Agemaspark adds metal AM to improve mould tool production
December 15, 2021
Agemaspark Ltd, an engineering company based in Doncaster, UK, has added metal Additive Manufacturing to its offering in order to improve tool making and help reduce the environmental impact of the company and its customers. The adoption of metal AM, which the company has been developing and trialling for several years, is said to significantly reduce cycle times for multi-impression mould tools.
By using metal AM, Agemaspark is producing moulds with conformal cooling, a technique that improves the efficiency of a mould and reduces the amount of energy required and the environmental impact of the process. This enables Agemaspark’s customers, which include companies in the aerospace and oil & gas industries, a chance to reduce their carbon footprint.
The use of metal AM to manufacture the mould is also more cost-effective, and reduces the amount of energy and raw materials required to produce the mould.
“At a time when we should all be looking at our environmental impact, we are thrilled to offer customers a more efficient, greener technology,” commented Paul Stockhill, Managing Director at Agemaspark.
“The conformal cooling process is a much cleaner way to make tooling and components. The insert production for the tooling being made from 3D metal Additive Manufacturing uses far less energy than conventional steel works and manufacturing techniques. So, there is a huge reduction in energy use and parts can be produced for the tool in just a few days instead of several weeks.”
The company recently launched several green initiatives, including developing a micro cooling water supply equipment to control tooling processes and investing in new, more efficient machinery to minimise its environmental footprint.
“There is potential to make the process even more eco-friendly as we explore other markets and more tooling opportunities are proven. In some cases, we can offer up to 40% improvement and this is backed up by proven examples. As designers start to look into what is possible with metal additives, we are in a great place to offer our expertise to make the technology even greener than it is today,” Stockhill concluded.
