Smart Molding International 2-2021

molds and tooling 34 smart_molding international 2/2021 E stablished in 2004, RockWell Window Wells of Springville, Utah provides advanced technol - ogy window wells that are fast gain - ing popularity in the country, thanks to their exceptional quality, wear life, attractiveness and versatility. The com - pany also continues to expand its prod - uct line to fit the needs of homeown - ers and contractors across the U.S. and Canada with various types of basement window coverings andwindowwell lad - ders. RockWell window wells are built from high-strength composite mate - rials, rather than conventional metal wells and coverings. Their products are rust proof, temperature resistant and won’t collapse under backfill pressure. Furthermore, new egress window well models from RockWell feature built-in steps that allow easy-escape access during emergencies and all wells can be mounted directly to the foundation wall. Thewindowwells are sold through various wholesale distributors to con - tractors and builders. RockWell needed a mold maker who could produce large molds at an economical price for its new Denali line of window wells, so they reached out to Commercial Tool Group (CTG) at a recent Amerimold show in Novi, Michigan. Commercial Tool Group, located near Grand Rapids in Comstock Park, Michigan, is a family-owned company with several divisions. Commercial Tool & Die (CTD) was founded in 1953 by Al Bouwman. With a wide range of large- scale CNC machining capabilities, CTD can accommodate customer needs for single-mold or multi-mold packages. CG Automation & Fixture (CGAF) has over 185 years of combined experi - ence in the design and manufacture of down-line equipment, fixtures, gauges, applique form tools, trim dies and trim presses, as well as advanced materials handling systems and robotic articula - tion. CTG continues to invest in the lat - est large, accurate CNC machining and CAD/CAM technologies. Vaughn Cook, the President and founder of RockWell, called Commer - cial, looking for assistance for produc - tion of a new line of egress window wells. He met with Scott Chase, Com - mercial Tool &Die Engineering and Sales Manager at the Amerimold event. They discussed the project, which involved forming compositematerial into unique window well products under the brand name Denali, as a lightweight yet rug - ged alternative to heavy metal window wells that often rust and corrode in use. Cook wanted to work with a mold maker who had large CNCmills for mas - sive molds and that was familiar with composite technology. After a series of CAD reviews and working prototypes, Commercial Tool Groupmade large pro - duction molds from aluminum. A robotic articulation system for loading and unloading was also de - signed and provided by Commercial to work in tandemwith the molds during production. The mold sections begin as large aluminum billets and the machining is done on a Zimmermann portal milling machine at Commercial’s plant. Scott Chase mentioned that the typical fin - ished mold measures an impressive 66” wide x 109” long x 60” tall. He added that the molds utilize a thermal imaging camera in process to monitor temperature variation. Commercial also produced three prove-out molds during the devel - opment process on this project. The Unique compression mold build and robotic handling system delivered by Michigan company. RockWell forms new window well product line with Commercial Molds