2024
A good, general-purpose alloy suitable for structural foam and blow molding. It is slightly more expensive than 6000 series due to a higher copper content. This alloy has acceptable corrosion performance for short-run tools.

6013
Combines corrosion resistance, strength and weldability with moderate surface hardness and it machines better than 6061. This would be a good choice for bridge tools that need an extended life before a production mold is built. With its exceptional machining characteristics and receptivity to texture and polish, 6013 provides the molder with several hundred to a few thousand cycles in some of the more demanding molding processes.

6061
Generally suited for low-pressure applications—such as large blow molds, low-volume injection molds and compression molds. This material will provide much of the same results as 6013, but is slightly more “gummy” to machine.

7050
This was the benchmark in the industry from the late 1980s when it was first developed. It is used extensively to make production blow molds, structural foam molds and some production injection molds. The downside of this material is that the thickness is limited to eight inches or less. Corrosion issues also develop over time if the tower/mold cooling water is not monitored for high PH levels.

7075
High strength characteristics in thicknesses up to six inches. 7075 is used for prototype tooling and some production injection molds.
High strength, heat-treated wrought aluminum alloy mold material (QC-10™)

During the development process, all of the downsides of the 7050 alloy have been addressed: improved machining and polishing performance and corrosion improvements, making this a great mold plate. At near 20Rc hardness, this material can be used for a variety of production applications. Additionally, this material is available up to 24 inches thick, so it allows this alloy to be considered for many more applications as compared to 7050.