Detailed Explanation of the Mold Processing Technological Process: Analysis of Core Technologies from Design to Molding

 

Mold processing is a core process in the manufacturing industry for molding or blanking, involving various types such as shearing dies, stamping dies, and injection molds. Its core principle is to shape materials under the action of a press through the combination of upper and lower dies. This article will systematically analyze the technological process, technical characteristics, and industrial applications of mold processing, providing a practical guide for practitioners.

 

I. Core Classification of Mold Processing

Molds can be divided into six major categories according to application scenarios:

- Metal Stamping Dies: Including progressive dies and single - punching dies, used for the stamping and forming of automotive parts and electronic components;

- Plastic Molding Dies: Covering injection molds, vacuum - forming molds, etc., widely used in the production of household appliance casings and daily necessities;

- Die - Casting Dies: Specifically used for the precision die - casting of metals such as aluminum alloy and zinc alloy;

- Forging Dies and Powder Metallurgy Dies: Suitable for the forging and sintering of high - strength parts;

- Rubber Dies: Used for the molding of rubber products such as seals and tires.

 

II. Comprehensive Analysis of the Technological Process

Mold processing requires more than ten precise processes to ensure the final molding accuracy and efficiency:

1. Material Preparation: Including material cutting (front/back mold materials, inserts, etc.), frame cutting (mold frame production), and rough machining (preliminary molding of the mold cavity);

2. Precision Molding: Micron - level fine - tuning of complex surfaces is carried out through processes such as wire cutting, electrical discharge machining (EDM), and computer numerical control (CNC) machining;

3. Auxiliary Processes: Drilling, ejector pin installation, oblique ejector mechanism assembly, etc., to ensure the functional integrity of the mold;

4. Surface Treatment: Mold polishing and heat treatment (such as quenching and nitriding) to improve the durability of the mold.

 

III. Technical Difficulties and Equipment Requirements

Mold processing has extremely high requirements for precision and equipment performance, and the main challenges include:

- Micron - level Precision: The dimensional tolerance of molds often needs to be controlled within 1μm, especially for products such as automotive body panels and precision electronic connectors;

- Complex Surface Treatment: It is necessary to use mathematical modeling and professional software to process multi - curved composite cavities;

- Small - batch Production Characteristics: Most molds are custom - made individually, requiring equipment to have high flexibility and fast change - over capabilities;

- Processing of High - hardness Materials: Most molds are made of alloy steel, and high - rigidity machine tools and wear - resistant cutting tools are required during processing.

To meet the above requirements, processing equipment should have the following characteristics:

- Powerful Numerical Control System: Supporting complex operations such as five - axis linkage and profile machining;

- Excellent Thermal Stability and Rigidity: Reducing deformation errors during processing;

- Multi - process Integration Capability: Capable of performing composite machining such as milling, drilling, and tapping.

 

IV. Industrial Applications and Trends

Mold processing technology penetrates almost all manufacturing fields:

- Micro Parts: Such as electronic connectors and chip packaging molds;

- Large Components: Automotive dashboards, aircraft structural parts, etc.;

- Emerging Fields: New - energy battery casings, precision molds for medical devices.

With the development of intelligent manufacturing, mold processing is evolving towards digitization and automation. For example, progressive die technology significantly improves production efficiency through multi - station continuous stamping; profile machining technology combined with 3D scanning enables rapid replication of reverse modeling of physical objects.

 

V. Conclusion

The complexity and high - precision requirements of mold processing make it one of the core competitiveness in the manufacturing industry. Practitioners need to master multi - disciplinary knowledge. From material characteristics to equipment selection, from process design to quality control, every link requires excellence. In the future, with the integration of new materials and intelligent technologies, mold processing will promote technological leaps in more industries.