What about Aluminum Tooling for Injection Molding?
What about Aluminum Tooling for Injection Molding?
Accurate has been building aluminum molds since 1992. There are many times
when an aluminum tool is appropriate and can save lead time and money
instead of traditional hard steel tooling. The following are some of the
questions a customer might ask when considering aluminum molds:
- What production life can I expect from an aluminum mold? We usually
guarantee about 50,000 shots depending on the material and complexity of the
mold. With hard materials such as glass filled resins we can hard coat the
mold for extended life. We have seen some molds make more than 500,00
cycles. - Can an aluminum mold be made to the same tolerances? Yes.
- Can it be repaired in the event of damage? Yes, aluminum can be welded or
the repair area can be inserted. Revisions can also be accomplished in the
same manner - Can you do side actions in an aluminum mold? Yes, the same as steel
molds. - Can you make multiple cavity molds in Aluminum? Yes.
- Can you build prototypes using aluminum? Yes, this has always been a big
use for aluminum molds. - Are aluminum molds limited to small tonnage machines? No. Properly
designed aluminum molds will run on large tonnage machines. - What are the advantages of aluminum? Often instead of having to EDM a
piece it can be milled directly saving an expensive extra step. Aluminum
machines easier meaning faster machining time and less the cost of end mills
used in the mold production. Aluminum can cut cycle times. Less time in
production of the aluminum mold can mean shorter lead times.
While Aluminum works well for many applications there are some where steel
is best. Accurate can help you decide which material is best for your
application. Give us a call at 770.364.2996 of thru our website at info@AccuratePlastics.net