Century Tool, a Tooling Tech group company and a composites tooling specialist, is expanding its compression mould making operations by installing a new FPT Ronin EVO 3+2-axis horizontal milling machine. The new machine can handle a workpiece size of upto 343-in long x 100-in deep x 120-in tall, making it capable of handling very large moulds of either steel or aluminum.

With the new machine, the company can produce moulds in excess of 100,000 lbs, said the company in a press release.

The machine is an upgrade to one of Century’s two existing FTP 4-axis machining centres in its facility, where the company has a total of 15 high performance machine tools for drilling, milling, 3D roughing, semi finishing and finishing of both steel and aluminum. Century provides compression moulds for processes utilising Sheet Moulded Compounds (SMC), Bulk Moulded Compounds (BMC), Direct Long Fibre Thermoplastics (D-LFT), Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), or Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Plastics (CFRP). (PC)