What are the types of CNC mold?

Choosing the right type of CNC mold can be complicated as there are many options available. However, if you know the material and design that you want to develop, it can help you decide which type of CNC mold should you used. Each of the types of CNC mold has its pros and cons that you can take into consideration before choosing the CNC mold that suits your requirements.

l What are the types of CNC mold?

l What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of CNC mold?

l How to choose CNC mold?

What are the types of CNC mold?

l Master unit die molds: In this type of CNC mold, a molding frame for standard injection is needed with several inserts that would define the shape of the final part. The method of prototyping involved in this CNC mold is CNC machining parts or Electric Discharge Machine (EDM) which depends on the required materials of the mold inserts. If you need to use plastic with a very high molding temperature with a high number of cycles and complicated parts, you may not be able to use a CNC machine for CNC mold.

l Aluminum mold tooling: Often, solid aluminum is used as the final deliverable to a project, but there are some tools that make CNC molds where you can change the design during the development of the product. Aluminum tools are generally easier to use than steel, as well as doing the design changes.

l Steel CNC mold: This type of material is usually seen in full-scale production instead of being a prototype material. However, steel CNC molds are considered as higher than aluminum tooling or MUD. When the designer uses steel, they intend to see production issues and not on the part design. Major concerns can be flow characteristics of CNC mold, location of air vents concerning trapped air, material properties and the cycle time.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of CNC mold?

l Master unit die molds: This type of CNC mold lowers the turnaround time and the overall cost during revisions of the prototype. You can easily remove the insert, redesign and reinject it without removing the other parts. This type of CNC mold can be used for significant debugging or adjustments in the injected molded part. However, injection molding of CNC mold itself presents some disadvantages during the revisions. These advantages are not for the MUD molds but rather on the iterative tools like 3D printing parts and CNC machining parts.

l Aluminum mold tooling: This type of CNC mold is a strong conductor of heat, meaning it cools down and heats up quickly, which makes it ideal for injection molding. With quicker cooling of CNC mold, you can do more cycles at a given time, which accounts for faster production. Although turnaround time is not so relevant in CNC molds, this type of CNC mold provides an insight into the injection molded manufacturing. Aluminum tooling of CNC mold can help improve the flow of the materials inside the cavity, resulting in a lower rate for defective parts and will save money. Aluminum mold tooling has limitations on the prototype with unique finishes. It is not as tough as other tools like steel that its lifespan depends on the molding temperature, number of cycles and the complexity of the parts.

l Steel CNC mold: This type of CNC mold is strong and has a long lifespan, which is more thermally conductive than aluminum. This type of CNC mold is precise and intricate with minimal tolerance for errors. If there are mistakes in production, it will be costly.

How to choose CNC mold?

The CNC mold is made of high-quality steel through special heat treatment. CNC mold has the characteristics of high hardness, not easy to wear, and high pressure. However, each set of CNC molds has its ultimate pressure. So, when using the CNC mold, correctly choose the length of the CNC mold, that is, how much pressure should be applied per meter and must not exceed the pressure marked on the CNC mold.

In order not to damage the CNC mold, we stipulate that when aligning the origin, the upper and lower CNC molds with a length of more than 300 mm must be used for the origin. Only after the origin is aligned can the upper and lower CNC molds of the same height be used.

When using CNC molds, due to the inconsistent height of various CNC molds, CNC molds of the same height can only be used when selecting CNC molds on a machine.

When using the CNC mold, choose the appropriate upper and lower CNC molds according to the material hardness, thickness and length of the metal sheet. Generally, the lower CNC mold is used according to the standard of 5~6 T, and the length is longer than the sheet. When the material is harder, the thicker the material, the lower die with a wider slot should be used.

When using the CNC mold, you should have a clear mind that the upper and lower CNC molds should be locked after the machine is aligned to the origin. Don’t let the CNC mold fall. During the operation, please pay attention to the pressure and do not apply too much pressure at once. 

When the CNC mold is used up, put it back on the mold rack in time and place it according to the label. Frequently clean the dust on the CNC mold and apply anti-rust oil to avoid rust and reduce the accuracy of the CNC mold.

Learn more something about CNC molds can know the types of CNC molds how to choose CNC molds. In the process of CNC molds development, a number of very powerful companies have emerged, such asHoly Precision Manufacturing Co., Limited Whether from quality or price, or delivery time, we can help customers to open up a further and larger market, it is wise to choose us as your business partner. We also provide other types of CNC machines such as CNC turning parts.