Tooling and Advanced Processes

The constant search for competitiveness is leading today's plastics engineering professionals to undertake innovative developments in the field of injection processes and tooling.

PEP's wealth of technological facilities and injection expertise make it the leading centre for technological development and transfer in the domain of 'Tooling and Advanced Processes'.

Tooling innovation and optimization is enabling PEP to support industrialists in their constant search for quality and productivity gains.  

PEP and its partners are committed to tooling R&D and performance optimization via the technology innovation platform, PLATINNO.

Issues underpinning the tooling and advanced processes programme:

• Advanced thermal testing of tools (conformal cooling, induction heating, etc.)
• Functional integration (3D decoration in moulds, fonctionalization, etc.)
• Instrumented intelligent moulds
• New mould technology (surface treatment, etc.)

PEP is playing a major role in this field, conveying new technology.

Current projects:

• IMD3D (FUI – 2009-2012): developing new automated decoration technology to improve the quality of large series, while also making the production process more competitive. The project is certified by Plastipolis and Pôle du Véhicule du Futur (Vehicles of the Future Centre). 
• Mold4ProdE (EU FP7 – 2011-2013): making intelligent moulds for competitive processes
• FASTHER (Région Rhône-Alpes - 2009-2011): project to transfer laser powder melting technology to industrialists, mould makers and customisers for tooling applications (integrating conformal cooling).