MoldMaking Technology

MAR 2018

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moldmakingtechnology.com 17 "For example, we were recently contacted by a blow molder interested in an alternative to an expensive, forged material. After discussing the project, we learned that the pinch area was to be inserted with beryllium copper. We then directed them to a cast aluminum product that is more readily avail- able, easier to repair and more cost effective." He says that cycle-time reduction is the biggest reason for choosing alu- minum. "If 50 percent of the cost of a part for the OEM is press time, and it is possible to save 15–30 percent on cycle time, then that's the motivating factor." Wirth adds that as the mold industry moves toward larger aluminum molds because of price, weight and cycle-time reduction, there is an increased need for thicker and wider moldmaking materials. "Clinton Aluminum now offers mold plate up to 42 inches thick," he says. Clinton Aluminum and Stainless Steel also has recently added several new alloys that Wirth says will serve to fill the void between cast aluminum and a less available, costlier forged product when it comes to Brinell hardness and tensile strength. "Because moldmakers are pushed for faster lead times, the availability of material will be more crucial than ever," he says. Ellwood Specialty Steel's Rich Polenick says that there is greater acceptance of aluminum alloys to build production molds for high-volume parts. "Aluminum alloys were tradi- tionally used only for prototype tooling because they were easily machined and suited the need for molding limited quan- tities of parts. But, they were considered 'soft' and inappropri- ate for the making of long-term, high-volume parts," he says. "Aluminum alloys have recently been developed that have been proven to be capable of high volumes and of withstanding the rigors of those processes over time." He notes that packaging applications have used aluminum for quite some time while the automotive industry is gaining acceptance as their vehicles become more high-mix or low-volume regarding production needs. "Hardened-steel molds may not be required," he says. "Most importantly, the higher thermal conductivity of alumi- num yields the benefit of faster cycle times." Striving for Better Materials Performance Polenick says that Ellwood Specialty Steel has a 108-year his- tory in metalworking and is always working to develop better products for its customers, including ongoing testing and development of steels in the company's core molding grades (P20, H13 and stainless steels). "Efforts are focused on the pro- duction of cleaner steels, which are those that contain fewer non-metallic inclusions that are always found in steelmaking

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