The mold cooling water system
The mold cooling water system is an internal pipeline system within the mold that circulates cooling water or other cooling media to control the mold temperature and improve production efficiency and product quality during the injection molding process.
Traditional Water Channel Design
• Straight-line cooling channels that are positioned far or further away from the mold cavity.
• Requires additional fittings for water channel assembly.
• Contains more dead zones with poor cooling/heating efficiency.
• Requires cutting and assembling multiple pieces, leading to cumulative errors and shorter mold lifespan.
Conformal Water Channel Design
• Water channels designed to conform to the mold cavity surface, ensuring uniform proximity.
• Avoids right angles for smooth flow and improved efficiency.
• Allows for varying cross-sectional shapes of the water channels as needed.
• Enables the design of multiple cooling circuits to enhance heat dissipation uniformity.
Venting Structure
Venting structures are incorporated into molds to facilitate the escape of air or gases during the injection molding process. They help prevent air traps, ensuring complete filling of the mold cavity and reducing defects in the final product.
- Resolves issues such as inadequate product filling, burning, and surface welding caused by the accumulation of gases inside the mold cavity.
- Allows for free design of shapes and structures based on product requirements.
- Low risk of blockage during precision machining.
- Porosity can be adjusted in the printing process based on the injection molding material.
Printing Technology
Rotational Overlap Printing Technology
Each layer is rotated in the existing printing process to eliminate anisotropy, ensuring uniform fusion between layers. This guarantees a continuous and clear venting channel on a microscopic scale, while maintaining good material permeability on a macroscopic level.
Hybrid Additive Manufacturing
Enhancing Injection Molds with 3D Hybrid Printing
Advantages of Hybrid Printing
Hybrid Printing Methods
Printing Process
UM300 (1.2709)
Standard general-purpose mold steel material
- Extremely high strength and toughness
- Hardness up to 52-54 HRC
- Excellent polishing performance
- Good welding capability
- Good machinability
- Simple heat treatment process
- Not corrosion-resistant
Anco-X (Corrax)
Corrosion-resistant specialty material for molds with small-diameter water channels
- High-performance martensitic stainless steel
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Hardness up to 48-50 HRC
- Excellent polishing performance
- Good hybrid printing capability
UH100 (H13)
Suitable for die-casting molds and injection molds (high glass fiber content)
- Extremely high resistance to thermal fatigue
- Hardness up to 52-54 HRC
- Excellent impact toughness and oxidation resistance
- Good machinability
- No need for heat treatment
- Not corrosion-resistant
- Suitable for both cold and hot molds
Classic Case Studies of 3D Printing in the Injection Mold Industry
cash one
Replacement of Traditional Mold Steel with 3D Printed Mold and Conformal Cooling Channels
The product’s small dimensions in deep grooves make it challenging to incorporate traditional water channels, resulting in significant heat buildup.
Tooling cooling design
The product’s small dimensions in deep grooves make it challenging to incorporate traditional water channels, resulting in significant heat buildup.
The original mold insert utilized beryllium copper with traditional water channels. However, the limited hardness and strength of beryllium copper led to issues like cracking and wear. Therefore, alternative solutions, such as heat-dissipating steel or conformal cooling channels, are being explored.
Traditional Water Channels
Conformal Cooling Channels
Mold flow analysis
| Traditional Water Channels, Beryllium Copper | Traditional Water Channels, HTCS130 Heat-Dissipating Steel | Conformal Cooling Channels, 1.2709 Mold Steel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material Hardness (HRC) | HRC30-35 | No data | HRC48-52 |
| Mid Part Temperature (℃) | 122.1 | 153.6 | 79.5 |
| Hottest Point Temperature (℃) | 139.7 | 181.4 | 119.5 |
| Surface Temperature Difference (Δt/℃) | 68.98 | 111.16 | 53.93 |
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