Trends in the Tool and Die Maker trade
Technology
The tool and die maker trade is changing rapidly throughout the various industries in Canada and worldwide. Technology is quickly changing the basic trade. Advances in CNC, robotics, laser, exotic materials, 3D printing and composites will continue to impact the trade in future years. Knowledge and skill levels continue to increase in this trade. The tool and die maker must be adaptable to technological changes.
The advancements made on tooling are significant. Many tool and die apprentices do not use or perhaps have never seen a dividing head or rotary table in use. Although these processes are important, methods have changed. All engineering design courses can be completed through CAD courses, mostly solid modelling, as this is how tools are being designed and part drawings generated.
There is new tooling, and new and faster machinery and processes, such as white light imaging data to CNC. Currently there are companies exploring the uses of augmented reality for assessing die designs before they go to production. Rapid prototyping (3D printing) is quickly becoming a common process within the industry. Rapid prototyping is a method of prototyping with polymers or powdered metal materials which take only a few hours, compared to other prototyping processes which can take a few weeks. Nanotechnology is more often being applied in the development of new materials to make them stronger and to optimize their durability. Other high-tech processes whose use is increasing include robotics, laser cutting, laser metrology and water jet cutting.
New materials, such as composites, and advanced coatings have been introduced. There is more high speed machining of hardened material for production tool manufacturing. There are different materials that are being used on tools now.
Tools now are becoming more complicated for example, new measurement technology (scanning) and video scanning.
Responsabilities
Experienced tool and die makers are becoming more accountable and responsible for steps or operations that they were not involved in previously. For example, tool and die makers are often project leaders and have the responsibility and authority for the different steps that lead to the final product. Therefore, there is an increased need to develop team working skills. Due to those new responsibilities, tool and die makers are engaged in the early stages of project development involving clients, engineers, and marketing teams.
Workplace
Safety standards are becoming more rigorous and require more thorough applications of practices. Safety officers and inspectors are becoming more common in the workplace.
More and more workplaces are recycling paper products, oils, packaging materials and steels to reduce environmental impact.
The implementation of shop floor management systems (software) is becoming more common. This software facilitates the planning and scheduling process.
In some workplaces, the continued increase in the use of CNC machines and new machining processes has resulted in tool and die makers being more focussed on planning, costing, final fitting, assembly, development and proving out of tooling.