LATEST ADDITIONS STRENGTHEN DIE AND MOLD CAPABILITIES

In recent years, global manufacturer Dormer Pramet has expanded its assortment of indexable and solid round tools to support a variety of die and mold applications.

In recent years, global manufacturer Dormer Pramet has expanded its assortment of indexable and solid round tools to support a variety of die and mold applications.

This diverse industry features a wide array of molding components, often featuring materials in a condition that makes them difficult to machine, with a requirement for tools capable of supporting high feeds, as well as large material removal rates.

Common components include plastic injection molds, forging dies, die casting and micro molds, with each requiring application-specific tooling. This range of applications covers heavy roughing through to fine finishing.

Dormer Pramet works with a wide range of die and mold manufacturers, from companies making small components, such as molds for bottles and mobile phone cases, up to large forgings. Workpieces are often made from difficult to machine materials, such as pre-hardened steel, hardened tool steel, and stainless steel.

The most typical include P20, H13 and D2 tool steel materials, based on international standards. P20 is a versatile, low-alloy material which offers good levels of toughness and moderate strength. It is commonly used for plastic injection molds and die castings.

A versatile chromium-molybdenum material, H13 is suitable for applications where temperatures fluctuate during the machining process. It resists thermal fatigue and cracking which can occur when creating the molds at different stages.

Finally, D2 is high carbon and chromium tool steel, which exhibits good levels of wear and abrasion-resistant properties. It is generally heat-treated to a hardness of around 62 HRC, where it can still be machined using the correct tools and machining strategies. The high levels of chromium give it a medium level of corrosion resistance when hardened.