STAGE 7

MOULD GENERAL ARRANGEMENT DRAWINGS

The mould designer should already be confident that a tool to produce the proposed product is technically feasible. He must now design it to ensure it is compatible with the mouldmaker's quoted price and so that it will achieve the moulder's expected cycle times, dimensional tolerances and surface quality; also it must have satisfactory life expectancy for the predicted quantities. The matter of safety, both in the design and the handling of the mould, must be addressed.

The designer should take advantage of the collective expertise of team members, especially on such matters as runner and gate sizes and their positions, shrinkage allowances and processing parameters (see Words of Wisdom 7).

The team's expert input should help the mould designer to produce GA (General Arrangement) drawings plus supporting mould specifications for review and agreement.

"Everything in it's place and a place for everything"