Contents
What is plastic injection mold? What is a mold?
1. What is a mold?
Latest technology for high quality mold processing. A mold is a metal tool (equipment) used to shape plastic products according to the shaping method. Each mold is usually made and used for a certain number of molding/pressing cycles, which can be one or more times. The texture and size of the mold depends on the size, shape, quality and quantity of the product to be created.
Basic concepts and classification of stereotypes
Mold is a tool to produce plastic products, the mold processing process is to produce molds according to customer requirements. From the available shapes and frameworks, products will be created like prototypes while still ensuring the features and uses, without losing the effectiveness of the product.
2. Mold production process
Similar to general mechanical products, the mold manufacturing process is based on 5 main technological processes including: Design, machining, heat treatment, testing and assembly. In it, companies can take care of one or more processes, even the entire production process to create the end product.
Considering in the same closed cycle from receiving orders, analyzing, processing, delivering and performing repair and replacement services of mold components, Vietnamese mold companies participate in all stitches. Some large companies are capable of operating in a closed cycle from design to testing and assembly, even directly using molds to manufacture and sell end products.
The mold is a single production product, which makes the mold product unaffected by economies of scale. This is an advantage for Vietnam to be able to compete with other countries, especially China. The mold market in Vietnam as well as in the world is growing at a high speed and has a significant capacity. Vietnam’s technology level in the industry is not too low and is likely to develop to catch up with the world average.
3. Popular types of molds
Injection molds are widely used in industry to make parts from various materials such as plastic, metal, rubber, glass, and other inorganic substances. Products from injection mold include metal and plastic parts in automobiles, airplanes, home appliances, electrical and electronic equipment, consumer goods, furniture, military equipment, medical products. .
The molds used in the production of plastic products include many types as below:
- Injection Molding
- Compression mold
- Blow mold
- Reinforcement mold
- Moving mold
- Molds
- Extrusion mold
- Rotary mold
The most popular of which is injection molding.
Stamping dies are used to manufacture a wide variety of metal products, using methods such as stamping, extrusion, forging, and drawing. Stamping products are widely used in the manufacture of automobiles, aircraft, furniture, construction equipment, agricultural machinery, household products, electronic products, and many other types of products.
4. Technology application in mold production
The mold industry is developing in the direction of focusing on investment and technology development. With the ability to produce products in large quantities, short production times, and a high degree of stability, molded products are indispensable tools in a wide range of industrial production, from household appliances to modern electronics and aviation products.
Besides, most of the technologies used in mold production are mechanical technologies and have typical properties. Therefore, the technology map of the mold manufacturing industry can be used as a basis to easily replicate the entire mechanical engineering industry.
New technology in manufacturing plastic molds and molds
New technology in plastic mold making with traditional mold making technology is a matter of applying new technology to plastic mold making, which plays an extremely important and prerequisite role for the development of the mold industry.
Applying CAD to plastic mold manufacturing
CAD is a computer-based design software that is widely used in many fields. This software allows designers to create product models in the form of 2D or 3D drawings, the image of this simulation drawing has perfect realism close to the real product after completion.
A highly complex plastic mold will be simplified from the point of view of CAD software. This is very beneficial for completing the prototype quickly and accurately.
Applying CAM to plastic mold manufacturing
Similar to CAD, CAM is a mechanical processing software installed on a computer. However, CAM is not used to create designs, but it is like an operating system that is the main set of devices and machines through a computer.
CAM software has the function of receiving data analysis, calculating the parameters given from the detailed CAD and then controlling the CNC machines to operate.
The use of this CAM technology makes automation machines work according to pre-programmed programming. At this time, the technician acts as a supervisor, setting the deviation for the program.
The plastic mold products are made successfully and the tolerance of each mold is limited to the maximum.
CNC application in plastic mold making
CNCs are high-tech, modern machines with almost absolute precision. CNC machines include: cutting machines, lathes, milling machines, laser punches…the new industrial machines.
As mentioned above, the CNC machine system works automatically through programming on CAM software. In terms of product quality and quantity, it is indisputable because the best level of machinery meets the world’s leading standards. Whether large plastic molds or small plastic molds, these CNC machines can produce high-precision finished products.
New technology in plastic mold making is CAD/CAM/CNC – the most modern and advanced software and machines. And exist into a unified, complete system and operating process according to a strict process.
With the new level of technology in the plastic mold in particular and the mold industry in general, it brings many outstanding benefits and gradually replaces the old technologies.
Laser mold engraving technology
Laser mold engraving technology brings many important benefits to the tool and mold manufacturing industry. One of those advantages is the ability to process non-contact materials, the ability to focus high beams to create durable engravings that are not easily damaged or peeled. In fact, the non-contact processing reduces the risk of mold damage and distortion. In addition, due to the characteristic of not causing material wear, laser technology always ensures high precision engraving and repeatability with a series of typical advantages:
- Can engrave hard-to-reach work areas and concave/convex workpieces with high precision.
- Engraving with lightning speed 1500mm/s – 30 times more than previous method.
- Safe for the environment because the laser does not produce harmful substances like the axis engraving method.
5. Tools and supplies used to polish molds
Depending on the mold requirements, the process of each manufacturer, the quality of workmanship of the workers, the actual experience, each mold maker will use different processes as well as different materials for polishing. However, in general, the following supplies, materials, tools and machines are widely used in the field of mold polishing.
1. Polishing tools – precision grinding
a. Steel File – Diamond File
Basic tool used for rough grinding or rough polishing. Steel files or diamond-plated files need to be of different shapes and sizes to be able to reach difficult parts.
Features: Hardness and roughness can be controlled to avoid mold damage
b. Ceramic Bar
Ceramic is a hard, durable material. Ceramic rod polishing mold with basic requirements can contact difficult positions.
Ceramic rods are offered in a variety of sizes and roughnesses.
Ceramic rods can be used for manual polishing or paired with polishing machines
c. Wooden stick, soft wood polishing
Wood bar includes finely polished softwood and solid wood for rough grinding or polishing with shapes such as: rectangular block, thin slab, different angle design for different types of molds.
d. Mold Polishing Brush – Polishing Soft Wood Cotton
There are also other materials such as: soft paper, grinding stone, cotton, cotton, polishing …
2. Polishing consumables
a. Polished Diamond Powder
As the highest quality mold polishing powder available today, diamond powder has the greatest hardness and highest cutting ability, so it is capable of polishing all other materials including other diamond polishing abilities.
Diamond powder is designed in cylinder form for easy use and storage.
Die polishing diamond powder is manufactured with strict requirements for stability and standard size.
In the field of mold polishing, diamond powder is commonly used with particle sizes from 1 micron to 160 micron. At particle sizes 1-3 microns, other materials have a mirror-like shine or better.
b. Non-diamond powders
Some other materials also have very good cutting ability, such as alloys of aluminum oxide, silicate. The common point of these non-diamond polishing materials is the cheaper price, used for molds that do not require high gloss.
Cons: Longer polishing time and more sets.
c. Polishing aid (Use with diamond powder)
In principle, if using only diamond powder for polishing is enough, however, the cost will be very high. That is why in the process of polishing the mold with diamond powder, there will be a support solution to save diamond powder, increase the cutting ability and clean the mold. That makes polishing the mold with diamond powder now sometimes even cheaper than using other powders.
3. Mold polishing machines:
a. Mold polishing machine:
Normal mold polishing machine designed with vibration, can be attached to other polishing tools such as: Wood, Cloth, File… to help polish faster, save labor costs.
Mold vibrating polishing machine has adjustable speed, various designs to cater for different molds. Contact us for further advice.
b. Mold welding machine:
Mold after 1 period of use will inevitably crack, scratch… Then the mold welding machine is a more effective device than making another mold.
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HA NOI MOULD TECHNOLOGY COMPANY LIMITED
- Address: Lai Xa Industrial Park, Kim Chung, Hoai Duc, Hanoi
- Hotline: 0912308979
- Mail: lehung@hanoimould.com
- Website: https://hanoimould.com