LGR Design Studio, our partner design office based in Belgium, has just commissioned a new 3-axis CNC machining centre in its workshop. This is not only an internal development for LGR: it is additional capacity directly available to Moulding Injection clients. Here is what this new equipment concretely changes in how we work and what you can expect from it on your next project.
LGR Design Studio: the partnership in brief
LGR Design Studio is a design office specialising in product and tooling design, based in Belgium. The partnership with Moulding Injection covers the full value chain: injected part design, mould design, tooling manufacturing follow-up and technical support during séries qualification.
What makes this partnership effective is the physical intégration of the teams. LGR and Moulding Injection work side by side, enabling immediate back-and-forth between design and production. A problem identified at the press can be addressed in the design office the next morning.
The new CNC centre: what it does
The installed centre is a robust 3-axis CNC with an 8-tool automatic changer. This configuration enables milling, drilling, surfacing and engraving operations on a wide range of materials: technical plastics (ABS, POM, PA, PC), aluminium and light alloys.
The automatic changer eliminates manual interruptions between operations. A complex part requiring profile milling, précision drilling and référence surfacing can be completed in a single setup, with perfect geometric consistency across faces.
The précision achieved is compatible with industrial validation requirements: tenths of a millimetre on critical dimensions, reproducible from run to run.
Prototypes machined in séries materials
The most concrete benefit for our clients is the ability to produce machined prototypes directly in séries materials, before launching tooling.
A prototype machined from an ABS or POM block offers mechanical properties representative of the final injected part. This is fundamentally différent from FDM or SLA 3D printing: strength, rigidity, surface finish and assembly behaviour match what the séries will deliver.
This allows validating mechanical fits, testing assemblies, qualifying functional clearances and validating surface aspects before committing the tooling budget. For projects where pre-investment certainty is critical, this is a very concrete risk management élément.
Modifications on small moulds and aluminium impressions
The LGR CNC opens a second capability: direct intervention on small moulds or aluminium impressions without going through an external tooling workshop.
During development, impression rework is common: adjusting a draft, reworking an angle, modifying a parting surface, reworking an éjection system. With an external subcontractor, each rework means mould downtime. With the CNC in-house at LGR, the intervention can be scheduled and completed within days, without moving the tooling.
This is a direct reactivity gain on development phases. On tight-schedule projects, this capability can make the différence between validating in one trial or three.
Custom control jigs and assembly fixtures
A third direct application: manufacturing dimensional control jigs and assembly fixtures.
In serial production, a control jig enables fast conformity checking of a part without running a full 3D measurement at every batch. It is an effective quality control tool for parts with repetitive critical dimensions.
Assembly fixtures ensure repeatability of assembly operations: insert insertion, ultrasonic welding, clip assembly. A well-designed fixture reduces assembly defects and speeds up cycle rates.
LGR can design and machine these control tools directly in its workshop, consistent with the injected part drawings. Lead time is short, traceability is complète.
What the Belgian short circuit brings over the long term
All these capabilities fit within a short-circuit logic we continuously strengthen. From part design to serial production, via prototyping, mould manufacturing, tooling rework and control jigs, everything stays in Belgium, in connected workshops, with teams that know each other.
This model has direct consequences for overall development timelines: fewer intermediaries, fewer transports, less information loss. And it has consequences for quality: continuity between design and production facilitates early problem détection and fast solution implementation.
For our clients, this translates into a single technical contact who manages the full chain and can answer every question with complète knowledge of the file.
Your next project will benefit from this new equipment
If you have an injection project in development, concept validation or tooling development phase, this new CNC capability at LGR is directly available. Discuss it with us: we assess together whether a machined prototype, an impression rework or a control jig can accelerate your schedule.
FAQ
FAQ
What is LGR Design Studio?
LGR Design Studio is Moulding Injection's partner design office, based in Belgium. It covers injected part design, mould design, and now CNC-machined prototyping and control jig manufacturing. Both entities work side by side for full intégration of the development chain.
How is a machined prototype différent from 3D printing?
A prototype machined from a séries material block (ABS, POM, PA) offers mechanical properties, surface finish and assembly behaviour representative of the final injected part. FDM or SLA 3D printing uses print-specific materials whose properties differ from standard injected materials.
Can LGR's CNC work on my existing mould?
Yes, for small moulds and aluminium impressions. Interventions such as draft corrections, parting surface modifications or éjection system rework are achievable in a few days. For heavy steel tooling, additional capabilities are mobilised as needed.
Can we order a control jig independently of a séries production?
Yes. LGR can design and machine control jigs based on your part drawings, independently of an ongoing production at Moulding Injection. Contact us with your drawings and control requirements.
What materials can LGR's CNC machine?
LGR's CNC centre machines common technical plastics (ABS, POM, PA, PC), aluminium and light alloys. These materials cover virtually all functional prototyping and jig-making needs for plastic injection projects.
