Toolmaking
TQ manufacturers injection moulding and other types of production tooling as part of our concept-to-manufacture business model. We also manufacture tooling for export to the UK and other countries as a standalone service.
In either case, detailed tool design specification and effective management of the toolmaking process are key ingredients to the successful conclusion of each project.
We work closely with our clients on tooling specification to ensure that the tools we manufacture are optimised for their production facilities. For example we always specify standard ejector pins, sprue bushes and other components to ensure that our clients can replace and repair tools easily and quickly if required by using DMS, DME, Hasco or other standard replacement parts.
All tool design and manufacture is project managed by our UK tooling manager, who regularly liaises with our China QC manager. At the beginning of each tooling project a development schedule is generated; as toolmaking progresses through roughing out, EDM, water bore and other processes it can be measured against the schedule to ensure that delivery times are met. TQ manufacturers injection mould and other tools using a network of suppliers in Shenzhen province, China. Tooling technologies include thermoplastic injection, thermoset for sheet material, dough moulding compound and pellet, progression forming tools for sheet metal manual or automatic, transfer and injection tools for rubber and silicone compounds, and lastly high-pressure, low-pressure and gravity die casting tools.
Because the manufacturing cost of certain types of tools are so low, we evaluate each project or on its merits. The largest single cavity mould tool that we have manufactured to date weighed 8.5 tons with a shot weight of 4.5kg. We have also made suites of tools up to 16 in number; projects of this type are commercially viable as they maximise the benefits of relatively low labour cost in China.
We do not normally consider manufacturing single or small suite of tools unless they are part of a 'design-to-manufacture' production project.