Re:act - rapid conversion of plastic processing
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Novoplast AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 993 500 |
| Project duration | September 2020 - January 2022 |
| Status | Completed |
| Venture | Innovations to mitigate the crisis |
| Call | Finding new ways in the time of a crisis |
Important results from the project
The project´s main objective has been fulfilled in that a subcontractor to the automotive industry has produced a kind of hook that is used to adjust the elastic bands for mouth guards. The mold tool had been manufactured by 3D printing. The hooks were distributed at the fair Plastteknik Nordic 2021 which was held in Malmö 1-2 dec.
Expected long term effects
The results showed that it was possible to use 3D printing of mold tools as a method to quickly change the industry´s production capacity to meet rapidly changing needs in society. With an insert tool and a finished drawing, you could print a form within 24 hours with which you could then produce 500 details in 4 hours. The experiments were performed in a injection molding machine with a locking force of 50 tonnes. The project is expected to contribute to the industry to a greater extent starting to use mold tools that are produced locally through e.g. 3D printing.
Approach and implementation
First, a study was made of the healthcare and society´s need to choose a product. They also examined the healthcare procurement routines that differ from the industry. The two plastic companies produced drawings of a product. Materials and methods for making the mold itself were examined and two different paths were chosen. A mold was printed using one method and mounted in a syringe where details were produced. The results were communicated at a trade fair.