When discussing the use of Precision Board as a tooling substrate for thermoforming molds, customers often ask “How many parts can I pull off a Precision Board tool?” That’s an important and straight forward question but the answer can be complex which we will help with in the blog below.  We’ll also give a current example of how Precision Board was used by a company to pivot from their usual theme park work into a completely new application- making face shields from readily available PBHT-48 Precision Board.  In the process, they were able to keep their business open during the Coronavirus Pandemic and pull hundreds of parts from Precision Board molds for PPE.

The number of parts that can be produced using a Precision Board mold is heavily dependent on a number of factors, namely;

• Process Temperature
• Cycle Times
• Material Being Formed
• Tool Use
• Tool Geometry
• The Precision Board Density Being Used

Depending on the part being produced and the density selected, Precision Board can be used to produce short runs of a few parts or thousands of parts in a production setting. That’s one of the best features of the Precision Board line. With 16 different density offerings, all available in high-temp PBHT and low-temp PBLT options, we have a Precision Board option that can fit just about any project’s requirements.

There are many ways to approach your project.  You might decide using a lower density Precision Board option coated with a more robust surface coat best fits your needs or perhaps a higher density Precision Board tool that does not need to be coated at all best suits your budget and physical requirement. Either way, when it comes to selecting the right Precision Board option for your specific job, contact our technical sales team to make sure you get a tool that will successfully pull the number of parts you are looking for.

To help explain in greater detail, we’re going to share a more specific example of a company currently making multiple parts from Precision Board.

This face shield mold was made out of Precision Board PBHT-48. In this application, Monster City Studios (Fresno, CA), who normally produces environments for amusement parks and props for trade shows, shifted their business to producing face shields at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They needed to produce these tools quickly and start making parts right away.  They knew Coastal Enterprises could help.

The PBHT-48 material was on their floor within 2 days from placing an order. Since Precision Board can be cut at accelerated feed rates as compared to alternative tooling substrates, the tools were able to be machined quickly and Monster City Studios were pulling their first parts within a week from placing their order. These tools were sanded with 1000 grit and they were able to get over 300 pulls from the part with nearly no degradation and with no maintenance. After a quick resurfacing, these parts went back into production and they were able to pull 1500 parts on this particular mold before swapping out to another PBHT-48 mold.  You can also read the story about Coastal Enterprises and Monster City Studios on the COVID-19 Industry Updates page on the Composites World website from May 7th.

Give us a call at 800-845-0745 or send us an email at hdu@precisionboard.com. We have PBHT-48 in stock as well as all 16 densities of Precision Board with shipping times of 1-2 days.  Let us help you get back on track with readily available Precision Board HDU.

Coastal Enterprises is a privately-owned company, located in California.  Our manufacturing processes are fully integrated in the United States, which has allowed us to avoid supply chain disruptions and maintain unparalleled market stability. We manufacture Precision Board, a high-density urethane tooling board used in many different applications including composite tooling, prototyping, thermoform tooling, pattern making, theming, dimensional signage and more. It is currently being used in many essential industries including aerospace, defense, transportation, energy and healthcare. You can get pricing, free samples, sign up for newsletters or contact us.