StackTeck beefs up its dedicated prototyping and pilot mold cell by adding multiple machines

Brampton, Ont.-based StackTeck Systems Ltd. has been on a tear lately, adding multiple new machines in the last six months to increase productivity in their dedicated space to develop prototype and pilot molds.

A global manufacturer of multi-cavity, high-volume production molds for the cap and closure, thin-wall packaging, and medical markets, StackTeck has invested $1.5 million so far in 2018 on equipment for the development of prototypes, including close tolerance milling and turning machines, universal grinders, and three- and five-axis mills. The cell also has CAM programing that doesn’t require 2D drawings and is able to develop prototype molds in an average of three to six weeks, depending on the complexity of the plastic part.

This dedicated prototype mold making area is in a closed room to ensure project confidentiality.

According to Lou Dimaulo, StackTeck’s vice president of TeckCenter, the advantage that a dedicated pilot cell offers to customers is rapid prototyping as a faster alternative to advanced production stacks with simplification of cooling and/or ejection while expanding sampling capacity, said the company. The new dedicated cell is isolated in a closed manufacturing area to respect customers’ confidentiality requirements.

The pilot cell features flexibility in terms of speed and cost, and enables StackTeck to custom tailor the mold design and prototype mold materials to suit project needs, including the number of samples needed, accuracy, shrinkage and cycle time. In addition, the company offers its existing prototyping mold bases for typical packaging items such as lids, containers or tamper-evident closures, among other products.

This prototype cell includes 12 machining centers and an enclosed CMM inspection room.

“We have put together a dedicated team of 13 highly experienced members in this pilot cell and have doubled the number of machining centers that we had in 2015 from six to 12, having a total of 24 dedicated machines to serve this cell alone,” Dimaulo said. “We have been successful at completing prototype molds for beverage caps from CAD to test in only three weeks. This represents a huge competitive advantage for our customers looking to leverage StackTeck’s turnkey services from part concept, finished part design and prototype tool to the production tool.”