Project Snapshot
- Part: HP printer base, part number F0V63-90005
- Year: 2020
- Change type: Engineering change order (ECN) on an existing production mold
- Scope: Steel addition and removal, welding, remake of CAV/COR inserts, new CAV plug-ins and sub-inserts
- Machining: CNC and EDM (electrical discharge machining)
- Revision path: Rev 4.9 to Rev 12.1
- Modification cost: USD 25,000
- Lead time: 3 weeks (documented lead time)
- Customer decision: "HP - Proceed this modf"
The Requirement
The HP printer base tool was already in service at Rev 4.9. The customer required design changes to the molded part, which meant the mold itself had to change. Work began after HP approved the modification ("HP - Proceed this modf").
An ECN on this scale is not a single edit. It is a chain of dependent steel decisions. Removing material in one area affects wall thickness, flow balance, and shrink behavior in another. Adding steel means welding or inserting, and both carry risk on a hardened, already-fitted tool. Every change had to be traceable back to the customer's drawing revision, Rev 4.9 through Rev 12.1.
The Scope
The documented ECN scope covered the cavity and core (CAV/COR) insert set:
- Steel removal: CNC + EDM work, including COR_08.
- Steel addition: welding on CAV inserts and on MOV_LIF_02/03, plus remade inserts.
- New steel: new CAV plug-ins (2X), new CAV sub-inserts (14X), and new COR plug-ins, designed, machined, and fitted into the revised cavity and core assemblies.
The documented lead time for the modification work was 3 weeks.
The Solution
Maidder's engineering team treated the ECN as a controlled rebuild of selected tool areas rather than a patch job.
Steel Addition and Removal
The revised part geometry was mapped against the existing tool to determine exactly where steel had to be removed and where it had to be added. The documented scope covered steel removal (CNC + EDM on COR_08) and steel addition (welding on CAV inserts and MOV_LIF_02/03, plus remade inserts) across the CAV/COR insert set.
Welding
Weld areas were defined per the ECN.
New CAV Plug-Ins and Sub-Inserts
For features that could not be produced by modifying existing steel, new cavity plug-ins and sub-inserts were designed and manufactured. These are effectively small mold components in their own right, and each had to seat correctly in the existing cavity and core blocks.
Insert Remake
Selected CAV/COR inserts were remade rather than repaired where the change was too extensive to rework reliably. Remaking inserts re-establishes clean steel and gives a predictable base for the final geometry.
CNC and EDM
CNC machining centers cut the bulk of the new geometry, and EDM handled work such as the COR_08 steel removal.
Revision Control: Rev 4.9 to Rev 12.1
The project did not move in one jump. It progressed through successive revisions from Rev 4.9 to Rev 12.1, with each change tracked against the customer's released data.
The Result
The documented outcome:
- Modification cost: USD 25,000
- Lead time: 3 weeks (documented lead time)
- Documentation: ECN-tracked revision history, Rev 4.9 through Rev 12.1
For a production tool serving a printer platform, the documented three-week lead time on cavity and core modification work at this scope is the commercial value of the project.
What This Case Demonstrates for Your Mold
Engineering changes are where mold suppliers are most often exposed. Tooling built without structured revision control, or with CAV/COR work farmed out, usually produces either slow change cycles or quality drift between batches. The capabilities this project exercised are the same ones that apply to your mold:
- In-house mold manufacturing, CNC, EDM, and wire cutting, so change work is scheduled and not queued behind a subcontractor
- Independent design department and DFM reporting, which catches geometry conflicts before steel is cut
- First-article inspection, in-process patrol inspection with traceability, and per-product batch trace codes
- PPAP approval process for customers who require formal submission
- ISO 9001 and ISO 14001:2015 certification. Tell us your application and target market; we will confirm suitable materials and documentation for your program. Certificates available upon request.
Maidder Technology Co., Ltd was founded in 2016 in Hengli Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong, China, and serves customers in North America, Europe, and Japan. The engineering team brings 15 years of experience to tooling and change work, and, according to company information, the company also operates a Cambodia production base for OEM Cambodia service where an alternative manufacturing origin is a factor.
Related reading: Mold manufacturing and EDM capabilities, custom injection molding services, and DFM and Moldflow analysis.
Start Your Engineering Change With a Real Feasibility Answer
If you have an existing tool that needs new geometry, send us the current tool data, the revised part model, and the revision history. Our Engineering Team will review what can be reworked, what must be remade, and what the change will cost, so you can decide before anything is cut.
Orders under 3,000 pcs carry a machine setup fee, there is no MOQ otherwise, and molds belong to you with free maintenance and 1-year free storage. Batch quality issues are answered within 1 day.
Contact the Sales Team Email: [email protected] Phone: +86 137 13040698 Address: Hengli Town, Dongguan City, Guangdong, China