Mould design

Property Criteria
Select the right mould material Strength, heat transfer, cost
Proper mould cooling Turbulent ow, fastest cycle
Venting of the cavity Correct part shape, less scrap
Correct pinch-off design Good weld line, leak proof
As-cast aluminum moulds Intricate shapes, prototypes, short run, low
cost
Cast to shape moulds and cut to size Good part accuracy versus mould price
Cut from billet moulds High accuracy parts, long runs, superior
metal qualities

Characteristics of some Mould Materials:

QC Mould Plate: This is a high-strength aluminum alloy which, is fully heat-treated and stress
relieved. This alloy has outstanding thermal conductivity along with high strength and surface
hardness and as such is suitable for polishing and texturing. All gauge tolerances are on the plus
side of nominal. This alloy is suited for use in production injection moulds, blow moulds,
structural foam moulds, reaction injection moulding (RIM) moulds, and aluminum die sets. It is
weldable and highly machinable.

2024, T351/7075, T651: These are general purpose, high-strength aluminum alloys suitable for
blow moulds and structural foam moulds.
Water Circulation
The water usually circulates through the hollow mould halves. Sometimes, a copper tubing
system is cast into the mould. However, to create the most useful ow, water channels are
machined into the mould halves. Well-placed channels will ensure that the cooling water comes
as close to the mould cavity as is feasible.
 Cooling water lines spacing

Cooling water lines sizes

Turbulent Flow
In the movement of a uid through a ow channel, turbulent ow will occur when turbulence is
above the critical Reynolds number, which is about 2,100. Below the critical number, laminar
ow occurs - this is referred to as streamline ow. The greater the Reynolds number is above
2,100, the more efcient the cooling regardless of how the mould temperature drops, or if the
internal stresses in the formed part increase.
Increasing the ow rate from a Reynolds number of 2,000 to a Reynolds number of 10,000
increases the heat transfer coefcient by about nine times. In other words, the more
turbulence, the better the cooling rate.