Nicolet Plastics Succeeds Using Mantle's Hybrid Metal 3D Printing Method for Mold Tooling

 Mantle’s moldmaking process employs a hybrid additive/subtractive process. Known as Trueshape, Mantle’s technology combines CNC machining with 3D printing, employing metal in a paste-like form to generate dimensionally precise tooling pieces quickly and cost-effectively. The process, simply put? Print. Dry. Shape. Repeat layer by layer. Sinter after the entire tool is done.

Using Trueshape moldmaking technology, Nicolet Plastics has overcome leadtime challenges. “I think the biggest thing I see with Mantle is being able to produce production tooling in prototype time,” says Derner. He adds that the printed inserts are 75-95% complete, requiring minimal user interaction post-build before Mantle’s high-temperature furnace heats and thus solidifies the part being printed into a solid metal. “The process has saved companies [like Nicolet Plastics] lead time, shortening it from six to two weeks, as well as trimming operations time, going from 150 hours to 12 hours,” Rejto says. 

Reducing the steps in creating a mold tool component to a single-step process brings further advantages. “It’s dramatically reducing tool time, but even more so, [reducing] operator mistakes. When you think about building tools [conventionally], there’s always the element of human error that can occur. With the Mantle solution, it’s just not as present anymore,” Derner says.

The time saved frees up Nicolet Plastics’ toolmakers for other critical projects, allowing more capacity for the company in terms of expanding business and services offered.

Nicolet Plastics’ Success With Mantle Technology 

One of Nicolet Plastics’ clients, Gamber-Johnson, is a company that creates docking stations for devices such as laptops and cell phones. If a manufacturer invents a new handheld device, Gamber-Johnson might face the challenge of creating a compliant docking station. The company turned to Nicolet Plastics to reduce leadtime on a component for a slam latch — a piece intended for tablets that enable devices to easily connect to a docking station. 

Consisting of challenging geometry, the part had steeply angled faces and thin ribs, according to Derner. If traditionally fabricated, it could have taken up to six weeks to obtain the needed tooling and perform the molding. In comparison, Mantle’s Trueshape technology enabled Nicolet Plastics to access its first mold tool in about 10 hours. “Our lead time was reduced from six weeks to two,” shares Derner. 

Additional Accomplishment 

Another customer success story using Mantle technology comes from Tessy Plastics, a large-scale global contract manufacturer. In this case, the evaluation focused on the overall durability of Mantle’s tooling.

The tool in question was utilized for molding a deodorant stick thumb wheel, which propels the deodorant to the surface when turned or pushed upward. Tessy Plastics decided to evaluate how Mantle’s Trueshape technology compared to traditional mold tooling for the creation of this product.

The inserts Mantle technology printed have now run for over a year, producing over 1.65 million cycles (and counting) with no signs of wear and tear on the tooling. These inserts are being obtained weeks faster than conventional machined inserts, and according to Tessy Plastics, have comparable accuracy as well as durability thus far.