UDDEHOLM TOOL STEELS FOR PLASTIC MOULDING

1 1 TOOLING APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGUDDEHOLM tool STEELS FORPLASTICMOULDING2 TOOLING APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGThis information is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended toprovide general notes on our products and their uses. It should not therefore beconstrued as a warranty of specific properties of the products described or awarranty for fitness for a particular according to EU Directive 1999/45/ECFor further information see our Material Safety Data Sheets . edition 12, UDDEHOLMS ABNo part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercialpurposes without permission of the copyright APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGCONTENTSS teel affects us in millions of ways4 Product design5 Mould design6 Mouldmaking10 Moulding14 MOULDING methods injection moulding17 Compression moulding17 blow moulding18 Extrusion18 The same quality and service available worldwide20 Product programme for PLASTIC moulding21 Chemical composition and properties22 Mould steel selection General recommendations23 Special recommendations24 Selecting a tool steel supplier is a key decision for all parties, including the toolmaker, the tool user and the end user.

2 Thanks to superior material properties, UDDEHOLM s customers get reliable tools and components. Our products are alwaysstate-of-the-art. Consequently, we have built a reputation as the most innovative toolsteel producer in the produce and deliver high quality Swedish tool steel to more than100,000 customers in over 100 countries. We secure our position as a world-leadingsupplier of tool you are in the manufacturing chain, trust UDDEHOLM to be your numberone partner and tool steel provider for optimal tooling and production simply, it pays to go for a better APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGP lastic MOULDING is a part of our everyday parts, mobile phones, spectacles andcomputer chassis are all manufactured inmoulds. However, the materials needed tomake these moulds often require unique anddemanding characteristics.

3 This is why it iscrucial to select the correct steel grade for yourspecific of the most well-known brands useUddeholm tool steel in their manufacturingprocesses, since PLASTIC MOULDING is a de-manding industry. Harsh environments putsteel under considerable stress. The problemsare well-known, choosing the right tool steel isthe moulder knows that the cost of excessivemould maintenance, major repolishing,cleaning, replanting and replacing of worn orbroken parts has to be taken into account. Thecosts of production and down time, overtimepayment, late-delivery penalties and loss ofcustomer goodwill also need to be moulders also know that they have tosolve the problem of maximizing the life andperformance of the production tool , themould, to achieve the lowest possible totaltooling cost per part produced.

4 The cost of thetool steel in a mould usually represents only5 10% of the tool costs. The effect on the totalcost will be even drive to find new solutions, ongoingdevelopment and research are the hallmark ofUddeholm as a business improvements and new productdevelopment are possible because we under-stand and listen to our customers production calls for precision andoptimum performance, UDDEHOLM s worldleading tool steel is this brochure we present all our highquality material used for production of plasticparts. We also focus on important factors thatcontribute to an economical AFFECTS US IN MILLIONS OF WAYSP ulse monitor. UDDEHOLM Stavax ESR and UDDEHOLM UHB 11 are suitable mould steel for this kind of APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGPRODUCT DESIGNWe at UDDEHOLM can help the product designerto ensure that the final MOULDING matches hisoriginal worldwide marketing organization is ableto provide high quality mould steel to meetevery plastics MOULDING and extrusion Technical Support will give competenttechnical advice and information on the selec-tion of the appropriate steel , heat treatmentand application IMPORTANT ROLEOF THE PRODUCT DESIGNERWhen setting out to create a new moulded parta product designer faces many criteria thathave to be from its purely functional performance.

5 The MOULDING is often required to match highstandards of finish and tolerance over a longproduction these requirements are successfullymet or not depends to a large extent on goodcomponent design, good mould design, goodmould-making and the selection of the bestmould steel for the THE BESTMOULD steel FOR THE JOBThe product designer is thus involved in a lot ofimportant decisions. Decisions that sooner orlater will relate to the mould steel selected. Hehas to ask himself questions such as:How important is the surface finish?Does it need to be a mirror or opticalfinish?(On page 10 you can see where we can be ofassistance in helping him to answer thesequestions.)Will the mould for the part be patternedby photo-etching? Are there severalpatterned parts to be matched, in a car interior?(On page 13 you can see what UDDEHOLM hasto offer in this field.)

6 Will the MOULDING material be corrosive,abrasive or both?(For further information on how we tackle theseproblems see page 22.)How critical is it that the tolerances areheld within close limits? What quantitieshave to be produced?(The answer is important since the productionquantity will affect the degree of wear resist-ance and other properties required in themould material.)AVOID SHARP CORNERSAND STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!Avoiding sharp corners and edges whereverpossible is one example of how an experi-enced product designer can improve mould lifeand MOULDING corners in mouldings, and therefore inthe mould, are always potential stress-raisingpoints. Points likely to cause cracking andfailure of both MOULDING and increasing the radius of the corners ofmoulded parts a product designer significantlyimproves the impact strength of the result is a stronger mould, much betterable to resist high locking and injection of increasing radius on impact strength.

7 ( steel type: AISI H13 at 46 47 HRC. Sample taken fromsurface, in the longitudinal direction.) inch RadiusImpact strengthKV6 TOOLING APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGMOULD DESIGNThe mould designer can significantly contributeto optimum tooling economy by thinkingstandard, using standard steel grades,standard steel sizes and standard IMPORTANT ROLEOF THE MOULD DESIGNERIn seeking to produce the best possible mould,a mould designer faces several criteria thathave to be with the mouldmaker he shares theheavy responsibility of producing a mould thatgives reliable and economical production of thepart conceived by the product also endeavours to ensure that the mouldcan be constructed as easily and economicallyas possible by the these requirements are successfullymet or not depends to a large extent onspecifying the best mould steel and hardnessfor the mould clever mould designer can also add avaluable service to all concerned by A SHORT CUT TO PRODUCTIVITYBY THINKING STANDARD!

8 Most mould designers are used to specifying awhole range of standard parts such as guidepins and bushings, ejector pins etc. Sincethese parts are available quickly at competitiveprices they help the mouldmaker save there is even more time and money to besaved. Time and cost savings can be furtherimproved by extending this standard thinkingto standard steel sizes, machined plates andsteel fact, by specifying readily available steelgrades in standard sizes the mouldmaker canensure prompt deliveries while keeping initialmachining costs and material losses to THE OPTIMUMMOULD steel FOR BEST TOOLINGAND PRODUCTION ECONOMYThe choice of steel grade and supplier is oftenmade at the design stage in order to simplifyand speed up the delivery of the mould. Thismeans that the material and parts can beordered in good time and that the work can bebetter APPLICATION PLASTIC MOULDINGThis is not always a simple task.

9 In many casesthe choice of steel grade is a compromisebetween the wishes of the mouldmaker andthe mouldmaker is primarily interested in themachinability of the steel , its polishability, heattreatment and surface treatment moulder is looking for a mould with goodwear and corrosion resistance, high compres-sive strength COMMONLY USEDMOULD STEELThe steel types most commonly used are: prehardened mould and holder steel through-hardening mould steel corrosion resistant mould steel (For further information on these steel typesand their properties see pages 21 23.)WHEN TO USE PREHARDENEDMOULD AND HOLDER STEELT hese steel are mostly used for: large moulds moulds with low demands on wear resistance extrusion dies high strength holder platesThe steel are delivered in the hardened andtempered condition, usually within the 270 400 Brinell range.

10 No heat treatment is neces-sary before the mould is put into surface hardness can be increased inmany cases (see Why Heat Treatment onpage 11).Prehardened mould steel are generally usedfor large moulds and for moulds with moderateproduction PREHARDENEDMOULD AND HOLDER STEELU ddeholm Impax Supreme (AISI P20 modified),which is refined by the vacuum degassingtechnique, offers good machinability andhomogeneity, excellent polishability andconsistent photo-etching properties due to alow sulphur Nimax is a low carbon steel withexcellent toughness and weldability. It also hasexcellent machinability for a high hardness pre-hardened Holdax (AISI 4140 modified), oftenrecommended for high strength holder blocksand large moulds with low requirements onpolishability, offers excellent machinabilityenabling high metal removal rates for deepforms and insert cavity Mirrax 40, ESR remelted, offerscorrosion resistance, good homogeneity,cleanliness and excellent Impax Supreme, UddeholmHoldax, UDDEHOLM Nimax and UddeholmMirrax 40 are prehardened steel .