Plastic mold steel is one important material for the whole molding industry. Mould steel provides the necessary strength and durability for long-lasting molds. But how do you choose the right steel materials for your need, as there are difference hardness. Let&#;s talk about the mold steel hardness difference for three common plastic mold steel: 1., P20, and 1. today.
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Plastic mold steel is a type of tool steel specifically designed for plastic molding. Due to the demands of plastic molding, these steels are with certain properties like hardness, wear resistance, and thermal stability.
Hardness is a very important factor in mold steels. It determines how well the mold can withstand the pressures of injection molding and resist wear over time. A harder mold steel will have a longer lifespan, but it&#;s also essential to balance hardness with other properties like toughness and machinery property.
1. steel is a popular pre-hardened plastic mold steel. It&#;s known for its balanced combination of hardness, toughness, and thermal stability.
Typically, 1. has a hardness range of 28-32 HRC. This hardness ensures good wear resistance, making it suitable for medium-sized molds.
P20 steel is perhaps the most widely used plastic mold steel. It&#;s pre-hardened, which means it can be used without further heat treatment, saving time and costs.
P20 steel generally has a hardness between 28-34 HRC. It offers excellent polishability, making it a top choice for molds that require a high-quality finish.
1. steel is a more upgrade materials for the P20 mold steel. It contains added nickel, which gives it better hardness and polishability.
With a hardness range of 33-37 HRC, 1. is harder than both 1. and P20. This makes it ideal for larger molds or those that require a longer lifespan.
Which Steel to Choose for Specific Molding Needs?
Choosing the right plastic mold steel is crucial for the success of any molding project. While 1., P20, and 1. all offer unique advantages, understanding their hardness differences can guide you to the best choice for your specific needs.
FAQs
Choosing the optimum mould steel for best tooling and production economy.
The choice of steel grade and supplier is often
made at the design stage in order to simplify and
speed up the delivery of the mould. This means
that the material and parts can be ordered in
good time and that the work can be better
planned.
Selecting and verifying correct steel grades are critical steps to every tooling project and must be done very carefully.
For more information, please visit Jiebao.
The steel types most commonly used are:
&#; pre-hardened mould and holder steel
&#; through-hardening mould steel
&#; corrosion resistant mould steel
For corrosive resins such as PVC, UPVC, POM, The Tool Hub suggests using corrosion resistant steels such as:
ESR
NAK80
420
420SS
ASSAB S136
ASSAB S136H
etc.
For abrasive resins The Tool Hub suggest to use through hardened steel such as:
S7
H13
etc.
For general purpose resins such as ABS, PP, PE, PS, HIPS, ABS/PC,PPO, nylon, Elastomers, TPU, TPV and TPR etc, both through hardened and prehardened steels can be a good choice and the determining factors are tool size, cost and tool life.
When to use pre-hardened steel
&#; large moulds
&#; moulds with low demands on wear resistance
&#; extrusion dies
&#; high strength holder plates
No heat treatment is necessary before the mould is put into use.
The surface hardness can be increased in many cases by adding a hardness layer (see out further guides on NiHard and Armoloy)
When to use through-hardened steel
&#; for long productions runs
&#; to resist abrasion from certain moulding materials
&#; to counter high closing or injection pressures
&#; for high pressure processes like compression moulding
The steels are normally delivered in the soft annealed condition.
They are usually rough-machined, stress-relieved, semi-finish machined, hardened
and tempered to the required hardness.
Reliable sources for steel in China that we can recommend to specify:
Assab/Uddeholm
Grodiz
Buderus
Bohler
Thyssen
Daido
and for many applications LKM
A quick comparison of the price difference between steels.
If you take a Chinese produced DIN and set its price to index 1, you can then see in the table below approximately how much more other alternatives will cost:
For more details please visit our guide describing our selection of steels and their characteristics.
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