option, whether upgrading from a unit tool to meet volume demand, or for faster and more efficient manufacturing.

High Pressure Injection Molding (HPIM) Tooling:

Aluminum can also be used in high pressure molding but with limited service life, so steel is used instead when tolerances and order volumes are demanding.

High pressure tooling offers extended service life when order volumes are in the range of 10's or 100's of thousands of parts.
Consistent, high speed, and high volume production capacity.
Existing high pressure tools can be transferred to Ceramco and used with our HPIM technology.

With your initial purchase of a custom product, there will typically be a non-recurring tooling charge (similar to a non-recurring engineering charge, or NREC) and additional lead time needed to process your order.²