Tool manufacturing – we produce prototype tools and functional samples
Our tool manufacturing department offers a wide range of services in the production, maintenance and repair of injection moulds and tools
Tool manufacturing is one of GPE’s core competencies. It encompasses the production of prototype, single and mass-production tools as well as functional samples, which we plan and realise in the course of the development and design of components for our customers, in particular for medical technology companies’ mass-production activities.
We offer tool manufacturing services from A to Z
Maintenance, general overhaul, servicing and professional tool storage are all a standard part of our tool manufacturing portfolio.
This is especially true with respect to the high demands of our customers in the medical technology sector. As your toolmaker, we can dismantle, weld, grind, clean, polish and preserve all the components of an injection moulding tool. We also offer subsequent shape and contour modifications of existing injection moulds. We manufacture the electrodes for the EDM of the respective contour change in the injection moulding tool on the HSC milling centres in our in-house tool manufacturing department.
More than just mould construction – flexible repair and maintenance
In addition, we repair and maintain all of the punching and forming tools from our GPE metalworking shop.
Using spindle presses, the columns of the punching tools can be extracted and checked for proper function after maintenance and repair. The development, design and production of injection moulding tools can be carried out both in our own tool manufacturing department (in the case of complicated tool applications) and by external, strategic suppliers. We have an international supplier management team and networks of toolmakers.
As a company with its own toolmaking department, we are highly flexible and can respond quickly to changing production requirements. This ensures that we can always meet agreed delivery deadlines.
These are just some of the benefits offered by our many years of experience and the standard of quality guaranteed by tool manufacturing ‘made in Germany’.
Versatile production equipment manufacturing
In the field of production equipment manufacturing, we develop and build a wide variety of fixtures for GPE’s own production operations, be it for plastic and silicone injection moulding, as assembly or deburring fixtures or for the system and module assembly of medical technology products.
For example, special systems for toggle presses that are used to remove pieces from the sprue highlight GPE’s outstanding expertise in the conception, design and manufacture of component-specific fixtures for assembly and testing.
Always the right fixture for your needs
From assembly, welding and testing fixtures to measuring devices, we can manufacture the appropriate equipment for each item and the specific information, data and requirements of your company.
For the optical measurement of silicone injection-moulded parts, the items are poured into special devices using the potting technique and can then be milled to the desired measuring point. This enables the wall thickness and filling of inaccessible part geometries to be measured – a task that would otherwise only be possible by means of destructive testing.
Tool manufacturing with state-of-the-art technology
We design all types of components and tools using the latest 3D-CAD simulation software:
- Catia (V5)
- NX (Unigraphics)
- Creo (Pro/Engineer)
- SolidWorks
Other technologies used in our tool manufacturing department:
- Rapid prototyping of plastic sample components is carried out using a 3D printing process.
- SLS 3D printing of mould inserts for prototype and small-batch injection moulded parts
Our Services at a glance
Engineering
Plastic / silicone
Metalworking and sheet metal processing
Clean room manufacturing
Surface finishing
Module assembly
