Tool Making

Specialist Toolmaking and Moulding Services

Dudley Associates Limited was created to be a centre of excellence for the design and manufacture of plastic injection mouldings on very short lead times.

We are regularly involved with cutting edge development projects, the majority of which are confidential, and which require high specification innovative tool making on very short lead times.

Clients also ask us to refurbish, modify or run any existing tooling that they may have.

We manufacture high grade aluminium tooling (for which we are specialists) and the more common steel production tooling, or a mixture of the two depending on the number of components required and the polymer type.

Mould tools can be manufactured for single or multi-cavity production, and to operate fully automated, semi automated, or to incorporate inserts which are hand loaded by an Operator - all engineered and designed according to your requirements and the complexity of the part.

We have manufactured tooling for surgical equipment, optical lenses, engine cowlings, air sensors, RF components, overmoulded electronics, fuel connectors, aircraft seating, casings, trim and marine components, to name but a small selection - from one-off manual tooling to fully automatic mass production.

Aluminium Mould Tooling?

Typically we are asked to design and manufacture aluminium tooling for representative prototypes, 'new' pre-production parts, or low volume products.

There is a common misconception that aluminium tooling is limited to very low volumes (c 5,000 shots), however we are specialists in this field and, whilst the tools remain under our care and handling, we have historically been able to produce 100,000+ parts from aluminium tools in engineering polymers.

Many Clients who have ordered our aluminium tools for prototype development use have then been able to use the same tool for production supply.

Our aluminium tooling is used with a very wide range of high end technical and engineering polymers including Ultem, Nickel fill, Steel fill, Nanotube fill, PTFE fill, Electro-conductive, 50% glass filled PBT and Nylons, as well as the more common commercial plastics.

The alloys we use are high-grade and sourced from some of the biggest UK stockholders. We are provided with Certificates of Conformity in order to underwrite a quality tool, built to last.

Typical leadtimes can be several days to 3 weeks

Steel Mould Tooling?

Typically we are asked to design and manufacture steel tooling for high volume production (1,000,000+).

We offer the full range of high-end traditional tool making with the benefit of using the same quality, speed of manufacture and operational systems developed by us for First Tier rapid development tooling manufacture.

Typical leadtimes can be 3-6 weeks

We offer a range of service packages, and whilst we realise that each Client's requirement is bespoke we find that for those new to tool manufacture these packages help as a starting point to defining the service level required.

Please ask about :

Using our own standard bolster we can manufacture removable inserts, the assembly is then moulded and inserts removed by hand thus reducing the cost of a complete tool. Samples are supplied with or without inspection reports as required. This service is suitable for low volume requirement (1-300).

We will use your own CAD data to manufacture tooling. We supply samples with component inspection reports (ISIR). Once the samples are approved we can then start to manufacture production parts.

This service is for projects where normal manufacturing lead-times are not suitable. Using premium hours working and reserving advance capacity we can cut lead times significantly and give the response you need. This is suitable for time critical projects.

This package is for projects where the Client needs full consultation and design services prior to tooling. We will liaise on form and materials and create the 3D CAD design necessary for product review and tool manufacture. Once approved, we can start tool manufacture and provide samples and inspection reports prior to running production parts.

If you have a new tooling project or existing product where:

Delivery is critical
Exemplary technical input, flexibility, and quality are required
In house UK design, manufacture, sampling, inspection and production is important
Confidentiality is required
You need an approved, experienced, and established Supplier

...then we are the tool making and moulding partner for you.