High-Performance Alloys for Plastic Injection and Blow Molding

Materion’s MoldMAX alloys are said to meet the high-performance demands of the plastics processing industry, combining strength and thermal conductivity, as well as being polishable. Materion says these features enable a shorter cycle time and improved plastic molding part quality.

MoldMAX alloys are said to be tailored for all types of plastic injection and blow molding applications. With excellent machinability and high impact strength, they enable easy fabrication of molds that stand up to the abrasive wear associated with the plastic injection molding process while resisting gall. They offer the strength and wear resistance tool steels, but with thermal conductivity that Materion contends is up to ten times greater.

When used in steel molds, MoldMAX alloys cool hot spots, reducing or eliminating the need for cooling channels. By minimizing the temperature differences of mold parts, MoldMAX alloys provide tighter molded tolerances and less post-mold shrinking or warping.

Further, MoldMAX alloys are said to improve parting line maintenance in the blow molding process and offer longer service life when used for components and inserts in aluminum blow molds.