Established in 2004, RockWell Window Wells manufactures durable and versatile window wells. The products are made of composite materials instead of conventional metal wells and coverings, making them rust-proof and temperature resistant. Yet, they retain the strength to stand up to backfill pressure. The company’s new egress window wells also feature built-in steps that allow easy-escape access during emergencies.
The Springville, Utah-based company was recently looking for a mold maker to produce large molds for a new Denali line of window wells. The project called for forming composite material into unique designs that serve as a lightweight alternative to heavy metal window wells. The company needed a mold maker with CNC mills large enough to make the massive molds and familiarity with composite technology.
The company found Commercial Tool Group (CTG) at an Amerimold trade show.
Based in Comstock Park, Michigan, CTG is a family-owned company founded in 1953 with a range of large-scale CNC machining capabilities. After a series of CAD reviews and prototypes, CTG cut finished aluminum molds that are 66″ wide, 109″ long, and 60″ tall.
The mold sections begin as large aluminum billets machined on a Zimmermann portal milling machine. CTG uses a thermal imaging camera to monitor temperature variation during the process cut. The company also designed a robotic system for loading and unloading the molds.
According to CTG, the molds are some of the largest production molds that the company has ever made. The entire project took just over a year from the initial contact until the first mold was delivered to RockWell.
With a new automated process, RockWell can produce higher volumes with higher consistency and traceability.
