Hardness: Hardness is the measurement of the steel’s resistance to indentation by pressing into the surface of the steel a specific object—such as a steel or molybdenum ball or diamond indenter—using very specific loads. […]
Hardenability is the ability of the steel to produce the appropriate hardness in relation to the amount of martensite when quenched for its austenitizing temperature into the appropriate quench medium. The resulting hardness will be according to its cross-sectional area and chemistry (composition). […]
Water Hardening Tool Steels: Low hardenability, water quench necessary to form martensite.Oil Hardening Tool Steels: High wear resistant steels. […]
In order for tool steels to be identified by a toolmaker, it is necessary for the toolmaker to understand the method of identification and classification of tool steels. The purpose of gaining this understanding is that there are so many different tool steel manufacturing companies that will produce a very high grade of tool steel [...]
Using aluminum tooling for injection molding is not an entirely new concept. Initially, prototype molds were most commonly made out of aluminum, although the automotive industry has used it for years and it has slowly been gaining popularity with companies outside the automotive realm. […]
Graphite selection is critical to the success of the job. It is important to understand the characteristics and physical properties of the different manufactured brands and grades produced. The various grades should fall within one of the four EDM classifications: Angstrofine – Less than one-micron particle size material is used when extremely fine surface finishes [...]
The machined, natural EDM finish is the surface that the EDM process leaves on the metal at the end of the finishing cycle. The finishing cycle puts the most stress on the graphite electrode. Finish settings are high frequency cycles with more sparks, or discharges, per second due to the short on and off times [...]
A mold with a good EDM finish is ready to use right out of the machine (tank-to-part technology), while a mold that needs to be etched or polished to get the desired finish requires extra steps that increase cost and extend production time. […]
Graphite is a highly abrasive material, and tends to wear out cutters quickly. One of the greatest difficulties encountered when machining graphite is that cutter wear can reach unacceptable levels within the time required to machine a single, multi-featured electrode. As such, advanced tool coatings offer a significant benefit when producing graphite components. [...]
The advantages of laser engraving are described below: […]