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Dramco Tool Co. is a full-service manufacturing company specializing in designing and building compression molds, plastic injection molds, and tooling for composite parts. Our fabrication services include water jet cutting, press brake work, laser cutting, and custom solutions for machine design and building. We are ISO 9001:2015 certified, NIST 800-171 compliant, and follow the globally recognized AS9100 requirements for aerospace manufacturing.
What is AS9100?
AS 9100 is an internationally recognized Quality Management System (QMS). This standard builds on ISO 9001’s foundational standards for quality management, further specifying requirements for the aviation, military, and defense industries.
Key Features of AS9100
AS9100 certification is more than a checklist of standards that a company must follow. It is the framework aerospace manufacturers use to maintain unparalleled precision, quality, and excellence. Key features of AS9100 include the following:
- Comprehensive QMS framework
- Ongoing commitment to continuous improvement
- Detailed documentation and robust traceability systems
- Fosters a culture of shared responsibility to achieve exceptional safety and quality
AS9100 Standard Certification Requirements
Meeting AS9100 certification requirements involves implementing various measures and protocols to maintain high quality across operations. These include:
- Analysis of insights into customer satisfaction
- Configuration management
- Continual QMS improvement
- Supplier management
- Defined processes that comply with regulatory and customer requirements
- Document control
- Established procedures for monitoring and measuring processes
- Unwavering commitment to leadership
- Identifying and mitigating risks that may impact product quality
Dramco’s AS9100 Practices
As an industry-leading full-service manufacturing shop, Dramco has the capabilities and expertise to meet the needs of the aerospace sector.
At Dramco, we utilize a Creaform laser scanner, using Verisurf Software to create reports required to meet customers’ requirements. Our calibrated tools are tracked and recertified as outlined in our AS9100 quality manual, and we have extensive experience working with materials such as tool steel, carbon steel, aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber in line with the unique demands of this sector.
Benefits for Customers
At Dramco, we are committed to cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Embracing the AS9100 standard in our manufacturing processes offers the following benefits:
- Continuous learning culture and improvement
- Enhanced reliability and consistency
- Formalized key responsibilities and processes
- Global standardization and recognition
- Improved supplier relations
- Minimized waste
- Reduced operational risk
- Streamlined operations
Dramco’s Reliable Services
We work with clients to promote quality in line with AS9100 requirements through a range of dedicated services, including:
Quality You Can Rely On
For over 50 years, Dramco has provided expert design, engineering, and manufacturing of high-quality precision compression molds, injection molds, and composite tooling. Our professional team collaborates with customers in multiple industries, supporting a broad range of molding materials and techniques. By closely adhering to AS9100 standards, we provide continuous process improvement and ensure ongoing customer satisfaction.
Contact us today to learn more about our comprehensive selection of products and services designed to meet the demands of the aerospace industry. You can also request a quote to get started on your next project today.
The right manufacturing partner can simplify production, reduce delays, and improve your bottom line. Dramco Tool Company, Inc. is a full-service manufacturer offering end-to-end design and fabrication services. Our one-stop-shop approach combines laser cutting, bending, welding, and machining to produce high-precision assemblies that meet your exact needs.
About Dramco Tool
Founded in 1978 as a two-person shop with manual tools, Dramco has grown into a 50,000-square-foot facility staffed by over 65 skilled employees. Today, we operate with cutting-edge equipment and robust capabilities, including:
- Metal stamping die design and build
- Plastic injection and compression mold manufacturing
- Tooling for composite parts
- Sheet metal fabrication services, including laser cutting, water jet cutting, press brake work, bending, welding, and machining
- Custom machine design and build
- Complete production of precision assemblies
Our advanced equipment and modern facility allow us to maintain high production quality, meet tight deadlines, and provide dependable follow-up support. Over the years, we’ve built a national reputation on expert service, cutting-edge technology, and most importantly, results.
Dramco’s team works closely with you to understand project needs, recommend effective solutions, and deliver parts that meet your exact requirements. With expanded automated sheet handling capabilities, we ensure faster turnaround times and improved accuracy.
We proudly serve clients across municipal infrastructure and industrial sectors, providing Made in America quality and service you can trust. By managing every fabrication phase under one roof, we reduce coordination challenges and keep your project moving smoothly from concept through completion.
Experience
Dramco’s team combines technical expertise with extensive industrial fabrication experience. Our outside salesman has a background in welding and fabrication, and can work with you to deliver a solution that meets your needs at the best possible price.
We also offer on-site technical support for molds, dies, and custom machinery. From tool runoffs to troubleshooting, our designers and toolmakers are available to help ensure smooth integration into your production environment.
Our central location near two major highways enables fast, reliable delivery. Whether you’re located nearby or across the country, our location simplifies communication and minimizes freight time.
Quality
Dramco has been ISO registered since 2004 and currently holds ISO 9001:2015 certification. We’re also NIST SP 800-171 compliant and are actively pursuing AS9100 certification. All calibrated tools are tracked and recertified in accordance with our ISO quality manual to ensure consistent accuracy and reliability.
We maintain strict quality control standards, using advanced tools like the Master 3D Gauge Romer Arm with Verisurf Software for detailed inspections. Our extensive equipment list includes a wide range of machine sizes and capabilities, allowing us to meet tight tolerances and deliver highly customized parts. At Dramco, we strive to get every job right the first time—meeting your specifications, timelines, and expectations with precision.
Why Dramco Tool Company?
As a comprehensive manufacturing partner, Dramco Tool delivers expert design and fabrication services tailored to your specific needs. Our one-stop-shop approach and commitment to quality set us apart, enabling us to deliver dependable results across every stage of production.
Contact us today to discuss your next project.
Injection molding is used across industries to produce plastic and elastomeric parts. Known for its high repeatability, injection molding provides a reliable solution for industries that require large volumes of parts with tight tolerances. As materials and technology evolve, the benefits of this process continue to grow. This article will take a closer look at some of the advantages of injection molding.
Cost-Effectiveness
One of the most well-known benefits of injection molding is its long-term cost-efficiency, especially when producing high volumes of components. While the upfront investment in mold tooling can be significant, the cost per part drops dramatically as production scales. The most effective way to maximize the cost benefits of injection molding is through early collaboration between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and mold designers. Applying Design for Manufacturability (DfM) principles during the design phase helps prevent costly changes later, streamlines tooling processes, and minimizes downtime.
Additional techniques, such as part consolidation and overmolding, can further reduce labor and assembly costs, allowing for simpler, more integrated designs and less material waste.
Versatility
Another standout benefit of injection molding is the adaptability and flexibility it offers. Today’s thermoplastics are lighter and stronger than ever before, withstanding wear and harsh or variable environments. With over 25,000 engineered materials to choose from, manufacturers can fine-tune characteristics such as tensile strength, temperature resistance, or biocompatibility to match precise specifications.
In addition, advanced techniques like multi-shot injection molding can also be used to create molded parts with multiple materials and different textures or colors, enhancing designs for automotive components, consumer electronics, and more.
High Volume Production
Injection molding is ideally suited for high-volume production, offering unmatched speed and repeatability. Once the tooling is created, the process can produce hundreds or thousands of parts per hour while maintaining consistent quality and dimensions. Tight tolerances are also achievable, with standard parts often reaching ±0.500 mm (±0.005” inches) and precision parts meeting tolerances as tight as ±0.125 mm (±0.005 inches).
Proper part design is essential to ensure success. Factors like vent placement, wall thickness, rib and boss structure, and ejection methods must be carefully considered to prevent defects and ease production. With the right planning and execution, injection molding can deliver consistent, precise results for a wide range of components.
Applications in Industries
The advantages of injection molding extend across multiple industries, each leveraging the process for its speed, strength, and versatility.
Defense Industry Parts
The strength and material reliability of molded parts are vital for mission-critical applications. The defense sector specifically benefits from injection molding in the creation of helmet components, communication device housings, and other high-impact equipment.
Automotive Parts
In the automotive industry, injection molding is used to create a wide range of components, including dashboard parts, cup holders, and door panels. These parts demand a combination of durability, heat resistance, and design flexibility—all of which injection molding offers.
Agricultural Products
From seed trays to animal tags and feeding troughs, the agricultural sector relies on injection-molded products for their weather resistance and long-term durability in outdoor environments.
Packaging and Food-Safe Products
Injection molding enables the production of food-grade containers, utensils, and lids with consistent quality. Food manufacturers can also use this method to create durable, tamper-resistant, and sanitary packaging in large quantities.
Medical Devices and Components
Injection molding supports the production of high-precision parts using biocompatible materials. Being able to maintain strict tolerances and sterility makes it an ideal method for manufacturing medical devices.
Dramco’s Solutions
Injection molding offers a powerful combination of speed, scalability, material flexibility, and precision. Whether you’re in automotive, medical, food packaging, agricultural, or another demanding sector, this method enables the efficient production of high-quality parts tailored to your needs. At Dramco, we bring nearly three decades of experience in designing and building plastic injection molds for our customers. Our team provides full-service support—from prototyping to large-scale production—along with expertise in tooling, die creation, fabrication, custom machining, and more.
Request a quote to get started on your custom design today.
Dies are specialized tools used to punch, cut, bend, press, and otherwise shape metal with a press. They are used in a variety of metalworking processes, including stamping, progressive stamping, drawing, forging, press braking, and injection molding.
Most dies are custom-built for a specific part or part family. In order to achieve the desired part profiles and features with precision and within critical tolerances, it’s important that all of the components in a die set be designed and built to specifications.
Here we’ll look at the primary components in a die set, some of the important considerations for design, and things to watch out for.
Material Selection Tips
Most die components and tooling are made from hardened tool steel, which is durable and can hold a sharp edge for cutting operations. Depending on the duration and volume of part production, different grades of steel or different metals may also be suitable.
The size, shape, and other features of the die tooling, plates, and guiding elements need to correspond to the desired part features and their dimensions, within acceptable tolerances. Computer-aided drafting (CAD) software is often used along with detailed part prints and renderings to develop and model die designs. While the specific parts that go into each die will vary based on the application at hand, these are the most common:
- Die Plates, Shoes, and Die Sets. These upper and lower plates have corresponding tooling that comes together when the press ram directs the upper plate downward. The springs, guide pins, bushings, and other tools are mounted to these.
- Punches and Dies. These are the tools that do the cutting, bending, flattening, shaping, and forming of the material.
- Stripper Plates. These keep sheet metal in place as the die plates separate. They also smooth the removal of punches, buttons, and tools from the material.
- Pilot Punches. These tools are often used in progressive stamping, where they help position and locate the material inside the press for accuracy.
- Guide Pins and Bushings. Also called guiding elements, guide pins and bushings are positioned opposite each other on the upper and lower die plates and keep them aligned correctly. Bushings contain a lubricant or graphite to help the pins move smoothly.
- Springs. Die springs are heavy-duty compression springs that hold workpieces down during stamping and assist with opening the die plates. Both coiled mechanical and nitrogen gas springs are available.
In addition to these foundational components, many die sets also incorporate various fixtures, pressure pads, cams, and other components. These help position the sheet metal or other raw material and hold it securely in place during stamping or other operations. These can be blocks, vertical stops, rotating components, and other mechanical devices that limit and control the movement of the workpiece.
Tolerances & Efficiency
Most manufactured parts include a tolerance range for certain features, like hole placement relative to a bend or edge, hole diameters, bend angles, or even surface finishes. If part features fall outside the acceptable tolerance range, they may compromise how components fit together in an assembly or how they perform in an application. As a result, it’s critical that dies and tools are designed and built so that features are accurate and have minimal variation from cycle to cycle.
In modern manufacturing, tolerances have become tighter and tighter, which means there is a very small window for error in the size or location of a feature, often a tiny fraction of an inch. In terms of die design, this means it is important to anticipate how tools will change over time. For example, punches experience wear that will eventually alter the size of the hole they make. It’s necessary to figure out the best starting punch size to accommodate wear without going out of tolerance quickly during production.
It’s also important to consider material properties when designing tooling. This may include things like material hardness relative to the tool’s hardness, or how much springback a material will have and how that affects bend angles. Material behavior during stamping, forging, drawing, and other operations can have an impact on how to achieve particular tolerances.
Efficiency and Manufacturability
Efficient manufacturing relates to saving effort, time, manual labor, and material wherever possible. This reduces cycle time, saves production costs, and shortens turnaround times. Die sets should be designed and built so they can be used efficiently with minimal confusion or extra setup steps. There are several ways to do this, including:
- Ensuring all tooling and fixtures can only be inserted in a single direction to avoid errors.
- Noting any special instructions for shimming, fixturing, or tool changeover procedures.
- Indicating the type and frequency of lubrication for guiding elements.
- Noting the maximum number of cycles between preventive maintenance or inspection.
Another key to efficient production is part manufacturability. This is the ability of a part to be made without excessive errors, damage, or other problems. It’s important that the part itself be designed for manufacturability, but die design also has a role to play. For example, while a feature can be made by stamping, such as a large hole, if the punching operation ends up deforming the rest of the part, it may be better to machine the hole after stamping is complete. Changes to the steps and operations that result in fewer damaged or rejected parts are a way to increase manufacturability and make production efficient.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
No two custom parts are the same, so it’s important to avoid common problems in die design.
In most cases, the person designing the die is not the same person who designed the part or the assembly or product it goes into. It’s important, therefore, to understand the part’s design intent, or how it will be used and how it needs to function in the real world. This can provide insight into the reasons for certain part features. It can also lead to opportunities to optimize part design for easier manufacturing.
It’s also important to review part prints carefully and clarify that all details are included, such as measurements, tolerances, angles, and other important design requirements. Avoid assumptions, and if information is missing, ask questions instead of proceeding based on a guess.
Try to keep the bigger manufacturing picture in mind as well. One way to achieve this is to make sure that you have a clear objective before you start the design process, and make sure that you find a balance between overall tool cost, stability, part quality, hits per service, and upkeep. Try to think beyond just the task of designing the die, and anticipate potential obstacles during setup, changeover, or maintenance.
Some more specific things to keep in mind include:
- Avoiding sharp corners that can concentrate stress on the material.
- Using an adequate radius for highly loaded areas.
- Taking note of the radius at the junction of two surfaces, which can impact joint strength.
- Using constant fillets and radii throughout the design for strength and smoothness.
- Adding draft angles to the surfaces aligned with the mold opening direction; otherwise, removing the component from the mold could cause damage to its surface.
Dramco for Expertise in Die Design
Custom die sets and tooling that achieve dimensions and tolerances with minimal error or scrap are always the goal for stamping, forging, casting, drawing, and similar operations. Die design is a complex process with many variables for which to account. Partnering with an expert is the best way to ensure you get the tools required for the application.
Dramco is a full-service manufacturing company that specializes in custom die design, machining, and building services for metal stamping, progressive stamping, injection molds, forgings, castings, and more. Additional capabilities include prototyping, laser cutting, water jet cutting, and custom machine design and building. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to request a quote.
