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Key Factors Affecting Mold Design

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There are some key factors that can affect the design of your mold:

  • Shape, size, and complexity of part. The more complex the part, the more intricate mold features you’ll likely need, like cores, collapsible cores, or slides.
  • Material properties. These include its melting temperature, fluidity, shrinkage rate, and thermal conductivity.
  • Machine specs. Machine specs like clamping force, platen size, and injection system need to be compatible with the design of the mold.
  • Mold material. This can impact the mold’s lifespan and performance. The goal is to find a material that can withstand high temperatures and pressures without degrading.
  • Gate/runner system design. This will affect the flow of the molten metal, ultimately having an impact on the quality of the part.
  • Cooling and heating channels. If you have the proper cooling and heating channels, this will help you control the mold temperature, which has a bearing on the solidification process and cycle times.
  • Ejection system. The ejector system needs to be designed with the placement and number of ejector pins in mind. That way you can remove the cast part without damaging it or the mold.
  • Adequate venting. Having adequate venting is very important if you are to make a high-quality part. Good venting will allow gases to escape, preventing defects. An overflow system can also capture any excess material.
  • Desired surface finish. The surface finish you’ll eventually want will help you dictate the preparation of the mold’s surface, and help you decide which mold material and coatings to use.
  • Tolerances and dimensional accuracy. By understanding these in advance, you can make sure that your cast parts meet specifications.
  • Expected production volume. If you’re planning on making a ton of parts, you’ll quite obviously need to make sure the mold is durable enough to keep going.

 

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