Product Design - A low cost Product Design for daily labour...

                                     When I saw this low-cost low-tech simple yet extremely useful Product design – I was quite amazed as to why have we not seen it as yet. It would have saved back aches of thousands, if not millions of people who carry / push load on daily basis.

                                       This winning product was made at a miniscule cost of Rs. 300 and has potential to affect lives of millions of people across the globe. “Load carrier for labor” project aims to improve the working condition of labourers and workers at many places globally like construction site, factories, ports, railway stations, etc The objective is to prevent various occupational hazards and demonstrating Product design and ergonomic consideration in welfare of human life.

Load Carrier for Labourer Pictures

[A push cart as well as a backpack which can pick-up heavy loads]

[To carry Loads overhead with ease]

[and a pushcart as well...]

Won’t this Rs. 300 product be a dream come true for labourers who carry heavy loads day-in and day-out. This is the Real grass-roots innovation!

Tool Making - Copper Alloys for Plastic Injection Molding ...a intro

                                         COPPER ALLOYS-A boon for MOLD industry:-

                                                                                           

                                Copper alloys are attractive to the mold industry because of their high thermal conductivity, ease of machining by a variety of processes, and corrosion resistance to water, cooling fluids and the plastics being injected. 

 

                                Copper is the most thermally conductive of the common solids; only silver, cubic boron nitride and diamond are more conductive. This makes copper an excellent choice for plastic injection molds that must remove heat from the injected, molten plastic to make it solidify. However, copper is neither hard nor strong enough in its pure form to serve as an injection mold. Fortunately, metallurgists have developed alloys of copper that retain much of the conductivity while attaining strength and hardness that approaches or even exceeds that of steels. The purpose of this article is to review those copper alloys now common to the injection molding industry.

Copper Alloy Classes, Attributes and Applications:-
                                                   There are four classes of copper alloys used in the injection molding industry. These are listed in below.

The least expensive of these is aluminum bronze (C62400 or C95400). Although less costly, it is also the softest and least conductive.

                                             The next class of alloy is the Corson bronzes. They include C18000 and the more heavily alloyed Cu- 7Ni-2Si-1Cr alloy. C18000 is available in large sections thickness and has moderate hardness and excellent conductivity. The Cu-7Ni-2Si-1Cr alloy while having good conductivity and hardness is not readily available in thicknesses greater than 6”. 

                                            The next class of alloy is Cu-9Ni-6Sn spinodal copper (C96970). It has moderate conductivity and good hardness. It is available in large section thicknesses. The final class of alloys is the beryllium coppers, including C17510 with excellent conductivity and moderate hardness and C17200 with good conductivity and excellent hardness. 

                                             These are the premier copper molding alloys, providing the highest hardness for a given conductivity. A chart of the hardness and conductivity of these alloys along with other common mold alloys is given in Figure 

 

                                           The attributes of copper alloys that make them attractive to the mold industry are high thermal conductivity, ease of machining by a variety of processes, and corrosion resistance to water, cooling fluids and the plastics being injected. With thermal conductivity of two to 10 times that of common tool steels, these alloys can be used in injection mold core and cavity applications to remove hot spots, reduce warpage and reduce cycle time. This has been demonstrated in several studies.1,2 The overall effect is improved part quality and higher productivity.

                                             To demonstrate the cooling efficiency of high conductivity mold materials, a study was conducted in which polycarbonate ophthalmic lenses were molded in 24 W/m/K (14 Btu/hr/ft/˚F) 420 stainless steel inserts and also in 130 W/m/K (75 Btu/hr/ft/˚F) C17200 copper alloy inserts. The polycarbonate lenses were 2 mm thick and formed from an ophthalmic grade polycarbonate injected at 310˚C. Cooling water was circulated at 55˚C. 

                                          Thermographic images of the lenses ejected from the mold are shown in Figure below.The images show that even with a cooling cycle 60 percent shorter (10 vs. 25 seconds) the high conductivity copper mold removed more heat than the stainless steel mold.

Copper alloys are traditionally used in core applications where the copper attains a lower temperature than would steel in a difficult-to-cool area, enabling the plastic in these areas to solidify more quickly. With proper design, inserts can be added to trouble spots in a steel mold after initial fabrication and first article operation of the mold so that hot spots can be reduced and dimensional stability from shot to shot can be improved. An example of an inserted core used to solve a molding problem is shown in Figure below

 A copper beryllium insert has been added to this core for a chair base to aid in removing heat from a deep rib structure.

                                     A number of fabrication methods can be employed to produce an injection mold from copper alloys. Alloy producers cast or forge copper alloys into a variety of shapes (e. g. rod, rings and disks), minimizing the amount of input material needed compared to taking material from plate. When needed, most of the copper alloys, can be made into large plates, to aid in the molding of large parts. An example of this is shown in below Figure , a 2½ ton C17200 copper beryllium block.3 The high conductivity and low modulus of copper alloys allow the use of high speed machining, allowing the fabricator to achieve metal removal two to five times higher than possible with steel in milling turning and drilling processes. Copper alloys can also be welded. Specialized heat treatments can improve the loss of hardness these alloys experience from the high temperatures of the welding process. Finally, a variety of coatings can be applied to copper alloys to increase durability and facilitate mold release.

A 6” x 40” x 100” C17200-AT plate of sufficient size to manufacturing both halves of a large appliance or automotive fascia die.

Summary                     With cycle time reduction and mold durability being two of the keys to profitable injection molding, the high thermal conductivity and good strength of copper alloys make them an important tool of the injection molder. Mold builders now have many copper alloys and fabrication methods at their disposal to realize efficient and durable molds.

Tool Design - Six Best Practices for Mold Design...

                        A few key mold design strategies can go a long way in improving your mold building operations and customer support. 

                        The success of a mold manufacturer boils down to its ability to deliver high quality products at the shortest possible time and the lowest possible cost. Following are some mold design best practices that will help you achieve these goals.

1. Think Process Not Features                                                      
                                                      All too often, companies invest in a new technology just to find out that their new “toy” merely moved their production bottlenecks from one stage of the process to another. To really make a difference in business outcomes, companies must first establish a streamlined process that covers all deliverables and milestones— from the initial price quotation to the finished product. Inputs and outputs for each step in the process need to be clearly identified, along with quality expectations and the value added to the finished product. Once the entire process has been laid out, specific technologies and methods can be considered based on their impact on the process outcome, not the latest bells and whistles.


                                                  "The design process is 30 to 40 percent faster than it used to be and as much as two to three times faster on some molds. The flow from design to manufacturing is much smoother, shortening our delivery dates, making us more efficient and improving quality.It has impacted our bottom line.

2. It All Starts with the Quote

                                                   Quoting is the lifeline of the business. It is also the first time the part data is being handled at the shop. Incorporating common design standards and strategies into the quoting process—for example, material shrinkage parameters, part rotation and tip positions, and what standard components are going to be used¬—will ensure the quote reflects how design and engineering will approach the job.

               “The person performing tooling quotations must want an experienced more than 8 to 15 years. When we receive an RFQ, we evaluate the data and look for anything that will cause problems with the tool manufacturing or could lead to cosmetic problems with the part, so we can provide immediate feedback to the customer,” shares a , business development engineer from Tooling Technology Centre for EIMO Americas (Vicksburg, MI).


3. 3-D or Bust                        
                                      Using 3-D solids design makes it substantially easier to achieve standardization and synchronization across design and manufacturing, resulting in fewer errors, speeding up delivery, and obtaining more reliable results. Working in 3-D solids enables many of the manufacturing issues to be identified upfront, allowing the designer to detect potential collisions, verify correct shrink values and determine whether parting surfaces are manufacturable. With 3-D, a fully detailed and consistent model is maintained throughout the design and manufacturing processes, so changes can be quickly and reliably incorporated from design to manufacturing and assembly.

                                            “Nobody wants to look at a 2-D model anymore. The people on the shop floor want to see exactly what they’re building, and the customers want to see exactly what they’re getting. Some of the very large and extremely complex molds we make today have more than 800 components and can weigh over 40 tons. We probably couldn’t even handle these types of jobs in a 2-D environment,” explains Doug Draca, Lead Design Engineer from Germany.

4. Concurrent Engineering
                                                      Concurrent engineering can drastically shorten mold design time, as multiple design tasks can be performed simultaneously. For example, one designer may work on the cavity side while another works on the core side or one designer can finalize ejection while another designs the manifold and hot drops or one designer is finishing waterlines while another begins pulling electrodes. Manufacturing and assembly work can start while the design details are still being worked out, further compressing product delivery times.
                                             “Since there is no need for translation between design and manufacturing, changes in design are automatically updated and toolpaths are flagged to show any changes. Machine operators can view the toolpaths and clearly understand the production process, eliminating the need for excessive documentation. In the assembly area, toolmakers can access the data online to do preliminary checks and verify dimensions, saving valuable engineering time,” notes Gary Neeley, Project Manager of a company.

5. Repeatability Not Repetition
                                                     Standardization goes a long way towards increasing the quality of work and reducing delivery time and cost. Creating a rich library of mold bases and related components that can be readily reused in new tools will streamline the design process and leave far less room for errors. Standard components and user-defined templates that can be applied with a single click will minimize time spent on repetitive tasks, promoting consistency across jobs and uniformity among designers.


                                                      “There are still some unique characteristics to each mold, but if we can get to the point where 60 or 70 percent can be standardized or automated, then we are focusing our time on the high value added for the customer,” says Mike Pavlica, VP of Operations for Omega Plastics (USA).


“Milling templates allows us to make only minor changes during the machining of a new part, which greatly streamlines the process. Now, we can create a mold in just a day or two,” adds Pete Mathis, moldmaker at Rifton (Rifton, New York).

6. Put Your Design in Motion
                                                  Designing a moving object in a static CAD environment is a challenge that mold designers have grappled with for ages. Nowadays, advanced motion simulation technologies provide designers with the benefits of complete visual representation of mold kinematics and comprehensive collision detection, including automated recognition for mold components like lifters, sliders and ejectors. With a realistic view of the tool in motion built into their CAD environment, designers are able to prevent common errors and improve communication with customers.

Product Design - Colleges for PRODUCT DESIGN courses- in INDIA...

Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay Powai, Mumbai 400076 India Phone: 91-22-576 7801 Fax: 91-22-576 7803 Contact: Office@idc.iitb.ac.in Programs: Doctoral programme in Design (Ph. D) as well as 2 year Master of Design (M.Des) in Industrial Design Admission: open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Ceed + Interview National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad Paldi Ahmedabad, Gujarat, 380 007 India Phone (079) 663 9692 / 660 5243 Fax (079) 662 1167 e-mail : academic@nid.edu Undergraduate Program: 4 year Graduate Diploma Programme in Industrial Design (GPD) with specialisations in Product Design, Furniture and Interior Design, Ceramic & Glass Design Admission: open to students who have passed or who will appear for qualifying examinations under the Higher Secondary (10+2), or equivalents like AISSCE/IB/ICSE etc + Entrance Examination + Interview. Post Graduate Program: 2 and 1/2 year Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Industrial Design (PGPD) with specialisation in Product Design, Furniture and Interior Design, Ceramic & Glass Design and Toy Design  Admission: open to graduates of Architecture and Engineering + Entrance Examination + Interview     North Guwahati 781039, India Tel: 0361-690321 to 28 Fax: 0361-690762 Contact: dod@iitg.ernet.in Department of Design, Guwahati Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati  Admission: open to students who have passed or who will appear for qualifying examinations under the Higher Secondary (10+2), + JEE Undergraduate Programs: 4 year Bachelors of Design in Industrial Design and Communication Design Post Graduate Program: 2 year Master of Design M.Des in Industrial Design and Communication Design Admission:open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Ceed + Interview  Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi  Instrument Design and Development Centre IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016 India Tel: 011-666979 Contact: arpgsr@admin.iitd.ernet.in or ind_design@safe-mail.net Programs: 2 year Master of Design M.Des in Industrial Design Admission: open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Ceed + Interview   Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur  Design Programme,  Kanpur 208016, India e-mail: head_des[at]iitk.ac.in, aray[at]iitk.ac.in Tel: +91-512-2597048 Programs: 2 year Master of Design M.Des in Industrial Design Admission: open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Ceed + Design Test + Interview   Centre for Product Design and ManufacturingCPDM Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 India Tel: 091-80 - 2293 2359 Contact: office@cpdm.iisc.ernet.in Programs: 2 year Master of Design (M.Des) programme in Product Design and Manufacturing and Design Research Program both at M.Sc. ( Engg.) and Ph D level Admission: open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Gate or Ceed + Design Test + Interview  Department of Industrial Design, N Delhi School of Planning & Architecture, 4,Block-B, I.P.Estate, New Delhi - 110002, India Phone: +91 011 - 2370 2375 , 2370 2376 E-mail: info@spa.ac.in Programs: 2 year graduate Programme in Industrial Design (M. Des) Admission: open to graduates of Architecture + Gate or Ceed + Interview   M S Ramaih School of Advanced Studies , Bangalore Gnanagangothri Campus, New BEL Road, Banaglore-560 054 Fax/Ph: 080-2360 5539/2360 1983/2360 4759 Contact: pm.npd@msrsas.org Programs: 2 year M.Sc. [Engineering] in Product Design   NTTF School of Post Graduate Studies , Bangalore  Nettur Technical Training Foundation Post Box No,5857, Plot No. 23/24 , II Phase Peenya Industrial Area, Bangalore -560 058. Phone: +91-80-28393167 Fax: +91-80-51272146 E-Mail : pgschool@nttf.co.in Programs: 2 year Postgraduate Programme in Product Design & Engineering (PGPDE) Admission: Graduate in Mechanical / Production / Industrial & Production / Industrial Engineering & Management / Automobile Engineering with a minimum of 55% marks IILM School of Design, Gurgaon Plot 69-71, Sector 53, Near DLF Golf Course, Gurgaon - 122003 (NCR-Delhi.) Phone: 011-33330132, 0124-3096874 Contact: adm@iilminstitute.org Programs: 4 year graduate programme in Product Design, Communication Design, and 2 year Post Graduate program in Communication Design, Product Design, Interior and Furniture Design, Animation Design, Exhibition Design and Textile Design Admission: Undergraduate programs open to students who have a pass in Pre-University 10 + 2 Examination MAEER's MIT Institute of Design, Pune  "Rajbaug", Loni-Kalbhor, Pune-412201, Maharastra, India Phone: +91 - 20 39210183/ 91 20 39210122, 9850994211/9822462155 Contact: design@mitpune.com Programs: 4.5 year Graduate Diploma Programme in Product Design, and Transportation Design Admission: open to students who have a pass in school 10th + Entrance Examination 2.5 year Post Graduate Diploma Programme in Product Design and Transportation Design Admission: open to students who have a degree or diploma or its equivalent in any discipline + Entrance Examination DSK International School of Design, Pune  Survey No. 55/54, Tarwadi, Fursungi, Pune - Solapur Road, Pune - 412308, Maharashtra, India Tel.: + 91 20 66784310 / 66784311 Fax : +91 20 66784317 email id : info@dsksic.com Programs: UG: 5 year Certification Programme in Product Design Admissions: open to 12 std students + Written Test + Interview PG: 3 years certification program in Product Design Admissions: open to any degree/diploma/ certificate holder + Written Test + Interview D J Academy of Design, Coimbatore  Coimbatore Pallachi Highway, Othakkalmandappam(PO), Coimbatore 641 032, Tamilnadu, India Phone: +91 - 4222610428, 2610 33339506224 Contact: office@djad.in Programs: 4 year Graduate Diploma Programme in Industrial Design and Communication Design 1.5 year Post Graduate Certificate Programme in Product Design College of Architecture, Nasik Opposite Prasad Mangal Karyalaya Near Maratha Boarding Complex Off Gangapur Road, Nasik 422 013 Maharastra India Tel : 0253 570822 Contact: admin@cansnashik.com , mvpcans_nsk@yahoo.co.in Programs: 4 year Bachelor of Design(B. Des) in Product Design , Interior Design, Furniture Design and Set Design Admission: open to students who have passed 10 + 2 examination    Symbiosis Centre of Design, Pune  Symbiosis Institute of Design [SID] Viman Nagar, Pune 411 014, Maharastra, India Phone: +91 20 2663 4547 / 48 Contact: info[at]symbiosisdesign.ac.in Programs: Graduate Degree Programme in Communication Design, Product Design and Fashion Design Admission: open to students who have passed or who will appear for qualifying examinations under the Higher Secondary (10+2)  Indian Institute of Information Technolgy, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur  Dumna Airport Road, P.O.: Khamaria, Jabalpur - 482 005, Madhya Pradesh, IndiaTel: +91-761-2632273 Fax: +91-761-2632524 email: query@iiitdmj.ac.in  Programs: 2 Year Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Design Admission: Open to graduates of Design, Architecture and Engineering + Gate or Ceed + Design Test + Interview Srishti School of Design, Bangalore  Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology P.O. Box No. 6430, Yelahanka New Town, Doddabalapur Road, Opp. Wheel & Axle plant Bangalore-560 064, India Phone: 91.80.28462506/07/08, 28560238. TeleFax: 91.80.28560240 Contact: admissions@srishti.ac.in Programs: 2 + 2 year Professional Diploma in Industrial Design with focus on Furniture and Interiors Admission: open to students who have passed or who will appear for qualifying examinations under the Higher Secondary (10+2] + Entrance Examination + Interview. Indian Institute of Craft and Design, Jaipur-8 , Jhalana Institutional Area, Jaipur - 302017. Tel: 0141-2701504, Fax: 0141-2700160 Email: info@iicd.ac.in Programs: 4 Year Under-Graduate Diploma Programme and 2 year Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Craft and Design Admission: Undergraduation open to students who have a pass in Pre-University 10 + 2 Examination and Post-graduate programme for graduates in any discipline. Centre for Design and Technology, BangaloreCEDT Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 India Tel : 080 - 23600810, 080 - 22932246 Contact: office@cedt.iisc.ernet.in Programs: 2 year Master of Technology (M. Tech) in Electronic Design and Technology Admission: open to graduates of Engineering Raffles Design International, Mumbai  Raheja Centre, Linking Rd & Main Avenue, Santacruz (W) Mumbai 400 054 Tel: 022-5572 6711, 5502 9522, 98190 24429 Contact: rdi-India-enquiries@raffles-design-institute.com1 Programs: 3 year Bachelor of Arts in Design (Product Design) degree programme in Product Design Admission: 12th Pass with TOEFL scores