What is a plastic mold, what parts does it consist of and what should I look out for if I am interested in making one for my own use.
In short, it is an assembly / mechanism whose parts are usually made of steel or aluminum in which the forms of the product we want to produce are processed. they are essentially made up of 2 parts, the core and the cavity.
The cavity is where the plastic is injected in a liquefied form and the core forms the inner part of the produced object. Once the plastic is finished pouring into the cavities, it is allowed to cool and solidify. The mold is then opened and the finished product is pulled out of it. This process is repeated in a loop until the batch is completed.
Main parts of the mold:
Cavity: is the empty space where the material is poured to form the geometry of the product
Core: It is the mobile part that forms the internal structure of the object
Sprue: The passage through which molten plastic is fed into the mold cavity.
Runner: is the channel that connects the sprue to the cavity.
Extractor: It is the system that extracts the product from the mold. usually pins
Cooling system: It is responsible for cooling the plastic in the mould and stabilize it.
What should I look out for if I am interested in building one for my own use?
According to the requirements of the object and the size of the production, the selection of the materials that will make up the mold should be done with care. when it comes to a structure whose purpose is to make hundreds of thousands of cycles, special steels and tool steels should be used as well as a hardening heat treatment on the plates. When it comes to smaller scale production, aluminum or simple steel can be used with satisfactory results.
Delta plast & mould.
Article by: Dimitris Kakalidis
09/02/2023
tags: Καλούπι πλαστικών ,καλούπι injection, χύτευση πλαστικού