What Are the Plastic Mould Processing Technologies
2026-03-10 11:43:18
Plastic Molds
Plastic mould processing refers to the complete manufacturing process from mould steel blanks to finished qualified moulds, covering a series of professional processes. Each process directly determines the precision, service life, production stability and final plastic product quality.
Cutting & Rough Machining
As the basic preliminary process, it mainly includes turning, milling, drilling and sawing, aiming to quickly remove excess steel and form the basic outline of mould parts. It focuses on high efficiency rather than high precision, leaving sufficient machining allowance for subsequent finishing, and is suitable for preliminary forming of various mould bases and structural parts.
CNC Precision MachiningThe core process of modern mould manufacturing, using programmed CNC machining centers and engraving machines to complete the finishing of complex 3D surfaces of cavities, cores, sliders and inserts. It features high precision and good consistency, capable of processing complex shapes that ordinary machine tools cannot achieve, and is the key to ensuring mould dimensional accuracy.
EDM & Wire-Cut MachiningImportant special machining technologies for moulds. EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) uses pulse discharge to etch materials, suitable for processing narrow grooves, deep ribs, sharp corners and fine patterns that are difficult to machine by CNC. Wire-cut machining (especially slow-speed wire cutting) has ultra-high precision and smooth cut surface, often used for processing special-shaped holes, precision inserts and guide pin holes.
Grinding Machining
A key process to ensure high precision of moulds, including surface grinding, internal and external circular grinding. It further refines the flatness, perpendicularity, parallelism and dimensional accuracy of mould parts, making the fit between mould components tighter and movement smoother, laying a solid foundation for later assembly and production.
Heat TreatmentAn essential process to improve mould strength and service life, including quenching, tempering and conditioning. It changes the internal structure of steel to enhance hardness, wear resistance and toughness, preventing mould deformation, cracking and wear during long-term high-temperature and high-pressure injection production, and effectively extending mould service life.
Polishing & Surface TreatmentDirectly affects the appearance of plastic products. Polishing reduces the surface roughness of the cavity to achieve mirror or matte effect, making products smooth and easy to demold without burrs or adhesion. Surface treatments such as nitriding, chrome plating and PVD coating further improve wear resistance, corrosion resistance and demolding performance.
Mould Assembly & Test MouldingThe final process of mould processing: assemble all finished parts, adjust fit clearance and movement flexibility, then conduct test injection on the injection machine. Modify and optimize the mould according to the test product until it can stably produce qualified plastic products, and the whole mould processing is completed.
