Plyable’s AI-powered automated mould design

This AI-powered processing of tooling design and the accurate quoting of mould manufacturing costs is the first of its kind. The approach applies advanced technology to quickly calculate tooling prices based on designs, a task that currently requires engineering expertise. Days and hours of work can be compressed into minutes, releasing engineers to focus on value-add design work.

Plyable customer, Sam Pellows, the Managing Director at SR Structures, who manufacture composite components for applications from grand prix sailing yachts to naval vessels, explains: “Plyable's innovations in automated mould design mark a significant milestone in manufacturing efficiency. By reducing lead times and engineering hours, they are transforming the way we, as a business, approach production.”

The new automated mould design process works from any CAD file and allows design, quotation, and fulfilment of precision mould manufacturing to be managed in one seamless process from Plyable. This latest innovation supplements Plyable’s global network that allows engineers to access manufacturing in 20 countries across 1,500 3- and 5-axis machines to ensure every job is matched to the best supplier to meet the engineering challenge, material, tolerance, size, or lead time. This global, quality-assured network enables the expedited delivery of precision moulds more quickly and competitively than traditional reliance on a few local suppliers.

Martin Oughton, Plyable’s CEO, said: “Plyable was founded on the objective to shift engineering in high performance areas from passenger aircraft and submarines to Formula 1 cars away from a very slow and analogue reliance on traditional mould manufacturing. We’ve achieved that by building an international network of high-calibre tooling manufacturers accessible from plyable.com to deliver speed, precision, and cost-effectiveness. Today we’re announcing the next step in this journey by embracing AI to rid design engineers of another bottleneck in their workflows – the mould design process. By delivering all of this in one end-to-end system, we’ve taken the process of mould design, quotation, and manufacturing fulfilment towards total automation.”

Plyable’s service is live and available to customers; company representatives will be demonstrating the solution next week at the JEC World composites show in Paris from 5–7 March 2024.