“Effectively, when coupled with a high-resolution printing system, the Multiplier can reduce the manufacturing time of a batch produced element by an order of magnitude,” Smilansky said.

The decision-makers were convinced by the fact that we also coated the tag in orange and added the Hasco logo. The tag can also be read with any NFC-enabled smartphone. This means that there is no need to purchase additional readers.

Two-stage ejectors are products with high mechanical requirements. This also applies to maintenance. Due to the way they work, they are more cost-intensive than other standard components and, above all, require more consultation. Hasco has been equipping these components with an orange-colored RFID tag as standard and at the factory since 2023.

In many cases, a 10 mm hole is already provided at the factory on tools or standard components. The NeoTAG Plug can be pressed in safely and reliably with the easy-to-use press-fit housing. In the end, it was the tag’s size of 8 millimeters that tipped the scales.

“With its specialized injection moulding process, Neosid is the world market leader in the production of complex ferrites, the basis for high-performance RFID transponders.”

Hasco offers a total of seven different two-stage ejectors in various dimensions. Since 2023, every two-stage ejector has been fitted with an RFID tag at the factory.

Because of the nature of pressure forming, there are some important design considerations to ensure the best results are achieved, Smilansky says. “To get a successful part, users need to design for pressure forming, which means creating parts with no undercuts, that use air vents to ensure air flow around the template, have draft angles on straight walls, and are not taller than they are wide,” he said.

The full-range supplier for mould making is the first player on the market to introduce the RFID Mould Tag for sophisticated products such as the two-stage ejector.

Hasco is laying the foundations for its planned digitalization strategy with the RFID tag on the two-stage ejector. Further products are to follow. The functionality and range of communication options are to be expanded. The aim is to optimize direct communication with the customer and thus also improve the value chain. Numerous process steps are part of the manufacturing process.

Hasco has been tagging two-stage ejectors with RFID since 2023. The tag, which is just a few millimetres in size and has an orange design, optimizes processes and services for mould manufacturers worldwide. From the perspective of the medium-sized company with around 700 employees, the RFID tag represents an innovative novelty in the mould making market.

To get a successful part, users need to design for pressure forming, which means creating parts with no undercuts, that use air vents to ensure air flow around the template, have draft angles on straight walls and are not taller than they are wide.

The tag is pressed into an indentation and is clearly visible on the steel surface. Even when installed, the customer can read the tag with a mobile phone or RFID reader. This makes handling easy.

In addition to Industry 4.0, they also include the construction industry, medical laboratories, the dental technology sector, mechanical engineering and mould making. These sectors include applications such as maintenance, product identification and tracking, inventory, and tool protection.

In the realm of advanced medical device development, Switzerland’s Oertli Instrumente AG has transformed its prototyping and packaging processes by integrating the Mayku Mulitplier pressure former into its 3D printing workflow.

The pressure former brings the precision of injection molding to engineers’ benchtops and allows for the creation of isotropic thermoplastic parts with sub-micron details, but also in thick materials, Smilansky explains. “The cost per part and time per part is very low and the repeatability and replicability is very high, meaning users can make single parts or batch productions with high consistency,” he said. “The machine is a great fit when parts need to be made fast from production-grade thermoplastics and really comes into its own when series productions are needed.”

Numerous plastics processing industries such as the chemical, automotive and packaging industries as well as the consumer goods industry rely on large quantities of high-quality plastic components. These components are almost always manufactured using an injection moulding process. A complex forming process is used for this. Hasco has been manufacturing standard components, which can be described as the central assembly in injection moulding, for almost 100 years.

When the softened sheet is ready, the user brings it down over the template to be formed; up to 60 psi of pressure is then released over the sheet, pushing it into the finest details of the template. The sheet then cools and can be removed for post-processing. Smilansky says the machine is compatible with hundreds of thermoplastics as low as 100 microns thin and above 5 mm thick, and that cycle times are in minutes.

Around 180 technical sales representatives are direct contacts for customers worldwide. Production and logistics take place at the two production sites in Lüdenscheid, Germany and Guntramsdorf, Austria. Over 30,000 customers value the expertise of the standard components manufacturer.

The fully integrated automated plate warehouse is one of the most modern in Europe. It has 5,000 pallet spaces. Hasco has also invested in a state-ofthe- art, fully automated small parts warehouse at the Lüdenscheid site. The new Autostore System has a storage capacity of 24,000 boxes. Twenty robots equip the picking workstations and enable around 720 retrievals per hour.

The logistical preparations for increasing market requirements have thus been implemented. With the integration of UWB and RFID technology, the company is taking a consistent step towards digitalization.

Users can create and store custom profiles for any compatible thermo-formable material. Custom mode also helps increase accuracy by giving engineers extended control over the machine’s heat and pressure capacities.

Tools used in industrial applications in the smart factory can be turned into smart tools in just a few simple steps. They can then be located and seamlessly identified. Conclusion: These tools become transparent and digital, and can be integrated into other digital processes.

Hasco, the standard components specialist, has been headquartered in Lüdenscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, since 1924.

These tools are not part of the production system itself. They have to be specially developed, designed or individually adapted for each article to be produced. If a tool has faults or is not optimally adapted to the plastic component in the design, this will result in deficits in the quality of the moulded part.

In many cases, a 10 mm hole is already provided at the factory on tools or standard components. The NeoTAG Plug can be pressed in safely and reliably with the easy-to-use press-fit housing. In the end, it was the tag’s size of 8 millimeters that tipped the scales.

Tools used in industrial applications in the smart factory can be turned into smart tools in just a few simple steps. They can then be located and seamlessly identified. Conclusion: These tools become transparent and digital, and can be integrated into other digital processes.

Starting with the design of the plastic article, through the construction of the tool and the actual production, to sampling and modification grinding. Each of these process steps requires coordination. Communication with the customer and the constant updating of drawing data is crucial to the success of production. In the future, Hasco also plans to launch the use of a USB stick and its direct connection to the customer portal.

Smilansky adds that when combined with high-resolution 3D printing, the Multiplier pressure former can replicate the level of detail that can be achieved with resin printing in production-grade thermoplastics. “All at a fraction of the cost of outsourcing,” he noted. In addition, because the machine has cycle times that are only minutes long, parts can be replicated fast and accurate series productions are made possible on the benchtop.

It is suitable for all branches of industry in which miniaturized transponders are required in a metallic environment. This covers numerous sectors.

Around 180 technical sales representatives are direct contacts for customers worldwide. Production and logistics take place at the two production sites in Lüdenscheid, Germany and Guntramsdorf, Austria. Over 30,000 customers value the expertise of the standard components manufacturer.

In principle, every mould design for injection moulding machines is identical. However, each injection mould is individually manufactured in two halves – a nozzle side and an ejector side. These mould halves contain complex components that include the cavity inserts, the sprue systems, the cores, the ejector elements and the cooling system.

Spielman has more than three decades of experience as a writer and editor for a range of B2B brands, including those that cover machine design; electrical design and manufacturing; interconnection technology; food and beverage manufacturing; process heating and cooling; finishing; and package converting.

These tools are not part of the production system itself. They have to be specially developed, designed or individually adapted for each article to be produced. If a tool has faults or is not optimally adapted to the plastic component in the design, this will result in deficits in the quality of the moulded part.

In addition to Industry 4.0, they also include the construction industry, medical laboratories, the dental technology sector, mechanical engineering and mould making. These sectors include applications such as maintenance, product identification and tracking, inventory, and tool protection.

Simply explained, the two-stage ejector ensures that the plastic article is ejected in two stages. These components are used to demould plastic parts from the machine movement and enable complex movement sequences. Several separation stages can be realized with two-stage ejectors. To protect the product, the movements can be carried out slowly.

It is suitable for all branches of industry in which miniaturized transponders are required in a metallic environment. This covers numerous sectors.

Hasco offers a total of seven different two-stage ejectors in various dimensions. Since 2023, every two-stage ejector has been fitted with an RFID tag at the factory.

The R&D team would design the packaging and manufacture a limited visual prototype using FDM 3D printing, he explained. “This prototype wouldn’t have any functionality, as the packaging undercuts that hold the components in place wouldn’t be flexible enough,” he said. “A functional prototype couldn’t be printed with any 3D printing technology due to the reduced wall thickness.”

The machine’s reducing plate accessory simplifies material sourcing and testing by condensing the forming area down to a more widely available A4 or U.S. letter format, extending the range of thicknesses from as low as 0.1 mm to more than 5 mm.

Heuer explains that Oertli experienced some challenges in thinning of the foil in areas with too high ratios (width-to-depth) and bridging in areas of thin gaps.

Prior to introducing the Multiplier into our R&D workshop, we were not able to produce prototypes that resembled the final packaging.

Because FDM 3D printing has limitations such as lower resolutions and rougher finishes, it is a less-ideal solution for creating detailed and precise prototypes. Also, because FDM prints are anisotropic, they are prone to breaking along the layer lines.

The company gained international significance with the patented invention of the modular standard mould system in the 1960s. Hasco has been expanding globally since the 1970s and is now represented at 35 locations worldwide. The main markets include Europe, Asia and North America. Growth regions include Mexico and India.

Hasco is a supplier for tool and mould making, the plastics processing industry and injection moulders. The portfolio includes all the components that a manufacturer of plastic components needs to produce an injection mould. This includes a total of over 100,000 products.

Hasco, the standard components specialist, has been headquartered in Lüdenscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, since 1924.

“We switched from negative to positive molds to move the functional areas to regions of low stretch,” he explained, “and found the minimal gap size to reduce bridging by manipulating the printed model and then reforming.” He says that the best results are achieved with high-temperature resin printing or filaments such as nylon or Nylon CF. “At this point, we are using standard PLA and discarding the template after a certain number of molds,” he said.

According to Alex Smilansky, Mayku’s co-founder and CEO, the Multiplier pressure former allows users to form a flat thermoplastic sheet around a 3D printed template. First, the machine heats up a sheet of thermoplastic to the required temperature. “The auto-levelling system keeps the sheet level allowing it to get to the precise temperature for optimal forming, giving the user a reliable consistent result every time,” he said.

The Multiplier enables Oertli to create prototypes of pressure-formed thin foil plastic packaging. “Prior to introducing the Multiplier into our R&D workshop, we were not able to produce prototypes that resembled the final packaging,” Heuer said.

The pressure former has significantly enhanced Oertli’s prototyping capabilities. “When used in conjunction with our 3D printer, it has extended our workflow towards the production of high-fidelity prototypes, reducing the design iteration cycle from three weeks to just one day,” Heuer said. “It has helped to create prototypes with the needed properties, facilitating better testing and feedback processes.”

Oertli Instruments sees its mission in the development and production of surgical platforms, instruments and consumables for ophthalmology surgery, according to Malte Heuer, a project lead in vitrectomy surgery at Oertli. He says the company has always committed itself to consistently high quality and absolute reliability.

The company gained international significance with the patented invention of the modular standard mould system in the 1960s. Hasco has been expanding globally since the 1970s and is now represented at 35 locations worldwide. The main markets include Europe, Asia and North America. Growth regions include Mexico and India.

Simply explained, the two-stage ejector ensures that the plastic article is ejected in two stages. These components are used to demould plastic parts from the machine movement and enable complex movement sequences. Several separation stages can be realized with two-stage ejectors. To protect the product, the movements can be carried out slowly.

Alexander Ulman and Andre Brandt explain how RFID optimizes processes and why the solution represents a leap into the digital age for mould making.

Since 2020, the company has been focusing intensively on the digital connection of all tools and is launching an innovation on the market with the two-stage ejector: a small orange RFID tag measuring just 8 millimetres turns the tool into a digital and smart component.

Numerous plastics processing industries such as the chemical, automotive and packaging industries as well as the consumer goods industry rely on large quantities of high-quality plastic components. These components are almost always manufactured using an injection moulding process. A complex forming process is used for this. Hasco has been manufacturing standard components, which can be described as the central assembly in injection moulding, for almost 100 years.

The design iteration process was inefficient, so when Heuer took charge of the medical packaging prototyping at Oertli, he sought a technology that would make prototyping more agile. “A fast Google search looking for desktop, but powerful, thermoforming machines revealed the Multiplier, and I quickly saw its potential within Oertli, so I acquired it from Mayku’s Swiss partner Dim3nsions,” Heuer said.

The decision-makers were convinced by the fact that we also coated the tag in orange and added the Hasco logo. The tag can also be read with any NFC-enabled smartphone. This means that there is no need to purchase additional readers.

One of the key benefits of a pressure-formed part is that it is made from real production-grade thermoplastic sheets. Because the sheet is precisely formed around a part it maintains isotropic properties, Smilansky explains. In addition, the machine can achieve high repeatability and replicability as the dimensional accuracy remains unchanged from form to form. “Original sheet material properties are also transferred, making the process more suitable to industries and applications relying on specific material grades and properties,” he said.

As Machine Design’s technical editor, Sharon Spielman produces content for the brand’s focus audience—design and multidisciplinary engineers. Her beat includes 3D printing/CAD; mechanical and motion systems, with an emphasis on pneumatics and linear motion; automation; robotics; and CNC machining.

The logistical preparations for increasing market requirements have thus been implemented. With the integration of UWB and RFID technology, the company is taking a consistent step towards digitalization.

“Alexander and I have been developing components for mould and tool making for many years. Our goal is to always be one step ahead and offer innovative solutions for injection moulds. Hasco’s portfolio now includes more than 100,000 different components. All of them are designed for plastics processing industries, tool-making and injection moulding shops.”

Hasco is a supplier for tool and mould making, the plastics processing industry and injection moulders. The portfolio includes all the components that a manufacturer of plastic components needs to produce an injection mould. This includes a total of over 100,000 products.

The full-range supplier for mould making is the first player on the market to introduce the RFID Mould Tag for sophisticated products such as the two-stage ejector.

Once approved by the product management team, Heuer said the design would be sent to the packaging supplier, who would make a prototype in approximately three weeks. The functional prototype would then be shipped back and tested by customers, after which feedback would be gathered. This process would be repeated until the perfect design was found.

“The project arose from discussions with customers. We were repeatedly asked whether it would be possible to link 3D data, installation instructions or maintenance instructions directly to the product in order to reduce the need to search for documentation. We are now receiving recognition and positive feedback from customers. The “aha effect” has been achieved.”

The company was able to easily integrate the Multiplier into the existing prototyping workflow, preserving key aspects that were already efficient and optimizing those that caused issues, Heuer said. “I still use Solidworks to design the packaging prototype; however, instead of 3D printing a visual prototype to present to the product management team and then outsourcing to the packaging supplier, I 3D print a thermoforming template of the design,” he said. “I then use the Multiplier to create high-fidelity prototypes that I present to the team and testers. All of this can be done within a day.”

The RFID Mould Tag is installed as standard in all two-stage ejectors and enables access to relevant data such as 3D models, installation and maintenance instructions or technical limit values. The new Hasco app shows the counterfeit-proof originality of the products when the tag is scanned. The tag can be read directly with an NFC-enabled mobile phone.

The fully integrated automated plate warehouse is one of the most modern in Europe. It has 5,000 pallet spaces. Hasco has also invested in a state-ofthe- art, fully automated small parts warehouse at the Lüdenscheid site. The new Autostore System has a storage capacity of 24,000 boxes. Twenty robots equip the picking workstations and enable around 720 retrievals per hour.

Since 2020, the company has been focusing intensively on the digital connection of all tools and is launching an innovation on the market with the two-stage ejector: a small orange RFID tag measuring just 8 millimetres turns the tool into a digital and smart component.

When asked how the multiplier differentiates from other similar technology, Smilansky said, “As opposed to vacuum forming, pressure forming provides five times the force per square inch, meaning users are able to achieve much finer details and work with thicker advanced thermoplastics.”