Monday, July 19, 2010

The Tool and Die Making Machines

The tool and die making industry is among the most profitable industries there is. Tool and die making is a process that requires a lot of knowledge and know-how. People who decide to enter this field would need to spend several years studying everything about it and learning its different applications. In short, it is no joke to venture a career in this field.

People who are in this kind of profession are regarded highly by their fellow skilled workers. Their job is to make tools, die them, and make sure that all the objects and products created are in its best possible condition. They also manufacture clothes, pieces of furniture and equipment and car or aircraft parts. They may be found in large industrial and manufacturing plants or in average-sized machine shops.

In order for a tool and die maker to be efficient, he or she should be educated with even the littlest details about how to manufacture stamping dies, jigs, fixtures and plastic molds. Different types of materials would require varying techniques. For example, in stamping dies, force is required from the maker. However, in plastic molding, no force is needed.

As the years went on, the machineries and tools used in tool and die making have developed greatly. One notable person who played a great role in this process is Eli Whitney, an American manufacturer and inventor. His notion of interchangeable parts in planned manufacturing was revolutionary. Because of his studies, he was able to successfully mass-produce firearms and weapons for a war that occurred in 1812.

Since then, tool and die making machines have evolved greatly. The power press came out, then there's the press die, and more. Alongside this, injection molding and die casting took a leap, resulting to more demands for more advanced tools.

Tools and dies are often designed by tool designers and engineers, but a well-experienced and extremely skilled tool and die maker could also do the job. They would be asked to visit a customer's place to check out the whole operation. This would enable them to know if there's something in there that needs improvement.

Back then, they would use blueprints to plan out the necessary steps to proceed with the operation. Everything would then be done manually. Fortunately, today, CAD or computer-aided design and more modern tools and machineries are already available, making things much simpler and faster to accomplish.

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