GATOR GUYS: ALLIGATOR MAGNETS

Processes: Injection Molding, Mold Design, CNC Machining & CAM

Project Brief

In 3 weeks, design a cavity-core mold that:

  • holds a ring magnet for Dynaflex TPE overmolding

  • utilizes coring and appropriate wall thicknesses to minimize sink and other defects

Also, learn how to create and debug a molding program

Challenges

  • Modeling a semi-organic form in CAD

  • Determining the best gate location to minimize number of sink areas and sink depth

  • Programming the CAM — tool paths would sometimes miss features or machine areas I wanted to avoid

Results / Takeaways

  • This project definitely emphasized the need for patience and persistence when doing CAD and CAM, especially when debugging

  • Built familiarity and confidence in operating and programming on the Arburg injection molding machine