In the mold manufacturing industry, material selection directly determines a mold’s service life, precision, and production efficiency. Under different working conditions (e.g., injection molding, stamping, forging), the requirements for molds—such as temperature resistance, wear resistance, and fatigue resistance—vary significantly. Four core types of mold materials are designed with targeted characteristics. They provide precise solutions for mold manufacturing in fields like home appliances, automotive, and machinery. And they help enterprises reduce replacement costs and improve product quality stability.
Plastic mold materials are designed specifically for the injection molding process and must withstand the corrosive effects of the plastic melt and meet the requirements of high-frequency demolding.
Key properties: High polishability (ensuring a smooth surface for plastic parts), corrosion resistance (resistant to corrosive plastics like PVC), and good machinability.
Typical materials: P20, 718H. These are suitable for molds producing plastic parts such as home appliance housings, automotive interior components, and daily necessities. For example, molds used to make transparent plastic cups need materials that can be highly polished. This avoids scratches on the plastic surface and ensures the product’s appearance quality.At the same time, resisting corrosion makes the mold last longer. It also reduces downtime from frequent maintenance.
Cold work die materials are designed for room-temperature metal processing and must withstand high levels of impact and friction.
Core properties: High hardness, high wear resistance, and impact toughness. They can withstand processes such as stamping, shearing, and cold extrusion.
Typical materials: Cr12MoV and DC53. Suitable for automotive sheet metal stamping dies, hardware shearing dies, and fastener cold heading dies. For instance, stamping molds for automotive door sheet metal need high-wear-resistance materials. These materials can withstand repeated friction from metal sheets. This prevents dimensional deviations of stamped parts (caused by too much wear of the mold edge) and ensures precision in mass production.
Hot work mold materials are suitable for high-temperature metal processing and must withstand high-temperature oxidation and alternating thermal shock.
Core properties: High-temperature resistance (can withstand 800-1200°C), thermal fatigue resistance (prevents cracking from thermal cycling), and good thermal conductivity.
Typical materials: H13 and 5CrNiMo. These are suitable for aluminum alloy die-casting molds, forging molds, and hot extrusion molds. For example, die-casting molds for aluminum alloy cylinder blocks of automotive engines need high-temperature-resistant materials. These materials can withstand the scouring of high-temperature aluminum liquid. Thermal fatigue resistance reduces cracks in the mold caused by repeated thermal cycles. This extends the mold’s service life.
Special mold materials solve "unconventional working conditions" and fill the application gaps of traditional materials:
Core types:
Ceramic mold materials (high-temperature resistant, wear-resistant, suitable for precision ceramic part molding);
Composite mold materials (lightweight, high-strength, suitable for molds of lightweight aerospace components);
Powder metallurgy mold materials (high density, suitable for molds of precision powder metallurgy parts);
Example: Hot forming molds for titanium alloy components in the aerospace field need high-temperature-resistant composite materials.
These materials ensure strength while reducing mold weight, improving operational flexibility, and meeting the special requirements of high-end manufacturing for molds.
| Mold Material Type | Core Characteristics | Suitable Working Conditions/Processes | Typical Application Cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Mold Materials | High polishability, corrosion resistance, good machinability | Plastic injection molding | Molds for home appliance housings, automotive interior components |
| Cold Work Mold Materials | High hardness, high wear resistance, impact toughness | Metal cold stamping, shearing, cold extrusion | Molds for automotive sheet metal, hardware shearing |
| Hot Work Mold Materials | High-temperature resistance, thermal fatigue resistance, good thermal conductivity | Metal die-casting, forging, hot extrusion | Molds for aluminum alloy cylinder blocks, forged parts |
| Special Mold Materials | High-temperature resistance/lightweight/high density | Precision ceramic molding, aerospace component manufacturing | Molds for precision ceramics, titanium alloy components |
Currently, mold materials are evolving toward "high-performance development": Optimizing alloy compositions to improve material wear resistance and fatigue resistance, and developing nano-coating technologies to further extend mold service life—all to meet the precision mold demands of high-end manufacturing fields like new energy vehicles and aerospace. As the "core foundation" of mold manufacturing, these four material types provide precise support for different working conditions, helping enterprises achieve efficient and high-quality mold production.
