Mold manufacturing starts with planning and design. In the planning and design of mold manufacturing, there are some necessary questions that must be answered to produce successful parts. “How is the part to be used?” “How does it fit to other parts in the assembly?”, “What loads will it experience when in use?”.

Apart from functional and structural issues, processing issues play a large role in the design of the mold. How the molten plastic or metal enters, fills, and cools. How ejectors and sliders (if there are) work. We are ready to offer our planning and design expertise at the request of our clients.

One of the rules to consider when making molds is the careful selection of materials. The mold material is selected according to a process such as injection molding or forging of plastic or metal. Particularly in metal injection molds, hardening processes are used for steel.

Types of plastic molds

1) Plastic injection mold

These are the molds that produce most types of plastics depending on the application. The plastic raw material is melted in an injection molding tank and then injected under high pressure into the mold. The plastic takes the shape of a mold and cools inside the mold. The duration of this process is short enough to be measured in seconds. This process can be used to produce precision plastic parts. Unfit products can be recycled and re-cast.

2) Metal injection mold (Die casting)

It is used to produce aluminum, zamaki and other soft metals. The same method is used in plastic injection molds. It is separated from plastic injection molds by the type of slide rail and
with overflow pockets. Production is done with two types of injection molding machines such as hot and cold chambers.

CNC machines used in the manufacture of molds;
Haas VF 3SS CNC machining center

Agma A-10 CNC machining center
Manford VL850 CNC Machining Center
Topper 130A CNC turning center

What to consider when designing an injection mold;

Material shrinkage margin: it is important to consider the amount of shrinkage in plastic products and apply it to the size of the mold. Different materials have different shrinkage potentials. The amount of shrinkage also varies depending on the thickness of the plastic product.

Emission angle: The emission angle must be considered during product design. This angle is required to easily remove the product from the mold, which is usually 0.5 to 1 degree.

Manifold Design: The manifold is the path that molten plastic follows into the mold cavities. Because the distribution channel for each product is symmetrical, it ensures that all products are of the same quality. The location and size of the distribution channel should be determined by the product.

Deaeration ducts: Deaeration ducts allow air to escape inside the mold during casting. This allows for better product quality. The channel is determined by the flow index of the plastic material used.