Advanced Solution Mold: Focus on Automotive Engine Peripherals

2017-09-22

Abstract:

Founded in 2009, Shenzhen Advanced Solution Mold Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “ASM”), during the explosive growth of China’s auto market, stands out in the industry with its precision molds for automotive engine related products, auto lights, and bicolor parts etc. Customers of ASM include the world’s top 500 auto part suppliers such as MAHLE, BEHR, MAGNA, VALEO and GEIGER, and 90% of the products are exported to Europe and America, covering BMW, Audi, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce and other well-known car factories. Besides, the company has set up a factory and a technical service center in France and the United States respectively.

With a sense of crisis, ASM is able to seize opportunities in crucial moments. That is why it can rise so rapidly among thousands of Chinese mold manufacturers.

Quickly entering the market of auto engine peripherals

In the highly competitive injection mold industry, price war of similar products exists all the time. Market positioning determines how far an enterprise can go.

ASM targets the market of peripheral products of auto engines and focuses on the research and development of molds in this area from the very beginning. Samuel Liu, General Manager of the company, used to work as a project manager in a French mold factory for several years and was once an advisor in project management with VALEO. Knowing well about the needs of the first-tier European and American auto parts suppliers, Liu pointed out, auto engine peripherals made from PA+ glass fiber need to be heat-resistant and deformation-free. In order to meet this demand, the ASM R&D team analyzed the data of warped parts, and applied the research results in mold design, thus minimizing the deformation rate.

Oriented towards the peripheral products of auto engines early, ASM has occupied a large market share with an annual output of 300 sets of molds. So far the company has developed a variety of complex molds with over 20 patents ranging from the inlet manifold, cooling fan system, engine air conditioner, choke, bicolor car light to the structural part of the center console, etc.

Scientific mold trial procedures

In addition to products, scientific mold trial procedures are ASM's new competitive advantage over its competitors. The company attaches more importance to mold trial than many other domestic mold manufacturers, who usually set the injection specifications based on the mold performance and part appearance. However, scientific injection processes are based on the result of mold trial, namely, whether the mold can meet the requirements on part tolerance and appearance. Samuel said, “Molds are born for injection molding. We hope to create special values for our customers, so we keep optimizing our molds through scientific injection processes to find the most efficient and stable injection parameters.” Through the switchover of clamping and injection pressure on different machines, parameters are matched to different brands of injection molding machines.

ASM’s scientific mold trial procedures can ensure each step of the testing process is up to the standard, minimize mold defects and maximize the optimization of molds. More importantly, during the trial technical personnel are able to record the proper process parameters for the mold such as the material temperature, plasticizing and mold temperature, clamping pressure, and cooling cycle so as to find the optimum process parameters, quickly produce qualified samples, and share the data with customers who will then be able to set up a database with the same processing conditions.

Focus on two-platen IMM application technology

The mold testing process shows that ASM has a good knowledge about injection molding technologies as well as molds. It is also because the company saw the future trend of injection molding that they purchased YIZUMI’s UN1200D1 two-platen injection molding machine in 2016.

The D1 two-platen machine can meet ASM’s demand for the production of complicated parts such as fan holders and inlet manifolds for BMW, Rolls-Royce lights, and the BOSCH toolbox etc. However, ASM is more interested in the advanced functions of the machine such as the low-pressure injection, precision mold opening, smart control system and easy access to new technologies, for example, the microcellular foam technology.

“We are interested in these technologies and they are what we need,” Samuel said frankly. As the company is faced with more and more competitive pressure in the industry, new technologies of the two-platen machine can help it realize more possibilities in products. “This is a trend in the injection molding field. Some of our European customers have discussed with us about the foam mold. ASM shall make good preparations, because sooner or later, people will adopt such technologies.”

The sense of crisis that the present advantage may be replaced by the future trend prompted ASM to cooperate with Yizumi.

Due to the project of lamborghini two-color light, Recently ASM and Yizumi have jointly developed a double-color rotary table that can work together with two injection units on D1 two-platen machine. This is not the first time that ASM has cooperated with Yizumi. At the K2016 trade fair for plastics and rubber, Yizumi developed a V-shape injection unit for ASM’s bicolor console project. “Yizumi team is very dedicated. We are looking forward to having more collaboration with Yizumi in the area of microcellular foam injection and market segments,” added Samuel.