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Production tooling - manufacturing

288. Plastic mold, Plastic mould

"Mold" and "die" are the common nouns for the tooling used to produce plastic parts inside a cavity.

Historically, molds were costly to make. Their purpose was for mass production. Molds typically are constructed of hardened steel, pre-hardened steel, aluminum, and/or beryllium-copper alloy. Economics is the determinant of material choice. Steel molds tend to cost more to construct, but their superior durability means the higher tooling cost is amortized over a greater number of parts made before the mold is worn out. Pre-hardened steel molds are less wear-resistant and are used for lower-volume production, or for larger components. The hardness of this steel is typically 38-45 on the Rockwell-C scale. Hardened steel molds are those that are heat treated after having been machined. Molds of hardened steel are far and away superior in terms of wear resistance and longevity. Hardness typically ranges between 50 and 60 Rockwell-C (HRC). Aluminum molds can cost substantially less. Yet they can be used to make hundreds of thousands of parts when designed and machined with state-of-the-art computerized equipment. Beryllium copper is used in areas of the mold which require rapid cooling or areas are subjected to the most shear heat. The custom molds can be manufactured by either CNC machining or by using Electrical Discharge Machining processes.