Mantle
Mantle P-200 printer and F-200 Furnace
On September 6, Mantle announced the commercial launch and availability of its metal 3D printing technology for toolmaking. The system is set to simplify how mould tool components are made, and to accelerate the manufacturing of moulded parts.
Mantle says the technology has reduced the time to create tooling components through eliminating or reducing many of the operations traditionally required to make precise, durable steel tool components.
The launch follows the successful delivery of beta systems to customers. Westminster Tool, a precision mould builder in Plainfield, Connecticut, has been working with Mantle since March and has installed a beta system, integrating it into its mould-making operations.
“Mantle far surpasses any additive metal technology that we have seen previously,” commented Ray Coombs, President and Founder of Westminster Tool. “The precision and quality we get off the printer allow us to bypass many of our internal manufacturing processes, which gives us an advantage in providing a better, faster product for our customers.”
Mantle state that the solution is designed for ease of installation and use.
“There is a massive skills gap in the injection mould making industry,” commented Hillary Thomas, Westminster Tool Vice President. “Mantle’s technology is so simple that, with minimal training, we can have someone operating and running this machine. Mantle will help Westminster Tool change how we do business.”
Mantle’s system and patented TrueShape technology includes the P-200 printer, a hybrid system built on a CNC platform that integrates printing and machining to produce parts with the accuracy and surface finish required for tooling.
Also included is the F-200 furnace, which sinters parts from the printer and produces tooling components that are durable and accurate. Mantle says that one furnace can sinter multiple parts and support multiple printers.
It includes two steel materials, H13 and P2X, that are durable, stable, and, according to Mantle, perform like traditional tool steels with secondary operations like machining, polishing, coating and laser welding. Mantle also offers software that automates the 3D printing process, including toolpath generations and machine instructions.
Mantle
Fathom Manufacturing cavity and core inserts as printed with Mantle’s TrueShape metal 3D printing technology (left). Cavity and core inserts after Fathom finished the printed inserts and assembled them in their modular mold system (right).
Nicolet Plastics, a full-service custom plastic injection moulding company with three facilities in Wisconsin, will be one of the first to install a Mantle production system.
“As an injection moulder, Mantle allows us to bring additional tool production in-house and increase the complexity of the tools and inserts we manufacture. We will significantly reduce the time it takes to produce production-quality tools and be able to start production in weeks versus months,” stated Tony Cavalco, Nicolet Plastics CEO.
The first production systems are planned to be delivered in the first half of 2023. The technology will be showcased at IMTS, September 12 to 17 in Chicago, Illinois.
TCT spoke to Mantle's Ted Sorom in 2021, which you can read here. The company also announced a 25 million USD funding round to support the commercialisation of TrueShape 12 months ago.
