Design Assistance

To support the dynamic needs of the industry, AIM draws on its prolific historical experience and knowledge to provide exceptionally effective design support. From Research and Development to Design For Manufacturability (DFM), AIM provides comprehensive design consultation and assistance at any and/or every stage of a customer's project.

DESIGN FOR MANUFACTURABILITY (DFM)

Customer Quote & Project Reviews - Design assistance is always provided to help customers achieve optimum manufacturing, cost, and timing solutions with their project needs.

DFM Reviews occur both internally as well as with customers. Proposed design improvements, along with molding and tooling options are discussed to identify the best solution(s) to achieve project goals and objectives.

Customers review final tool design, and in the end, approve tool layout(s) showing parting line, ejection and gate locations.

AIM facilitates customer project reviews in several ways. For invaluable quick project feasibility and design reviews, AIM utilizes two similar on-line, web based ‘screen sharing’ services. These internet based services called glance and GoToMeeting provide an outstandingat way for AIM and the customer to immediately review product feures, clarifications, functionality, potential issues/concerns and more, in real-time!

For on-site reviews, AIM encourages and welcomes all customers to visit both the Technology and Manufacturing Centers and take advantage of meeting the AIM team members. Customer Office Suites are made available to augment your visit.

Finally, if the customer prefers to review the project at their facility, AIM will assemble the appropriate team member(s) to travel to the customer’s location.

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PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Early Involvement on customer projects can typically minimize and potentially eliminate avoidable engineering changes. AIM’s engineering resources frequently provide recommendations that have the ability to optimize manufacturability, tooling solutions and functionality of a product. AIM has the knowledge to assist customers with material selection as well as manufacturing options. Early involvement of AIM’s resources have the potential of significantly reducing the product development cycle thereby saving valuable time and related costs.

Ongoing design and program management assistance utilizing the AIMFast Trac™ program is provided to achieve flawless product launches which include:

• Real-time, online progress reporting
• Key characteristics inspection reporting
• Using the latest mold flow modeling software, AIM can predict material flow and structural characteristics, part warpage and shrinkage, as well as other important product variables, thereby ensuring maximum quality molded parts

AIM’s IT department is outfitted with industry standard hardware and software technologies. Molds are designed using:

SOLID WORKS – CIMITRON - MASTER CAM - SURF CAM - PTC Pro Engineer

AIM can also work with the following CAD formats as well. Our designers can translate and work with your native files from Solidworks, Unigraphics, Catia and various other formats:

• IGES
• DXF
• STEP
• Parasolid formats

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TOOLING REQUIREMENT REVIEW (TRR)

• Tooling Requirement Reviews (TRR’s) - consist of incorporating all appropriate elements from Design for Manufacturability as well as Customer Requirements Review (CRR)
• Tooling Failure Mode Effects Analysis(TFMEA) - is an analytical technique used primarily by the responsible design engineer as a means to ensure that potential failure modes and their associated causes of failure, related to the operation of the tool, have been considered and addressed

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