Why choose Radshape for Machine Tooling Services?
We offer the full in-house machine tooling manufacturing service from initial concept, through design and prototyping and on to manufacture meaning that we can work with clients no matter what stage a project is at when they first come to us. If a requirement is still little more than an initial concept then we liaise closely with clients, working with them and applying our expertise and experience in order to turn a concept into a detailed CAD/CAM plan.
Our purpose-built facility is able to support soft and hard tooling as well as 3D printed tooling. Our commitment to ongoing development means that we continually apply the latest technology in order to offer the very best assembly and production solutions. From laser cutting to metal forming (press braking), metal welding or bonding, we have the facilities to do whatever is needed to deliver the often highly specialised tooling requirements our clients are looking for.
Why do our clients return to us for our Machine Tooling services?
Clients come to us because they know that the machine tooling we provide can be relied upon to deliver the desired results, not just once but over and over again. Prestige clients in sectors such as automotive and marine need to be able to know that the tooling they employ will produce the same results every time In some cases, clients come to us with plans already drawn up, and we’re able to offer our input in order to maximise the effectiveness of those plans, while others supply us with a component they wish to produce from which we are able to design and produce the relevant solution.
If you’re looking for solutions you can rely on now and into the future then get in touch.
Hard Tooling Vs Soft Tooling
Hard tooling is the process of manufacturing tools from metals of which are strong enough to tolerate a high number of production cycles. Through the use of metals such as Steel and Nickel Alloys, it is used to manufacture durable equipment for machine tools, such as measuring devices, milling cutters, tool bits, thread cutting taps, and end mills.
An advantage of Hard tooling is one of the most efficient methods to accurately mass-produce a product. Not only this, but it gives the product a better surface finish and a sharper edge.
Soft Tooling is the process of manufacturing tools from weaker composite materials such as Ureol and Model Board through the use of flexible computer-aided design (CAD) models to produce prototypes that are used for testing or manufacturing.
Soft Tooling can also be called plastic injection moulding. With this method of tooling, photo-realistic CAD models are sent to a 3D printer where they are turned into physical objects.
An advantage of soft tooling is that it's more cost-effective but compared to hard tooling, however, these types of tools cannot tolerate as many production cycles, typically less than 100 tools or parts.
What is meant by Rapid Tooling?
Rapid tooling is a machine tool-assisted process for the fast production of product prototypes. Instead of machine tools, rapid prototyping technologies are used. This includes 3D printers. Rapid prototyping reduces the time and money required for product design verification.
For example, the Radshape design engineers can use rapid prototyping to model parts quickly using 3D CAD models.
Mock-ups can be built in hours instead of days, hours instead of weeks, or days instead of months. Prototypes are also cheaper because they are made with inexpensive materials like plastics and foam boards rather than expensive materials like metal and glass.
If you’re looking for solutions you can rely on now and into the future then get in touch.