Technical Analysis of Manual Demolding Spline Test Molds and Automatic Ejection Spline Test Molds HoorenMold

As core tooling for material performance testing, spline test molds’ demolding methods directly affect test data accuracy, production efficiency, and operational safety. Manual demolding and automatic ejection spline test molds, with their distinct structural characteristics, cater to different production scales and testing requirements. 

1. Core Definitions and Technical Positioning

1.1 Manual Demolding Spline Test Molds

Manual demolding spline test molds refer to specialized testing tooling where spline removal is completed manually. They are mainly used for preparing standard splines for tensile, bending, and impact tests of thermoplastics, rubber, and other materials. Their core technical positioning is for small-batch testing, laboratory R&D, and rapid switching of multi-specification splines, meeting the dimensional accuracy requirements of industry standards such as GB/T 1040 and ISO 527 with dimensional tolerances controlled within ±0.05mm.

1.2 Automatic Ejection Spline Test Molds

Automatic ejection spline test molds integrate hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric ejection mechanisms to achieve automatic spline removal through program control. They are mainly applied in mass continuous production testing and automated production line supporting scenarios. Their technical positioning focuses on efficient, precise, and stable spline preparation, with ejection repeat positioning accuracy reaching ±0.02mm, satisfying the strict requirements for testing efficiency and data consistency in large-scale production.

2. Core Structural Design Differences

2.1 Manual Demolding Spline Test Molds

The structure prioritizes simplicity and practicality, mainly consisting of mold cores, mold bases, guiding mechanisms, and manual demolding components. Mold cores are made of Cr12MoV alloy tool steel after quenching, with hardness reaching HRC 58-62 to ensure wear resistance and dimensional stability. Guiding mechanisms adopt guide pillar and bushing clearance fit with a fit accuracy of H7/f6. Demolding components are mostly ejector pin type or pry plate type, with spline removal completed by manually applying 50-100N force. Some molds are equipped with locating pins for rapid mold change, with mold change time controlled within 5-10 minutes.

2.2 Automatic Ejection Spline Test Molds

The structure integrates executive mechanisms and control systems, with core components including mold cores, mold bases, guiding mechanisms, ejection execution units, sensors, and PLC control systems. Mold cores are made of S136 stainless steel, with hardness reaching HRC 60-64 after cryogenic treatment and surface roughness Ra≤0.2μm to reduce spline adhesion. Ejection execution units can be hydraulically driven (working pressure 0.5-1.5MPa) or servo motor-driven, with an adjustable ejection speed range of 5-50mm/s. Sensors real-time monitor ejection position and mold clamping status, cooperating with PLC to realize linkage control between demolding actions and injection molding processes, ensuring consistent demolding per mold.

3. Operation Procedures and Specifications

3.1 Operation Procedure of Manual Demolding Spline Test Molds

In the preparation stage, check the cleanliness of the mold cavity, apply special release agent (for viscous materials), and ensure sufficient lubrication of the guiding mechanism. After clamping, install the mold on an injection molding machine or press, and complete injection molding or pressing according to spline preparation process parameters (temperature, pressure, holding time). After molding, shut down the machine, slowly remove the spline by rotating the ejector pin screw with a manual wrench or prying the demolding lever, avoiding violent operations that may cause spline deformation or mold damage. After demolding, clean residual materials in the cavity, check mold wear, and record spline dimensional and appearance quality data.

3.2 Operation Procedure of Automatic Ejection Spline Test Molds

In the early stage, complete signal docking between the mold and automated equipment, and set parameters such as ejection delay time (0.5-2s) and ejection stroke (10-30mm) through PLC. After starting the equipment, the mold automatically clamps and synchronously receives the injection molding machine's molding completion signal to trigger the ejection mechanism. The ejector pin ejects the spline to the receiving device at the preset speed and stroke. After spline removal, the ejection mechanism automatically resets, and the mold enters the next cycle. During the process, sensors real-time feed back the mold status; in case of mold jamming or abnormal ejection, the system automatically shuts down and alarms to ensure operational safety. Daily operations only require regular checks of hydraulic oil level and sensor sensitivity, and lubrication and maintenance of the guiding mechanism once a week.

4. Performance Indicators and Production Efficiency Comparison

4.1 Key Performance Indicators

The spline dimensional accuracy of manual demolding spline test molds depends on operational proficiency, with a dimensional fluctuation range of ±0.1mm and a spline qualification rate of approximately 95%. The mold service life is about 50,000-80,000 cycles, suitable for spline preparation with single batches below 1,000 pieces. Benefiting from mechanical control advantages, automatic ejection spline test molds have a dimensional fluctuation range of ≤±0.03mm and a spline qualification rate of ≥99%. The mold service life can reach 150,000-200,000 cycles, with the ejection mechanism's mean time between failures (MTBF) ≥8,000 hours, meeting the needs of mass continuous production.

4.2 Production Efficiency Differences

The single-mold operation time of manual demolding spline test molds is about 30-60 seconds, with demolding operations accounting for 40%. They are suitable for multi-variety and small-batch production, featuring flexible mold change but low unit-time output. The single-mold cycle time of automatic ejection spline test molds can be shortened to 15-30 seconds, with the demolding process requiring no manual intervention and seamless docking with automated production lines. The daily output (8 hours per shift) can reach 800-1,200 molds, with production efficiency 2-3 times higher than that of manual molds, effectively reducing labor costs and operational error rates.

5. Application Scenarios and Selection Suggestions

5.1 Application Scenarios of Manual Demolding Spline Test Molds

They are mainly applicable to laboratory R&D and testing in scientific research institutions and small enterprises, such as new material formula debugging and process parameter optimization. They can also be used for small-batch production of multi-specification splines, such as customized samples and non-standard size spline preparation. Their advantages lie in low equipment investment (about 30%-50% of automatic molds), low maintenance costs, and convenient mold change, suitable for scenarios with low production efficiency requirements but the need for flexible adjustments.

5.2 Application Scenarios of Automatic Ejection Spline Test Molds

They are mainly applied to large-scale production testing in large manufacturing enterprises, such as material performance sampling inspection in the mass production of auto parts and electronic and electrical casings. They can also be supporting automated testing production lines to realize the full-process automation of spline preparation, testing, and sorting. Their core advantages are high production efficiency, good data consistency, and low labor intensity, suitable for single-variety and mass spline preparation, especially quality control scenarios with high requirements for test data repeatability.

6. Technical Development Trends

The current technical development of spline test molds focuses on precision improvement, intelligent upgrading, and green improvement. Manual demolding spline test molds are developing towards lightweight and modularization, adopting aluminum alloy mold bases to reduce operational intensity and realizing rapid adaptation of multi-specification splines through standardized module design. Automatic ejection spline test molds integrate Industry 4.0 technologies, incorporating IoT modules to realize real-time monitoring of mold operation status, fault early warning, and remote maintenance. Some high-end molds have achieved adaptive adjustment of ejection parameters, dynamically optimizing the demolding process according to material characteristics and molding status. Meanwhile, the application of environmentally friendly demolding technologies is becoming increasingly widespread, such as the use of ceramic coatings in mold cavities to replace traditional release agents, reducing chemical pollution and improving the environmental friendliness and safety of spline preparation.