Transferring Optical Technologies to Moulds for Mass Production

众所周知，大部分的大规模生产已经转移到了远东，尤其是中国。新闻界强调了通过复杂和时间紧迫的供应链外包材料和组件的日益增加的危险。这是在一个快速变化的世界中出现的，原因包括全球政治变化、英国脱欧、技能短缺和2019冠状病毒病（具有突变和未来可能的大流行）等因素。一些知名组织，如NatWest和成立已久的贸易协会GTMA (Gauge and Toolmakers Association)，呼吁制造业“回流”——将“制造产品”带回英国，并由此带来繁荣和就业。事实上，GTMA已经建立了一个组织，与大约30个贸易协会合作伙伴一起促进英国的回流。有趣的是，一位评论员指出，“回流制造业必须从模具和模具部门开始”，而这正是该项目关注的部门。模具和模具是如此重要，因为它们是大规模生产我们周围的大量典型塑料部件所需的基本工具-从汽车零件和家居用品，到医疗部件和移动电话。这些模具和模具通常是厚而重的金属块，通常是钢，它们被加工成模具塑料部件所需的复杂3D轮廓。值得注意的是，在21世纪，大多数这些机械砌块仍然是由具有数十年经验的高技能工匠手工完成的-他们正在退休！他们使用手工工具和磨料，一丝不苟地处理表面，去除毛刺和其他缺陷，控制难以接近的角落和缝隙的轮廓，并创造出可能需要均匀无光的表面（要印在塑料上），或者通常是高度抛光的表面。在后一种情况下，详细的表面可能非常关键，因为微小的波纹或残留的划痕或凹坑会在塑料中留下印记，并可能破坏最终组件的美学吸引力，或者在医疗部门的情况下，提供容纳细菌的缝隙。与GTMA和Reshoring UK合作，该项目旨在将大学在天文学透镜和镜子制造方面的丰富专业知识转化为自动化模具和模具精加工。主要合作伙伴是哈德斯菲尔德大学在沃灵顿附近的STFC达斯伯里科学与创新园区建立的超精密表面实验室。领导该项目的余国宇博士拥有丰富的自动化抛光经验，他使用了Zeeko有限公司的数控抛光机和发那科机器人的机器人。Yu博士的团队将使用这两种类型的机器来开发优化模具钢的工艺。Zeeko作为行业合作伙伴加入该项目，因为它对改善客户的模具抛光有特殊的兴趣。Wayland Additive生产先进的电子束机器，用于复杂部件的3d打印，为传统加工提供了有吸引力的替代方案。韦兰有兴趣多元化进入模具和模具部门。该财团由Arthur Jackson and Co组建，该公司是一家模具制造商，希望将其手工流程自动化。这三家工业合作伙伴将提供样品，用于达斯伯里实验室的工艺开发，并将帮助评估各自应用的结果。我们希望从这个项目中产生的是一个模具和模具的联合自动化制造过程，从传统的铣削或3d打印开始，然后进行精加工，以提供无缺陷和高度抛光的组件。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——实际上是复兴。

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.