Transferring Optical Technologies to Moulds for Mass Production

众所周知，大量生产已经转移到远东，特别是中国。媒体强调，通过复杂和对时间至关重要的供应链外包材料和零部件的危险越来越大。这是在一个快速变化的世界中产生的，原因包括全球政治变化、英国退欧、技能短缺和新冠肺炎(突变和未来可能的流行病)。知名组织，如NatWest和成立已久的行业协会GTMA-Gauge and Tool Maker Association，呼吁制造业“回流”--将“制造”带回英国，带来繁荣和就业机会。事实上，GTMA已经成立了一个组织来促进这一点--REHORDING-UK，有大约30个贸易协会合作伙伴。有趣的是，一位评论员说，‘RESHORT制造必须从模具和模具部门开始’，这正是这个项目关注的领域。模具之所以如此重要，是因为它们是批量生产大量典型塑料部件所需的基本工具，这些部件包围着我们的方方面面--从汽车部件和家居用品，到医疗部件和手机。这些模具和模具通常是厚重的金属块，通常是钢材，它们被加工成塑料部件成型所需的复杂3D轮廓。值得注意的事实是，在21世纪，这些机械加工的积木中的大多数仍然是由拥有数十年经验的高技能工匠手工完成的--他们正在退休！使用手工工具和研磨剂，他们精心加工表面，去除毛刺和其他缺陷，控制难以触及的角落和缝隙中的轮廓，并创造出可能需要均匀暗淡的表面(在塑料上留下印记)，或者通常是高度抛光的表面。在后一种情况下，细节表面可能是极其关键的，因为微小的涟漪或残留的划痕或凹坑会印在塑料上，可能会破坏最终部件的美学吸引力，或者对于医疗部门来说，会提供裂缝来滋生细菌。该项目旨在将大学在天文学透镜和反射镜制造方面的丰富专业知识转移到自动化模具和模具精加工中。主要合作伙伴是哈德斯菲尔德大学在沃灵顿附近的达累斯伯里科学与创新园区建立的超精密表面实验室。领导该项目的于国宇博士在使用Zeeko有限公司的数控抛光机和发那科机器人的机器人进行自动抛光方面拥有丰富的经验。Yu博士的团队将使用这两种类型的机器来开发针对模具钢进行优化的工艺。Zeeko是作为行业合作伙伴加入该项目的，因为它对为客户改进模具抛光有着特殊的兴趣。Wayland Additive生产先进的电子束机器，用于复杂部件的3D打印，为经典加工提供了一种有吸引力的替代方案。Wayland对进军模具和模具行业的多元化感兴趣。该财团是由Arthur Jackson and Co召集起来的，他是一家模具制造商，希望实现手动过程的自动化。这三家行业合作伙伴将提供样品，用于达累斯伯里实验室的工艺开发，并将帮助评估各自应用的结果。我们希望该项目将产生一种模具和模具的联合自动化制造工艺，从传统的铣削或3D打印开始，然后进行精加工工艺-步骤，以提供无缺陷和高度抛光的部件。这有望为合作伙伴带来新的业务，我们希望这将有助于刺激英国制造业更广泛的回流--甚至是复兴。

It is common knowledge that much of mass production has moved to the Far East, and to China in particular. The press has highlighted increasing dangers of out-sourcing of materials and components through complex and time-critical supply-chains. This is arising in a fast-changing world, due to factors such as shifting global-politics, Brexit, skills-shortages, and COVID-19 (with mutations and possible future pandemics). Prominent organisations, such as NatWest and the long established trade-association - GTMA - Gauge and Toolmakers Association, have called for 're-shoring' of manufacture - bringing back "making things" to the UK, with the prosperity and jobs that implies. Indeed, GTMA has established an organisation to promote precisely this - Reshoring-UK with some thirty trade association partners.Interestingly, one commentator observed, 'reshoring manufacture must start with the mould and die sector', and that is precisely the sector on which this project is focussed. Moulds and dies are so important because they are the essential tooling needed to mass-produce a host of typically plastic components that surround us on every side - from car parts and household items, to medical components and mobile phones. These moulds and dies are usually thick, heavy, metal blocks, often of steel, which are machined into the complex 3D contours needed to mould the plastic components. The remarkable fact is that, in the 21st century, most of these machined blocks are still hand-finished by highly-skilled artisans with decades of experience - and they are retiring! Using hand tools and abrasives, they meticulously work surfaces, removing burrs and other defects, control contours in inaccessible nooks and crannies, and create what may be a requirement for uniformly-dull surfaces (to be imprinted on the plastic) or often, a highly polished finish. In the latter case, the detailed surface can be extremely critical, as tiny ripples or residual scratches or pits will imprint into the plastic, and can spoil the aesthetic appeal of the final component, or in the case of the medical sector, provide crevices to harbour germs.Working with GTMA and Reshoring UK, this project aims to transfer a wealth of University expertise in the manufacture of lenses and mirrors for astronomy, into automating mould and die finishing. The lead partner is the Laboratory for Ultra-Precision Surfaces, which the University of Huddersfield has established at STFC's Daresbury Science and Innovation campus near Warrington. Dr Guoyu Yu, who leads the project, has extensive experience of automated polishing using CNC polishing machines from Zeeko Ltd, and robots from Fanuc robot. Dr Yu's team will use both types of machine to develop processes optimised for mould steels. Zeeko is joining the project as an industry partner, because it has a special interest in improving mould-polishing for its customers. Wayland Additive produces advanced electron-beam machines for 3D-printing of complex components, providing an attractive alternative to classical machining. Wayland is interested in diversifying into the mould and die sector. The consortium is rounded up by Arthur Jackson and Co, who is a mould manufacturer who wants to automate their manual processes. The three industry partners will provide samples to be used for process development in the lab at Daresbury, and will help in assessing the results for their respective applications. We hope that what will emerge from the project is a joined-up automated manufacturing process for moulds and dies, starting with conventional milling or 3D-printing, and then proceeding through finishing process-steps to deliver defect-free and highly-polished components. This promises to bring new business to the partners, and we hope will help to stimulate a wider re-shoring - and indeed renaissance - in UK manufacturing.