Press Molds low pressure

Soft tools will usually comprise a shell of reinforced epoxy tooling compound, backed or reinforced (depending on size) with concrete or other dimensionally stable material. They take about 6-8 weeks to make and have a life of about 2000 components. Costs, amortized over this number, usually amount to around 2% of product value. As an alternative, electroformed nickel tools can be used, costing about three to five times more, but giving a lifetime output of about ten times (20,000 components). 

A mold-making system is used for the RTM process using TS polyester-based materials. Molds have already been used for three years and are reported to show good surface despite 5000-6000 demoldings, while involving minimum capital outlay and giving a shortened lead-time. 

Electroformed nickel shell tooling can be useful for high quality/ medium volume (such as RTM). FET Engineering, Kentucky, USA, has a die spot press allowing both halves of the tool to be placed outside the press with both cavities in the up position, allowing work on the tool while registration of both halves is maintained. Helisys rapid prototype machine and SNK digitizer have been installed. Vapor 

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