Glossary of terms used on this site
There are 50 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| ANSI |
"American National Standards Institute" - Information is available on their website at http://www.ansi.org/ |
| CAD |
"Computer-Aided Design" is the use of computer technology to design objects (real or virtual.) As in the manual drafting of technical and engineering drawings, the output of CAD involves not only shapes but must also convey symbolic information such as materials, processes, dimensions, and tolerances, according to application-specific conventions. |
| CAM |
"Computer-Aided Manufacturing" is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related equipment in the manufacturing of workpieces. Its primary purpose is to create a faster production process and yield components & tooling with more precise dimensions and material consistency, thereby minimizing material waste and reducing energy consumption. |
| Colorant |
A plastic compound containing a high percentage of pigment to be blended, in appropriate amounts, with a base resin to achieve the correct final color. |
| CSS |
"Cross-Sectional Scanning" is a new first article inspection technology that eliminates any bias from the inspection. Cross-Sectional Scanning mills away a part or batch of parts, one layer at a time, scanning a high resolution image after each pass. A comprehensive set of data points known as a "point cloud" is compiled and color map software provides a visual representation of part accuracy by comparing the point cloud to the original 3D data. |
| Extrusion |
The process of forming continuous shapes by forcing material through a die and cutting the output to specified lengths. Extrusion is ideal for creating products with long, consistent shapes such as beams or support rods, and is more commonly used for metal products than for plastic. |
| FAI |
"First Article Inspection" provides objective evidence that all applicable specifications and requirements pertaining to customer product have been satisfied. Every critical design characteristic called out on the part drawing is verified and recorded in a prescribed format. |
| Family Mold |
A mold that produces non-identical parts simultaneously from multiple cavities. |
| First Article Inspection |
"First Article Inspection" provides objective evidence that all applicable specifications and requirements pertaining to customer product have been satisfied. Every critical design characteristic called out on the part drawing is verified and recorded in a prescribed format. |
| Flash |
Any excess material that is formed with and attached to the component along a seam or mold parting line. |
| Gate |
The channel through which the molten resin flows from the runner into the cavity. |
| Insulated Runner |
Describes a mold in which the runners are insulated from the chilled cavities and kept hot. Also known as a "hot-runner" or "runnerless" mold. |
| ISO |
The International Organization for Standardization, widely known as ISO, was founded on February 23, 1947. The world's largest developer and publisher of international standards, ISO is a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries with its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. ISO defines itself as a non-governmental organization that forms a bridge between the public and private sectors. On the one hand, many of its member institutes are part of the governmental structure of their countries, or are mandated by their government. On the other hand, other members have their roots uniquely in the private sector, having been set up by national partnerships of industry associations. As a result, ISO enables a consensus to be reached on solutions that meet both the requirements of business and the broader needs of society. |
| ISO 13485 |
ISO 13485:2003 is an ISO standard specifying the requirements for a quality management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer requirements and regulatory requirements applicable to medical devices and related services. This standard supersedes earlier documents such as EN 46001 and EN 46002 (1997) and ISO 13488 (1996.) While it remains a stand-alone document, ISO 13485 is generally harmonized with ISO 9001. A fundamental difference, however, is that ISO 9001 requires an organization to demonstrate continuous improvement, whereas ISO 13485 requires only that the quality system be implemented and maintained. |
| Knockout |
A pin that ejects a molded article from the mold. |
| Liquid Crystal Polymer |
LCP's are a relatively unique class of partially crystalline aromatic polyesters based on p-hydroxybenzoic acid and related monomers. They typically have outstanding mechanical properties at high temperatures, excellent chemical resistance, inherent flame retardancy and good weatherability. Liquid crystal polymers come in a variety of forms from sinterable high temperature to injection moldable compounds. |
| Melt Flow |
Rate of extrusion of molten resin through a die of specified length and diameter. The conditions of the test (e.g. temperature and load) should be specified. Frequently, however, the manufacturer's data lists only the value, not the condition. |
| Micromolding |
An injection molding process where the manufactured components require magnification to see product details. |
| Molding Cycle |
The time elapsed during the complete sequence of operations on a molding press needed to produce one set of molded articles. |
| Overmolding |
Overmolding involves the use of two separate materials to form one cohesive component. In "two-shot" overmolding, two types of plastic material are injected into the mold in succession, with the second material partially encapsulating the first shot. Insert overmolding is a single process whereby one material (usually an elastomer) is injection molded over a pre-loaded substrate such as a rigid plastic or metal object. |
| PEEK |
Poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) is a colorless organic polymer thermoplastic used in engineering applications. Because of its robustness, PEEK is used to fabricate items used in demanding applications, including bearings, piston parts, pumps, compressor plate valves, and cable insulation. It is one of the few plastics compatible with ultra-high vacuum applications. PEEK is considered an advanced biomaterial used in medical implants. It is extensively used in the aerospace, automotive, teletronic, and chemical process industries. http://www.matrixtool.com/blog/plastics-resin/have-a-peek-experience-2601 http://www.matrixtool.com/molding/engineering-grade |
| Polymer |
High-molecular-weight organic compound, natural or synthetic, composed of repeating structural units that are chemically bonded. A wide variety of properties are represented, ranging from familiar synthetic plastics (e.g. polyethylene, nylon) to natural biopolymers (e.g. cellulose, rubber.) When two different types of monomers are joined in the same polymer chain, the polymer is called a copolymer. |
| Pre-Hardened |
Steel that has undergone a heat treating process prior to being machined. |
| Prototype |
A functional prototype (or working prototype) will, to the greatest extent practical, attempt to simulate the final design, aesthetics, materials and functionality of the intended design. The construction of a fully working, full-scale prototype and the ultimate test of concept is the engineer's final check for design flaws and allows last-minute improvements to be made before larger production runs are ordered. |
| QMS |
A "Quality Management System" is the collective policies, procedures, organizational structure, and supporting resources implemented to ensure that specifications, standards and customer expectations are consistently met in the most cost effective and efficient manner. |
| Regrind |
Waste material such as sprues, runners, excess parison material and reject parts from injection molding, blow molding and extrusion, which has been reclaimed by shredding or granulating. Regrind is usually mixed with virgin compound at a predetermined percentage for remolding. |
| Resin |
Any of a class of solid or semi-solid organic products of natural or synthetic origin, generally of high molecular weight with no definite melting point. Synthetic resins are polymers which are better known as plastics. |
| Rib |
A reinforcing member of a molded part. Ribs are usually added to molded walls and shapes that would otherwise be to weak in order to hold their shape. |
| Robot |
Automated devices for removing parts upon ejection from an open mold rather than letting the parts drop. Also see parts picker. Robots also can perform secondary functions, such as inspection, de-gating, precise placement of parts on a conveyor, etc. |
| Runner |
In an injection mold, the feed channel, usually of circular cross section, which connects the sprue with the cavity gate. The term is also used for the plastic piece formed in this channel. |
