Tooling is an essential aspect of industrial design and manufacturing. Tooling refers to the process of creating tools or moulds that are used to produce a wide range of products. For beginners in the field of industrial design, tooling can seem daunting. However, with the right guidance, tooling can be an enjoyable and rewarding process. […]

Most people would hear the term tool making and assume it is about making hammers, screwdrivers and spanners. In actual fact a toolmaker is a trade professional who builds Moulds, Dies and jigs. They are an essential part of product development and the manufacturing of plastic products. If you’re looking to get your product developed, […]

  With tooling having so many influential aspects that change the quality and cycle time of your part, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed and want to learn more. One of these influential aspects is the runner system. The runner system controls the distribution of the plastic through the nozzle to the cavities. There are two […]

Investing in tooling is one of the most crucial steps for successful mass production. Throughout the working life of an injection moulding tool, it will wear from the repetitive high-pressure injection of hot molten plastic; and when I say repetitive, I mean it – the tools we do for our customers are made to last one million shots!

Let’s take a look at a product we worked on here at Dienamics -the MK1 MAXTRAX off road vehicle recovery track.

We often get asked, are all steels the same? In fact, it’s one of our frequently asked questions. The short answer (and the one featured in our FAQs) is – No, there are different grades and hardness of steels. Hard steels tend to last longer but are more difficult to machine and heat treat. But […]

Creating a perfect part begins with creating the perfect mould. Easier than it sounds.

Peter Reid, a Senior Research Engineer from the CSIRO, had a problem. As part of a research project at Pullenvale, Peter was developing a machine that helped to map and survey mine sites using advanced technologies. Requirements He was using LiDAR and other light-based sensors to survey the mine. What he needed was an optically […]

How does wire cutter work? A wire cutter (also known as a wire EDM) is based off the same principle as a traditional EDM. It uses an electrode, which is electrically charged, so that when it comes close to a conductive material, the electricity wants to jump across to it. This causes a spark, which […]

  How do Surface Grinders work? A Surface Grinder grinds down metal surfaces to be perfectly flat and level. It’s an abrasive machining process, which uses a grinding wheel which is spinning at high speed to grind away differences in height. Grinding wheels are usually made of a composite material. This composite is usually some […]

Breathing – Most people don’t give it a second thought. But for some of us, something as simple as taking a breathe is not so straightforward. The team at AirPhysio knew they could help. The idea They developed the concept for the AirPhysio Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) device. Like all good ideas, the concept […]

What is Machining and Milling?  Machining is an umbrella term for a range of process which generally use cutting blades to cut away material from a workpiece. These can by computer-controlled machines (called CNC) or operator controlled machines (called conventional). The common element of both CNC and conventional mills is that they have a cutter […]

Injection moulds are curious machines. They are the basis for one of the most efficient and widespread manufacturing processes ever devised. They create parts with such speed and repeatability that we can’t help but take their output for granted. They are so effective that it’s easy to judge them in the same way we judge […]

How does an EDM work? An EDM (or Electrical Discharge Machine) burns conductive metals by creating a spark erosion between a copper (or graphite) electrode which is electronically charged, and a workpiece which is not electronically charged. In general terms, a machinist will make an electrode which will be used as the “cutting piece” in […]

Product timeline: 2001 – Brad McCarthy loses a car on the beach 2004-2005 – MaxTrax is tested. 2005 – MaxTrax hits the market! 15 years ago, Brad McCarthy got his 4WD stuck in soft sand. As a keen 4WD adventurer who knew South East Queensland’s trails like the back of his hand, the bog wasn’t […]

Fundamentally, Lathes do the opposite of what most other machines do. Lathes spin the workpiece at a high speed and move a stationery cutter into the workpiece. As such it’s important to know how Lathes work. Firstly, Lathes only have 1 axis of rotation, so if the part your working on isn’t largely symmetrical along […]

At it’s most basic level, a milling machine is a cutter (called an endmill), that rotates on an axis (called a spindle) and can accurately move in a variety of ways, usually parallel and perpendicular to the work piece, as well vertically up and down. Turret Mills are unique in that it works vertically, however […]

In this article, we’re talking about gates. And no, not the kind that you shut behind you when you’re leaving the farm. In plastic injection moulding a Gate is where the molten plastic enters the cavity of the tool. That’s to say it’s different from the sprue or runner. Sprues and runners are simply there […]

We have previously discussed some general ways to classify steel. In this article we are going to dive into the specific types of steel we use to make your products, why we use them, and what they mean to you. The first thing to do is clear up some confusion. You may be thinking, “But […]

Die Casting is the injection of molten metal into a Die (similar to a Mould) under pressure to create complex parts out of metal. Die Casting is conceptually very similar to injection moulding – just with molten metal instead of plastic. Die Casting is primarily a mass production method, where the costs of setting up […]

Manufacturing is an industry that walls itself off with dense jargon. As a result, it carries a perception of high risk; what you don’t understand, you can’t control the costs of. This makes those looking to manufacture – and even those who may already be manufacturing – feel iffy about high upfront costs. For a […]

Part design can be a difficult process, particularly when you’re in charge of the business. And while it may be tempting to go for cheap substitutes and stick with formulaic designs, at the end of the day it’s your business that suffers. We’re going to take a look at the advantages of involving the tool […]

Very recently, an old relic has resurfaced from the ‘90s electronics junk heap to become useful once again: the plastic injection moulds that were used to make the plastic components for the Atari Jaguar. These moulds, which cost Atari US$250,000 to design and build in the first place, were part of a “tooling package” that […]

For a lot of companies, products are their main source of revenue. Therefore, it makes sense that the process behind their product design should be done with great effectiveness and efficiency. Before hitting the shelves, a product must go through various types of process and one of them is plastic injection moulding. From big jars […]

As you look around your garage, you probably see an assortment of tools and materials that could all be used in some way to make something, whether it’s a basic table for the backyard or something far more complex. Tools are the backbone of modern industry and trade, and while they are essential in almost […]

Though we may not realise it, many of us are capable of inventing something truly life changing.  At some point or another, most of us have come up with an idea for how something could work better, or more efficiently, and a few of us have come up with a completely novel idea. The difference […]

The evolution of toolmaking can in many ways be shown to reflect the evolution of human society. Methods of manufacturing and product design have driven change for thousands of years. In fact, the periods before recorded history (known as ‘pre-history’) have been named after the materials with which the tools of that time were made, […]

Steel is all around us. It is used in major constructions such as skyscrapers, stadiums, roads and railways, as well as smaller product designs such as bolts, nails and screws. Those who have never paid close attention, however, may not have any idea of how steel is made — or indeed, that it needs to […]

Role of the tool maker. A tool maker understands the product design and creates parts, tools and dyes to be used in the manufacture of these designs. The tool maker’s advice may also influence the industrial designer – so that the idea can be made easier to manufacture. The tool maker will typically work in […]

Die casting is a very versatile process for producing highly engineered metal parts. Molten metals are forced into reusable steel moulds. These moulds are often called dies, and are designed to produce the complicated shapes that we see in many consumer products ranging from kids toys to automotive parts. The dies, are essentially the reverse […]