Mold Making
G.AL® Sawn Plates in Mold Making
Molds made of G.AL® Aluminium shorten manufacturing time, production costs and process cycles in plastic products production.
Worldwide, companies engaged in plastic product processing are subjected to enormous time and cost limitations. This also applies to designers, mold makers and even the plastic components production industry. Molds made of aluminum offer an enormous time and money-saving potential.
G.AL® Cast Plates were specifically engineered to excel in different applications in the mold industry. Here is why our G.AL® Sawn Plates are exceptionally suitable for mold applications:
Lightweight
The reduced weight facilitates easier handling and transportation, streamlining the production process while minimizing strain on machinery.
Generally speaking, the weight of G.AL® Sawn Plates is about 1/3 of that of steel in the same dimensions.
Thermal conductivity
The superior thermal conductivity of both G.AL® C210R (EN AW 5083) and G.AL® C330R (EN AW 7021) allow for better and improved heat dissipation during the molding process, which leads to faster cycle times and improved productivity. The high conductivity of G.AL® Sawn Plates allows for short cycle times in foaming, blowing, deep drawing, RIM and injection molds (low and medium pressure).
Steel has a thermal conductivity of about 34 BTU/h∙ft∙°F for non-alloyed and about 9 BTU/h∙ft∙°F for high-alloyed steel, whereas the thermal conductivity of G.AL® cast plates G.AL® C210R is 64-75 BTU/h∙ft∙°F and in G.AL® C330R at 72-90 BTU/h∙ft∙°F.
This value indicates that molds made of G.AL® cast plates have a 3 times faster cooling cycle compared to steel. Productivity increases of up to 40% have been realized already by using molds made of aluminum.
Machinability
Our G.AL® Cast Plates are renowned for their exceptional machinability. Both the medium-strength G.AL® C210R and the higher strength G.AL® C330R plates allow for degrees of machining of more than 90%. This enables intricate mold designs with unparalleled precision.
In mold making, G.AL® C210R is the perfect choice for deep drawing, foaming and casting molds and prototype molds in plastic injection molding, just to name a few, thanks to the good machinability.
G.AL® cast plates have set the international standard in quality, flatness and a homogenous microstructure with the lowest level of microporosity.
Additionally, for applications where molds absolutely free of microporosity are required, we have developed the G.AL® Specialty Plates G.AL® C210 DYNAMIC (EN AW 5083) and G.AL® C330 DYNAMIC (EN AW 7021).
Make sure to visit our free G.AL® Product Consultant, which can help you determine which G.AL® Cast Plate is most suitable for your molding application.