4 Common Myths of Plastic Mould Steel

Plastic mould steel is defined by high impact strength, excellent resistance against wear, good polish ability, and good dimensional stability when heated. There are various grades of plastic mould steel which offer improved machinability as well as an increase in polish ability. Plastic mould steel suppliers claim that it helps in moulding chemically aggressive plastics. Most of this plastic mould steel is supplied in a pre-hardened state. These come in various grades and have a wide range of applications. Needless to mention that each of these grades is unique to a particular kind of usage. However, P20 is one of the most widely used plastic mould steel. To dig deeper regarding plastic mould steel, certain myths need to be busted. 

1. Plastic injection moulding is not suitable for prototyping – For multiple reasons, it is believed that plastic injection moulding is not the ideal choice for prototyping. It is often considered to be a resource-intensive technique. To elaborate further, it is often thought to be both cost-effective and time-consuming. Therefore, other techniques are chosen for prototyping. However, the prime problem with that is the paucity of resemblance with the resultant products which creates a huge difference. On the contrary, injection moulding techniques are easy on the budget and bring maximum resemblance with the final product. This technique can create high-quality prototypes easily and much faster compared to other options. It is easily available and quite easier to conduct. Besides, the bonus is that the final product has an excellent resemblance. This will also allow getting the closest resemblance to the final product without having to bring any changes in the total cost. Other techniques are not only faulty but also much more time-consuming and incorrect. 

2. Any shape can be moulded – It is practically impossible to mould any shape and size. The plastic section can only be moulded to a great extent. However, the issue is that errors become almost unavoidable. Besides, if the mould ability is not up to the mark, there can be a series of problems with production. It can be delayed for weeks and there will be serious quality issues with mould making process. There is a huge misconception that plastics of any shape can be moulded into anything else. This is misleading and causes a lot of confusion between manufacturers and clients. In most cases, designs are mouldable up to 90% of the original idea if they are not easily mouldable. Besides, impeccability depends largely upon the channels which help in exchanging heat and balance the melt flow. Plastic mould steel suppliers clarify the argument stating, that if plastic does not mould uniformly, then the mould will be rendered useless. 

3. Huge scrap is produced during mould making – CNC operators are given the responsibility of mould making. They are professionals who are in charge of evaluation, adjustments, loading and unloading at the workplace, cycle activation, etc. However, the problem is caused when engineers with the least training are handed over these vital tasks. With the rightly trains CNC operators handling the operation, there is minimal scrap. Moreover, mould making and injection moulding create the least amount of scrap when compared to other conventional techniques. Lesser improved techniques or conventional modes of manufacturing plastic mould steel often consume huge amounts of plastic. 

4. Injection moulding parameters are the only way to solve quality problems – This is untrue. There are other techniques than injection moulding parameters to solve the moulding process. The mould design can be slightly modified by working on restrictions such as sink marks, dimensional inaccuracies, warpage, and shrinkage. It is important to note in this regard that just because the technique has been in use for a long time, it has to be the best possible one. It is necessary to use the most efficient mould and then part designs as injection moulding parameters are set. 

These are a few of the most common myths that Plastic Mould Steel Suppliers often point out and discuss.