The Alba team recently attended The Rapids show in Detroit, where we discussed 3-D printing of prototype molds to then be injected by the Babyplast machine.
By way of this process, we’re seeing dramatic cost reductions in both time and dollars, compared to the older steel mold process. Traditional steel molds cost tens of thousands of dollars, whereas 3-D printed molds fitted to a Babyplast machine come in at no more than two hundred dollars of Digital ABS. Time savings are equally dramatic, as 3-D prototype molds can be printed in hours, compared to waiting up to eight weeks for steel. This allows for unprecedented speed for you and your clients as you move through your creative product-development process.
Babyplast works with a wide range of mold types. And, whether printed or steel, Babyplast molds are light in weight. Even steel production molds can easily be held in one’s hands. And molds can be changed in only three to five minutes. Because the sprue and runner are shorter, material waste is lower on every cycle. Service and maintenance is easy and can usually be performed by your own staff, with skillful guidance available as needed from ALBA.
Materials run by Babyplast include PP, PS, PE, ABS, PA, POLYESTER, PEEK, TPE, to PC, POM, PBT, PPS, PPO, LCP, LSR, thermo rubber, ceramic, metal sinter, and wax.
Babyplast has a small physical footprint that allows for easy placement within your existing factory layout. And, while it can be used for inexpensive prototyping, the vast majority of the molds developed for it are for full production.
Babyplast is a robust production machine with more than 10,000 current applications in the fields of medicine, electronics, telecommunications, automobiles, toys, promotional products, cosmetics, and jewelry. Babyplast can also be used in clean-room applications.
Please contact us for more information about how Alba can help you with your prototyping needs through 3-D printing of prototype molds.