With over 30 years of experience in mould manufacturing, BFG International's tooling specialists work on developing a product right from the design stage, advising on tooling options and costs based on the client's budget, complexity of the parts, and other requirements.
BFG International designs tooling with the specific composite process in mind. Careful planning before the mould design is completed produces parts with "engineered-in" reliability, at a lower labour cost. All BFG moulds are fabricated in-house, ensuring a long-lasting tool that outputs more parts and delivers more value for your original investment.
State of the Art Machinery
BFG International's tooling departments are housed at facilities in Bahrain and the Philippines, where skilled technicians work with state of the art machinery to produce sophisticated tools with precision matching the virtual design to within 1mm.
Equipment includes a robotic 8-axis milling machine, two 7-axis robotic milling machines, and two 5-axis CNC milling machines.
The Tooling Process
Tool Design
The tool is designed on the CATIA platform according to client specifications. This commercialised tooling design software reduces modelling and manufacturing time by up to 80 percent.
Pattern Making
A replica of the final product (the "plug" or "pattern") is produced using wood, polystyrene, polyurethane, or tooling paste. This process is usually mechanised for precision using CNC milling, but may also be carried out manually if necessary.
Quality Inspection
The pattern is inspected for quality and accuracy using state of the art inspection systems, including a coordinates measuring machine (CMM). Full inspection reports are available to the client upon request.
Mould Fabrication
The mould is made from composites, along with its counter mould if necessary. Composite tools have a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of the part, helping maintain dimensional accuracy during cure. Up to 500 pulls can be made from a single tool.
Storage and Support
After production is complete, tools are held for the client for a further ten years in case spare parts are required. We proactively maintain customer tooling for the duration of its useful life.
For situations where a limited number of parts is required, BFG offers short-run mould fabrication solutions that produce high quality output affordably. Pattern moulds made of wood or polystyrene are preferred when only one or two pulls are required, as is usually the case in architectural applications.
Capabilities
- Design and engineering consultation
- 3D CAD/CAM modelling (CATIA)
- Pattern fabrication (CNC and manual)
- Low-cost production mould fabrication
- Short-run mould solutions
- Jig and fixture design and fabrication
- Prototype development
- On-site first article inspection
- Coordinates measuring machine (CMM) inspection
- 10-year tool storage and maintenance