A Hardened Production Mould is a production process in steel: cooling, gating, venting and ejection have to work together before the first acceptable part appears. Designed for automotive interior trim, this Hardened Production Mould is produced in 1.2344 hardened steel and polished cavities with mould design, steel cutting, EDM detail, fitting and tool tryout. The figures below are the ones recorded at tryout rather than theoretical values.
Tolerance is applied where it does work rather than across the whole drawing. Critical features are held to cavity tolerance ±0.02 mm, non-critical dimensions follow the general machining tolerance, and the difference is stated in the quotation rather than discovered later.
Specification
| Process | Mould design, steel cutting, edm detail, fitting and tool tryout |
|---|---|
| Material / configuration | 1.2344 hardened steel and polished cavities |
| Size / capacity | 2 to 64 cavities |
| Tolerance | cavity tolerance ±0.02 mm |
| Surface finish | SPI or VDI finish as specified |
| Application | hardened production mould for automotive interior trim |
| Inspection | Dimensional report, material certificate, first article report on request |
| Lead time | 7–15 working days for samples, 3–4 weeks for production |
| Minimum order | 1 piece for prototypes, from 50 pieces for production pricing |
Manufacturing process
Work is carried out with mould design, steel cutting, EDM detail, fitting and tool tryout. Tooling, speeds and fixturing are recorded with the part number, so a repeat order starts from a proven process instead of a fresh setup.
Material is purchased against a certificate and checked on receipt, so the composition is known before any cutting starts. Work in progress is identified by part number and operation, and the finished parts are deburred, cleaned and protected before they leave the machine area.
Typical applications
Most of the work supplied in this category falls into the following examples.
- Electronic housings and connectors.
- Automotive interior components.
- Medical device disposables.
- Appliance control panels.
- Packaging closures.
Quality control and documentation
Critical features are measured on calibrated equipment in a controlled room, and the results are filed with the job so that a repeat order can be compared with the first.
Material certificates to EN 10204 3.1, dimensional reports and first article inspection reports are issued with the shipment where the application requires them. Calibration dates and measurement uncertainty are recorded alongside every result.
Ordering, lead time and packaging
Packaging is specified by the part: individual protection for finished surfaces, separation for assemblies, and export crating with a packing list for shipment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a mould take to build?
Prototype aluminium tools run 2 to 3 weeks, hardened production tools 6 to 10 weeks depending on cavity count, slides and the amount of EDM detail required.
What determines the steel choice?
Annual volume and resin. Abrasive or corrosive materials and volumes above a few hundred thousand shots justify hardened steel, while short runs are cheaper in aluminium.
What file formats do you need for a quotation?
STEP or IGES for the 3D model and a PDF drawing with tolerances, material and surface finish called out. Native files from SolidWorks, Creo or Inventor are also accepted.
Drawings are reviewed for manufacturability before quotation, and any feature that adds cost without adding function is pointed out at that stage rather than after the parts are made.
