Aluminum Mould

Inox Aluminum Mould

Inox Cast is a high-qualified manufacturer of different aluminum mould. We have a wide capacity of die casting various aluminum to create excellent mould designs. At Inox Cast, we are sure to provide you high-quality aluminum mould solutions.

We offer different aluminum mould designs used in diverse industries and applications. Our capacity in the production process allows us to serve some industries such as medical, automotive, aerospace, electrical, machinery, plumbing, and so on. Inox Cast assures you an exceptional aluminum mould solution.

Since most of our competitors make their molds out of aluminum material, Inox Cast can help you with your aluminum moulds needs. The aluminum is harder as well and it can withstand high temperature and pressure. Thus, the molds have high durability, ideal for several applications.

Based on the requirements of your applications, Inox Cast is able to produce different aluminum molds.

The aluminum moulds by Inox Cast offer many benefits such as being light in weight, 100% recyclable, high durability, corrosion resistance, has a good finishing, and many more.

All our aluminum moulds come with the highest quality, competitive costs, and excellent performance. Let us know how we can help you! Please contact us.

Aluminum Mould: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

I know choosing a suitable aluminum mould can be an overwhelming task.

However, this guide will make everything simple and easy to understand.

It answers all questions you have been asking about aluminum moulds.

Keep reading to learn more.

What Is Aluminium Mould?

Aluminum mould is a tooling that is used to give shape to molten or hot liquid material when it hardens and cools into the specified part.

Aluminum mould

Where Can You Use Aluminium Mould?

It is a soft tool which can be used in large volume production.

Aluminum mold can be used to produce high volume qualities of plastic injection moulded parts.

The cost of Aluminum is always three times higher than the tool steel so only specific grades of Aluminum are capable of being machined properly.

Not all Aluminum grades can withstand the pressures involved with the injection molding.

T-6 grade can be used for machining because of the fast speeds and heavy feeds that can be used.

Why Choose Aluminium Mould?

It can last as long as steel Molds if treated the way steel Molds are treated.

Completion of Aluminum mold creates the layer of alumina oxide on the surface which protects it against corrosion.

They provide a higher quality for their injection and moulded plastic materials.

It helps reduce in scrap and waste after production is done.

The Molds are designed and built the same way steel Molds are built.

The use of Aluminum mold help in saving the cost of the initial mold hence they save time when building the mold.

What Are the Limitations of Aluminium Mould?

• It wears faster if it is not hardened correctly.
• It has a slippery surface which has to undergo anodizing process or other surface treatment methods.
• Anodize surfaces will chip away from corners that are 90 degrees or less.
• There is no excellent dimensional stability because there is less tendency to distort due to shrink differences.
• The even heat distribution reduces physical residual stress, which normally would cause failure at some point during the life of the product.

Which Features Should You Look For In Aluminium Mould?

Metallic Properties.

Aluminum is ductile hence it is the right material to use in tooling.

It has a strong metallic character thus maintains its rigidity and strength.

Tooling Cost.

It is more cost effective than steel hence producing more parts in a short period of time.

Thermal Expansion And Cooling Rate.

Aluminum cools easily and makes production faster when heated to the right temperature because it has a high coefficient of thermal expansion.

Aluminium can heat more uniformly and decreases the defects and rejected pieces.

Good For Low Volume.

Aluminium provides low-volume batch production of parts due to its reliability in giving lower upfront costs.

How Do You Make Aluminium Mould?

Die cut aluminum mould

We make Aluminum mold using sand hence we have two types of moulding sand; oil-based sand and water-based sand.

Oil based sand is the most preferred method due to its ability to provide a very detailed finish but the disadvantage is that it burns when molten Aluminum touches it.

Get a wooden flask which can come apart in two pieces; the cope and the drag hence the cope is the top and the drag is the bottom.

When the mold is ready for the pour, adjust the flask to the size you want to properly fit the pattern that you are making a mold for.

The molten Aluminum is then poured into the cavity via a series of runners and gates hence they stay for a predetermined time frame.

Besides, the sand and the runners are then broken away from the casting leaving the raw castings which are sanded and finished.

Furthermore, the fastener system is then added to each section of the tool to hold the parting line together.

Mold is then secured with steel framing which is placed onto the base mold.

The inside of the cavity is then textured with the relevant medium to match the customers surface finish specification.

Also, the pattern is removed and the mold cavity is places in a brace and paired with its other half.

The surface finish is not always as smooth as other casting methods hence the dimensional accuracy is also lower.

How Can You Check Quality Of Aluminium Mould?

Aluminium mould is usually checked with spectrometer to determine its quality.

Strength.

The solidified metal should possess the feature of less porosity by great cooling

Quality Outcome.

It should be able to innovate the process that removes the expenses on the impure waste and producing the finely finished casting.

Complex Mechanic.

Ensure there is no dimensional variation in the metal moulds and its consistency is being maintained with each piece to provide great solidarity.

Variety And Flexibility.

Track down the best casting mould and products that meet demands and needs of the production.

Metallurgical Features.

Make sure that the high-pressure tightness is maintained.

Here is the procedure to check the quality of aluminium mould;

1. Analyse the crystallization of castings with metallographic analyser.
2. Use the x-ray flaw detector to detect the internal quality of the casting.
3. With fluorescence analysis, check whether there is any presence of cracks on the casting surface.
4. Universal testing machine will be used to detect if the mechanical properties of casting are there.
5. Check the size of the measurement using three coordinates, callipers and height rulers for dimensional detection of casting.

Which Grades Of Aluminium Are Suitable For Making Aluminium Mould?

These are some of the grades that are considered to be the best and well performed aluminium for casting;

• 7050 aluminium.

It is used for structural foam mould, production injection mould and production blow moulds.

• 6013 aluminium.

This provides a good corrosion resistance, machinability, strength and weldability with good hardness.

More versatile of heat-treatable Aluminum alloy and can be brazed too.

• 7075 aluminium.

It is mostly used in prototype tooling and production injection mould hence it provides an excellent strength and also known as aircraft aluminium.

• 2024 aluminium.

Mostly used in short runs and for structural foam or blow moulding.

• 6061 aluminium.

It works best in large blow moulds, low volume injection mould and compression moulds.

• A383 aluminium.

Provides higher strength at high temperatures and less chance of cracking under heat.

• A360 aluminium.

Provides good ductility, corrosion resistance and higher strength at high temperatures.

Aluminum mould

Other well performed aluminium alloys grade are;

319, A356,535,413 and 356.

How Much Does Aluminium Mould Cost?

The cost of the design and building a mould depends on the required production volume, the complexity of the part, mould material and the process used.

Simple low-volume 3D printed Molds can cost as little as $100.

Complex high-volume production may hit the $100000.

Moulding process has low variable costs due to the inexpensive thermoplastics’ materials; short cycle times and the labour needs decrease progressively.

The following are factors that affects the cost of aluminium mould;

Material Selection.

The mould material will depend on the required production volumes, materials, product finishes and cycle times.

We have two plastic injection moulds; hot runner and cold runner hence the right runner will depend on the specific application.

Part Design.

Complex custom plastic molding parts are more expensive compared to simple parts because they require more tooling hence increasing the cost.

Mould Finish.

Different plastics responds differently to mould surfaces thus lack of texture from a smooth mould surface may cause parts to stick to the mould.

Cooling System.

The more complex the cooling, the higher the tooling cost and the longer the design and fabrication time.

Manufacturer Location.

This will depend based on shipping getting the mold to the processing location hence choosing an offshore manufacturer can increase shipping cost.

Mould Cavitation.

Tooling cavitation is required for future production capacities hence for every cavitation added the tooling cost will increase.

Mould Complexity And Aesthetics.

Complex design can render a product not manufacturable and can add unneeded complexity moulds that will lead to higher tooling cost.

Are Aluminium Moulds Durable?

Absolutely yes.

Aluminum mould have good lifespan of about 2000-10000 parts depending on the type of Aluminum used, part material and geometry.

Their lifespan depends om its use in product manufacturing thus when used for prototyping they produce thousand parts because of their mould density.

Surface coating and anodizing in recent times have been used to improve the lifespan of aluminium moulds hence making them useful in production cycles.

How Do Aluminum Molds Compare To Steel Moulds?

Polished steel mould

• The strength and hardness of steel provides better results than aluminium hence steel is good to hold a shape for those high precision areas.
• Steel is more durable compared to aluminium thus it is suitable for long production runs hence if you don’t require long production runs, aluminium is the best.
• The uniform heating and cooling time of aluminium enables to decrease the number of defects and rejected parts.

inside aluminum molds

• Due to aluminium softness, it is easier to repair and easily modified while the steel material is hard making it more difficult and costly to repair.
• Aluminium has a lower tooling cost compared to steel hence your tool investment will be lower for aluminium than for steel.
• Aluminium provides a good value for low-volume production runs due to their lower upfront costs hence producing thousands of pieces of parts.
• Aluminium has a higher rate of heat and can cool more quickly compared to steel thus able to produce more parts more quickly.
• When it comes to advanced resins, steel provides a good result when working with more complex formulations likes glasses due to their hardness.

How Do You Design Aluminum Moulds For Die Casting Process?

This is an essential step in the product manufacturing of aluminium mould process hence it determines with the durability of products and the efficiency of the mould.

A designer must consider the following when making Aluminum mould design;

Wall Thickness.

Having a uniform wall thickness with aluminium that meets the structural needs is very beneficial hence it’s easier to extrude and cost less.

You should avoid adjacent wall thickness that have a higher ratio and use rounded corners to transition from walls which have different thickness.

This will help to ease the flow of aluminium.

Use Inserts.

To enhance durability of the Aluminum, inserts of different shapes and different materials are incorporated into Aluminum mould design.

Suitable Alloys.

When designing Aluminum plastic injection mould, silicon is the most preferred element as an alloy due to its high specific heat capacity.

Silicon helps to promote solid mechanical properties in products hence it has a short freezing range.

Possible Revision.

This is very important during design for it may prove cost-effective later but it may also increase the injection mould cost.

Take Note Of Part Details.

Use fillets when designing Aluminum moulds rather than sharp corners hence to prevent cracking or permanent deformity.

Are There Custom Aluminium Moulds; What Should You Look for In Customs Aluminium Mould?

Absolutely yes.

We inspect every step of the moulds to guarantee the highest accuracy.

There are lots of factors to consider when looking for custom metal casting thus if you don’t consider these factors, you may run a risk of purchasing ill-suited castings for your needs.

Logistics.

It is important to communicate with your foundry to determine lead times and pricing for the products you need.

Make sure that you can have your finished product delivered when you need it hence the supplier you choose to work with will run a production schedule and also improve production and reduce scrap.

Design Specification.

Consider the metal you will need in detail before contacting a metal casting supplier hence thing about the number of copies each part that you will need.

A casting mould is developed through a process called pattern making thus it is used to cast the designed part hence it can either be reusable or non-reusable.

This help you to decide whether you are casting a single item or you will need many replicas of that item.

Most common metal casting application are sand mould or metal hence casting moulds can also be made from clay, sand, plastic, wood and other materials.

Metals usually shrink while cooling so mould is always designed to account for shape distortions that occurs during cooling.

Application Quality Assurance.

This is very important because it determines the type of metal used for casting and the heat treatment required to guarantee a long lifespan for the casting.

You will have to also consider the physical properties, cost and aesthetics hence to determine which metal is best application.

Heat treatment is very necessary if the metal will be used in an industrial setting or exposed to extreme conditions like hot, cold or damp environments.

This will help to adjust the properties of your casting earlier to their application hence it involves adjustment of metal temperature to make it resilient.

Your casting should also undergo texting prior to use hence to check for cracks, chips and physical properties like tensile strength and hardness.

Can You Die Cast Aluminium In Aluminium Moulds?

Absolutely yes.

Steel Molds are mostly used for aluminium die casting because aluminium die casting requires a material that has a higher strength and melting temperatures than Aluminum.

If Aluminum is being casted in Aluminum mold, the mold is usually made from Gray iron and steel hence the two halves are connected and the pre-heated.

The molten metal is the poured in from a ladle to fill the mold thus allowing it to set until it solidifies to remove the casting.

Aluminum mould die casting

Permanent mold casting is the process used because it involves creating a reusable mold from metal with high melting temperatures.

Which Industrial Use Aluminium Moulds?

Aluminum moulds are used in telecommunications products, electrical, automotive, hydraulic and lighting industrials.

It is also used in companies of toys and architectural applications.

Aluminum die casting can be manufactured as auto parts, automotive engine fittings, valve rocker arms, motor end cover, housing, power fittings

It is widely used in these companies because of its high intrinsic quality and external quality.

Aluminum moulds have high precision and surface finish thus it reduces the amount of machining of the castings and reduces labour intensity.

Are Aluminum Moulds Resistant To Heat?

Absolutely yes.

This makes it to be more preferred when looking for a material to make their mould out of for use in the injection moulding process.

Aluminum mould has the ability to heat quickly hence generate faster production times requiring less time to reset between cycles.

It heats uniformly hence reducing defects, waste and rejections.

Can You Use Aluminum Moulds For All Materials?

Not really.

6061 Aluminum is the best and commonly used for mould applications hence it meets all the property requirements and is versatile in meeting specific variations.

6061 Aluminum is suitable material due to;

• Surface finish and porosity.
• Corrosion and chemical resistance.
• Weight.
• Weldability.
• Recyclability.
• Dimensional stability.
• Machinability.

At What Temperature Range Can You Use Aluminium Moulds?

The temperature depends on the alloy you intend to cast hence as temperature increases the tensile and yield strengths of the alloy decreases.

It is better to pour your alloy into the die when the temperature is at 50c to 70c higher than crystallization temperature of the alloy.

When the temperature increases, the ductility also increases but they differ based on the type of alloy being cast.

To ensure proper flow and fill of the mould, the metal being casted needs to be heated correctly thus to avoid defects when the temperature is cold hence the metal cool too quickly.

What Is The Best Design Practice For Aluminium Moulds Designs?

Die casting is the most effective process for high volume precision casting hence the casting equipment and the metal dies represent large capital costs.

It produces smooth and textured surfaced metal parts hence by forcing molten metals into a mould form due to high pressure systems.

It is corrosion resistant and highly conductive.

It possesses high dimensional stability for complex parts and thin walls hence is more cost-effective compared to other designs.

Die casting allows a high volume of die casting parts to be produced very quickly.

The design retains a durable strength at a very high temperatures thus it has a good stiffness and strength to weight ratio.

What Are The Main Sections Of Aluminum Moulds?

This are the main sections of aluminium mould;

• Ejectors.
• Alignment devices.
• Bases.
• Guides.
• Bushings.
• Pins.
• Lifters.

For all your aluminum moulds, contact inox now.