The key to mold manufacturing-the materials for mold core

Mold manufacturing is an indispensable part of modern industrial production, especially in the production of plastic, metal and ceramic products. The mold core is as the core part of the mold, and the choice of its material has a direct impact on the durability, production efficiency and product quality of the mold. We would like to share with you some common mold core materials and their characteristics in detail.
Material Properties:
-High Strength: Steel has good mechanical strength and toughness and can withstand high pressure.
-High Hardness: After heat treatment, the hardness can be further improved.
-Wear Resistance: Suitable for making molds that need to withstand high wear.
Application Areas:
-Plastic Molds: Injection molds, blow molds and so on.
-Metal Stamping molds: Punching and forming molds.
Common Types:
-S7: A high-carbon and high-chromium tool steel suitable for making cutting tools.
-H13: A commonly used hot work die steel with good toughness and high temperature oxidation resistance.

Aluminum Alloy

Material Properties:
-Low Density: Aluminum alloy has low density, which helps to reduce the weight of the mold.
-High Thermal Conductivity: It helps to dissipate heat quickly and improve production efficiency.
-Good Mechanical Properties: Moderate strength and hardness.
Application Areas:
-Plastic Molds: Molds that need to be cooled quickly.
-Casting Molds: Low-pressure casting and gravity casting molds.
Common Types:
-6061: General-purpose aluminum alloy with good mechanical properties and processability.
-7075: High-strength aluminum alloy, suitable for high loads molds.

Material Properties:
-High Thermal Conductivity: It has the best thermal conductivity among all metal materials.
-Good Wear Resistance: It is suitable for manufacturing molds that need to withstand high wear.
Application Areas:
-Plastic Molds: Molds that require rapid cooling and high wear resistance.
-Hot Runner System: Copper alloy is an ideal material for manufacturing hot runner systems.
Common Types:

-Beryllium Copper: Copper alloy containing trace amounts of beryllium, has extremely high hardness and thermal conductivity.

Material Properties:

-High Hardness: Cemented carbide has very high hardness and good wear resistance.
-High Compressive Strength: It is suitable for applications that withstand high pressure.
Application Areas:
-Metal Stamping Molds: Such as cold extrusion molds.
-Wire Drawing Molds: Used for wire drawing of metal wires.
-Tungsten Steel: A cemented carbide with tungsten as the main component, which has extremely high hardness.

Ceramic Materials

Material Properties:
-High Temperature Resistance: Ceramic materials can withstand extremely high temperatures without deformation.
-Corrosion Resistance: Excellent corrosion resistance to most chemicals.
Application Areas:
-High Temperature Molds: Such as hot pressing molds.
-Corrosion-Resistant Molds: Used to produce containers for certain special chemicals.
Common Types:
-Alumina Ceramics: It has good mechanical properties and high wear resistance.

Plastic Materials

Material Properties:
-Easy to Process: Plastic materials are easy to process and form.
-Low Cost: Compared with metal materials, plastic materials are usually less expensive.
Application Areas:
-One-Time or Short-Term Use Molds: Such as some prototypes or short-term production.
Common Types:
-Polypropylene: A plastic material with good heat resistance.
-ABS Plastic: It has good mechanical properties and processability.

The selection of mold core material is crucial to the performance and working life of the mold. Different materials have different characteristics and are suitable for different application scenarios. When selecting mold materials, manufacturers need to consider factors such as product shape, size, production batch and cost. With the advancement of materials science, more and more high-performance mold materials may appear in the future, further promoting the development of mold manufacturing technology.