The company spent 90 percent of their moulds to the automotive industry

The Portuguese mould is internationally recognized for its level of complexity. Technical moulds of high levels of sophistication required a qualified more sensitive, personal production process and a park of machines of last generation. This is the case of LN molds, which has had a long history of investments and acquisitions to become a modern group able to provide complex molds, injection parts and carry out a care product development through its four plants specializing in engineering, manufacture of molds and the injection of plastics. It is one of the two Portuguese companies, as well as agencies and technology centres, which participates in the international Hypermoulding, which carries out research to find a higher productivity in moulds as well as new solutions and opportunities in what refers to processes of cooling of moulds, and so achieve the reduction of cycle times and improve the quality of the final product.

The company participates in several projects with companies in the sector of automotive and other industrial segments. His involvement in Hypermoulding, a European project that will last for three years, distinguishes it as one of the only two Portuguese companies and of the few international to participate in a project of such magnitude.

It has adequate resources to participate in this initiative which main objective is to optimize the positioning of the channels of cooling near the surface for a better and more efficient heat exchange in the injection moulds. The Hypermoulding project is a program of collective research where the r & d performers promote scientific and technological research by indication of the industry associations and their associated members. These r & d projects are sponsored by the European Union to help companies improve their competitiveness

"The industry wants to shorten delivery times, but it's complicated." "Is required a great connection with the client and the manufacturers of molds and parts and equip companies with most leading technology, automating processes and systems that allow us to gain time for all resources in the production," says Leonel Costa, President of Ln molds. "Parts should be carried out in appropriate dimensions and work with the correct tolerances." "In relation to machines, it is important that will monetize more, to take advantage of the maximum performance of the machine with less time." Innovation the company tries to find new solutions, innovate and capitalize on processes. "In the short term, we want to implement a solution that can optimize allocations, manufacturing of mould, injected parts and control of the whole process of production".

They are specialists in technical moulds. "They are complex - continues the President - because we are working with parts that have to be mounted with hairpieces and with very tight tolerances." "We produce a piece of injection of two hundredths of tolerance in technical mould".

The company can produce moulds of up to three tonnes and in Planimolde, another company of the group, up to ten tons. "We also have more complex products such as the shell and the molds with inserts metal." We are one of the largest producers of this type of mold in Portugal. "We have teams to make the moulds and testing, through turntable, to test the molds and develop production."

Leonel Costa, President of LN moulds

LN moulds is a modern company for the plastics industry, certified in 1997 by the norm ISO 9001. It has been in the market since 1982 and the evolution has been a constant, both in regards to technology to human resources. The company has grown to emphasizing in qualified personnel, equipment of high quality and direct relationships with their customers.

Result of this evolution in a manner parallel to the needs of the market, LN moulds is today a group of four companies that offers complete projects. It has capacity to inject plastics and develop products in fully specialized plants for each activity. This diversification enables you to offer integral solutions and offer greater value added to each product.

It started manufacturing parts for the industry of moulds for later, after 1986 produce complex moulds. Today the company is a group consisting of four companies dedicated to the manufacture of moulds, plastic injection and engineering. Three years ago they invested 2.3 million euros in the acquisition of the first company certified moldista of Portugal, with 27 years of experience in the market.

Currently, 90 per cent of the production of moulds is dedicated to the automotive sector. Also this has changed, as it stood as one of the largest suppliers of moulds from 1 to 32 cavities for the U.S. electric power industry for ten years.

"91 And following the Gulf war the sector suffered a recession, then stabilized and by 2000 our main market was United States, where 75 per cent of our products we exported them." "Today is on the contrary, after 11 September we export the 75 per cent to Europe and 25 percent to United States and others," says Leonel Costa, President of LN molds. "Today some automobile manufacturers are trying to connect more with moldistas and inyectadores of plastics to control costs more and more close the circle." We have two solutions for the automotive industry. One is the most technical piece, another is the largest piece. We provide the entire interior of the car: moulds and injection of parts, and assembled sets, which is our goal. "But we also work in niche markets of cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and we are trying to provide to the field of medicine, an area in which we already have experience."

It allows the inclusion of metal parts by turntable.

The group develops projects for several companies of the sector of automotive sector. An example is Saab, the new Mini, etc., supplying to the “First Tier Suppliers” that do the final setting of the product for the marks of the sector . In other sectors, for standing out an example, are carrying out a project for Johnson & Johnson in Brazil with a mould of 24 cavities.

This company produces also moulds of multiple cavities and with hot channel, that guarantee the intermutabilidad between all the cavities. Also they have the capacity to execute studies reológicos of all type of plastics, which constitutes a support in the validation of the project.

In the production generalise the use of the equipment with numerical control mainly in the areas of milling of high speed, spark-erosion, flat and cylindrical rectification and the three-dimensional measurement.

The greater part of his products design having like base the modelado of solids, using like software Cimatron and Pro-And. Also his technology allows them manufacture moulds of high cadence, a finishing of surface of high quality and a development of the original concept of the pieces.

The production of the moulds is carried out with CNC machines, such as machining centers of high speed, penetration erosion, erosion by wire and grinders. Using the latest generation of software (Cimatron and WorkNC) for generation of high speed machining centres programmes, where in terms of productivity and quality of the finished the benefits are significant.

An important aspect is the quality control. The geometrical conformity is guaranteed through the use of a wide range of equipment for dimensional control where stresses the 3D CNC measuring machine, profile projector and optométrico microscope. For the measurement has two internal laboratories that make the dimensional control of the molds and injected parts.

The area of erosion is equipped with CNC machines and change of electrodes for way to ensure a continuous work without operator intervention. All the work performed is strictly controlled, to ensure the conformity of geometric.

As for the Department of Assembly, also qualified human and technical teams working in detail. Precision equipment used in technically controlled environment.

For container and packaging sector can make molds of up to 96 cavities. They offer high performance with short cycles and thin thicknesses. In addition, they ensure the absence of dimensional variation and weight between cavities.

Facilities and the Park of machines for the injection is characterized by its modernity. Twenty injectors, 3 Engel (a bimaterial) and 17 Krauss Maffei 40-420 tons with centralized food system. The company of injection is certified according to ISO TS 16949 standard, which complies with the rules of the automotive sector.