Plastic Mould Steels

Increasing use of plastic products expands the use of steels for plastic mould applications. Manufacturers of plastic products need dies with a long operation period that will retain their high standard quality on a continuous basis. When selecting steel for plastic moulds, the following major factors are of vital importance : type of plastics, plastic moulding method, size and shape of product and/or die, size of series, demanded product surface quality, operation mode, preparation of dies. Steels for plastic moulds need to have the following characteristics : high wear and corrosion resistance, hardness, toughness, good polishability, surface texture properties, machinability, minimal dimensional changes in heat treatment.