Mastering Mold Longevity: Expert Strategies to Double Your Injection Mold Lifespan

Secrets to Extending Injection Mold Life: A Complete Guide from Core Material Selection to Maintenance

1. Core Material Selection - The Foundation of Mold Longevity

    Performance Comparison of Common Core Materials:

• P20 Pre-hardened Steel: Suitable for <500k cycles, best cost-performance
• NAK80: Excellent for glossy finishes, ideal for transparent parts
• H13 Heat-treated Steel: Heat-resistant, perfect for engineering plastics
• S136 Stainless Steel: Corrosion-resistant, recommended for PVC

    Material Selection Guidelines:

• General plastics (PP/PE): P20 or 718 steel
• Engineering plastics (PC/ABS): NAK80 or H13
• Corrosive materials: Must use S136 stainless steel

2. Critical Heat Treatment Parameters

    Standard Vacuum Heat Treatment Process:

• Quenching temperature: 1020-1050°C
• Tempering cycles: Minimum 2 times
• Final hardness control: HRC48-52 (material dependent)

   Surface Enhancement Options:

• Nitriding: Surface hardness up to HV1000
• TD Treatment: 3-5x wear resistance improvement
• DLC Coating: Reduces friction coefficient to <0.1

3. Five Essential Daily Maintenance Practices

   Cleaning Standards:

• Clean parting line residues every shift
• Weekly water channel inspection
• Monthly comprehensive surface cleaning

   Lubrication Management:

• Guide pillars/bushings: Molybdenum disulfide grease every 8 hours
• Ejector pins: High-temperature grease every 5k cycles
• Sliders: Graphite-containing lubricant every 24 hours

   Rust Prevention:

• Short-term storage: Anti-rust spray
• Long-term storage: VCI paper wrapping

4. Periodic Maintenance Schedule

5. Troubleshooting Common Issues

   Core Cracking Solutions:

• Minor cracks: Laser cladding repair
• Major damage: Replace core inserts

  Rust Treatment:

• Light rust: Hand polish with 600# sandpaper
• Severe rust: Re-plating required

  Wear Compensation:

1. Guide pillar wear: Hard chrome plating (0.01-0.03mm)
2. Cavity wear: TD treatment for dimensional recovery

6. Practical Life-Extension Techniques

   Production Optimization:

• Set appropriate packing time to reduce core stress
• Maintain mold temperature within material specifications
• Avoid short shots to prevent dry friction

   Storage Best Practices:

• Maintain 45%-55% humidity
• Store molds vertically to prevent distortion
• Use dedicated racks to avoid collisions

    Repair Decision Guide:

• Repair if cost <30% of new mold
• Repair if remaining life >70% of new mold
• Replace if critical components damaged

Through these systematic material selection, maintenance, and care approaches, injection mold service life can be increased by 50%-100%, significantly reducing production costs. For customized mold life extension solutions, please contact XP MOLD technical team.