Siegfried Hofmann GmbH, a service provider with deep expertise in injection molding, collaborates with GROB-WERKE GmbH & Co. KG to provide a mold solution for particle foam.
GROB-WERKE debuted in AM in 2022 with the goal of providing a liquid metal printing process also known as Molten Metal Jetting. The company previously built expertise in engineering and automation systems.
Since its launch, the company has been secretive about the tangible applications that can demonstrate the capabilities of its solution. With this collaboration with Hofmann, one learns that GROB-WERKE’s technology has helped to produce the first foaming in the mold in as little as a week – from start of the design to the first foaming.
Ideal for series parts with basic surface quality requirements, the lightweight molds are also the best solution for short-term prototype testing of materials, spraying and evaporation, Hofmann explains.
“We are particularly proud of the rapid production of the additively manufactured aluminium foam molds,” says Stefan Hofmann, Managing Director of Siegfried Hofmann GmbH. “We only needed a third of the time to produce our demonstrator tool compared to its 3D printed steel counterpart.”
Combining printed molds and particle foam molding
The molds develop their maximum performance in combination with the BEAD.MACHINE particle foam molding machine from Siegfried Hofmann. Up to 50 % porosity in the mold insert ensures maximum evaporation of the raw material – so even large parts can be produced without any problems. At the same time, the very high number of steam nozzles results in shorter cycle times due to faster heating and cooling processes.
Lastly, different mold inserts for one product can easily be used with just one mold frame. This saves costs and speeds up the production process.
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