Imported Plastic Mold Steel Comparison: Choose the Best Steel for Your Mold - Features of ASSAB, Japan (DAIDO), Groditz, and Bohler Steel for Plastic Molds

The characteristics of some common imported plastic mold steels

2024.10.10

GRT summarizes the characteristics of some common imported plastic mold steel:

Ⅰ. Sweden ASSAB

1. S136:

Corrosion resistance: high corrosion resistance is its outstanding feature, can resist most of the plastic materials in the process of chemical corrosion. Especially suitable for processing corrosive plastic materials, such as PVC, POM and so on.
Polishing: excellent polishing performance, after polishing treatment can achieve a very high degree of surface finish, suitable for the surface quality requirements of the plastic products mold, such as optical lenses, cosmetic containers and so on.
Hardness and strength: the hardness is generally between 48 - 52HRC, with high strength, able to withstand certain pressure and wear and tear, to ensure the dimensional stability and precision of the mold in the process of use.
Dimensional stability: After appropriate heat treatment, the dimensional stability is good, and it is not easy to deform in the process of long-term use to ensure the dimensional accuracy of plastic products.

2. 718:

Pre-hardened: belongs to pre-hardened plastic mold steel, factory has been pre-hardened, the hardness of 33 - 38HRC or so, can be directly processed and used, saving the time and cost of mold manufacturing.
Mechanical properties: good strength and toughness, able to withstand greater impact and pressure, suitable for the manufacture of medium and large plastic molds.
Processing performance: good cutting performance, can be processed using a variety of processing methods, such as milling, grinding, etc., processing efficiency is high.
Abrasion resistance: a certain degree of abrasion resistance, can be used for a long time in the process of maintaining the surface quality and dimensional accuracy of the mold.

Ⅱ.Japan (DAIDO)

1. NAK80:

High hardness: high hardness, generally around 38 - 42HRC, with good wear resistance, can ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the mold in the process of long-term use.
No need for heat treatment: It can be used directly without heat treatment, which saves the time and cost of mold manufacturing. At the same time, its cutting performance is good, easy to process into complex mold shape.
Mirror processing performance: excellent mirror processing performance, can be processed to a high gloss mold surface, suitable for the surface quality of plastic products require very high occasions, such as cell phone shells, precision electronic products and so on.
Discharge machinability: good discharge machinability, low surface roughness and high machining accuracy when EDM is performed.

2. DC53:

High toughness: high toughness, compared with some other mold steel, not easy to fracture when subjected to impact and stress, suitable for the manufacture of complex structure, mold release difficult plastic mold.
High hardness: hardness up to 60 - 63HRC, with high strength and wear resistance, can be used for a long time in the process of maintaining good working condition.
Heat treatment performance: the deformation after heat treatment is small, which can ensure the dimensional accuracy of the mold. Meanwhile, the hardness uniformity after heat treatment is good, which improves the overall performance of the mold.
Processing performance: good cutting performance, can use high-speed cutting and other advanced processing technology to improve processing efficiency.

Ⅲ.Germany (Groditz)

1. 2311:

Pre-hardening: pre-hardened plastic mold steel, hardness in the 28 - 32HRC or so, can be directly processed and used, convenient and quick.
Mechanical properties: good strength and toughness, can meet the general requirements of plastic mold use. Processing performance is good, can carry out a variety of machining operations.
Cost-effective: relative to some other imported mold steel, the price is more moderate, has a high cost-effective, suitable for cost control requirements of enterprises.

2. 2738:

Comprehensive performance: has good strength, hardness, toughness and machinability and other comprehensive performance. The hardness is around 31 - 35HRC, can be used to manufacture a variety of medium and large plastic molds.
Machinability: good cutting performance, can be processed by a variety of processing methods, processing efficiency is high. At the same time, the deformation after heat treatment is small, which can ensure the dimensional accuracy of the mold.
Stability: good stability in the process of use, can withstand a certain pressure and wear and tear, to ensure the quality of plastic products and dimensional accuracy.

Ⅳ.Austria (Bohler)

1. M202:

Pre-hardened steel: pre-hardened plastic mold steel, moderate hardness, generally around 28 - 32HRC. Can be directly machined without heat treatment, saving the time and cost of mold manufacturing.
Processing performance: has good cutting performance, can be processed by various processing methods, processing efficiency is high. At the same time, the surface finish of the mold is better, which is conducive to improving the surface quality of plastic products.
Mechanical properties: with a certain degree of strength and toughness, to meet the general requirements of the use of plastic molds. In the process of use, it has better stability and is not easy to deformation and wear.

2. M300:

Mirror steel: known for its excellent mirror processing performance, after polishing treatment can achieve a very high surface finish, suitable for the surface quality of plastic products require very high occasions, such as high-grade cosmetic packaging, precision electronic product shells and so on.
Hardness and strength: high hardness, generally around 32 - 36HRC, with high strength and abrasion resistance, can ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the mold in the process of long-term use.
Corrosion resistance: It has certain corrosion resistance, which can resist the chemical corrosion produced by some plastic materials in the process of processing and improve the service life of the mold.

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