1. Let’s Introduce What Is An Insert In Mold?
Insert is a term for molds. In the mold, it specifically refers to the mould accessories used to be embedded in the mold core. Inserts can be square, round, or sheet-shaped. Like all mold accessories, the requirements for precision are also very high.
Generally, there is no finished product, and it is customized according to the needs of the mold.
Types of inserts: pins, blocks, columns, rings, etc.;
Material: SKD61, SKH51, ASP23, SKD11, etc., or the same as the corresponding mould core material
Hardness: 50HRC or above
Standard accuracy: ±0.01mm, depending on the specific mould accuracy requirements
2. What Circumstances Do Inserts Need To Be Made?
- Save mold materials
As we all know, when mould materials are determined, steel materials with relatively regular shapes are determined piece by piece.
However, the material of the front and rear molds is determined based on the highest point, so whether it is the front mold or the rear mold, if one part is relatively different from other parts Relatively high, the height of the mold core can be reduced by making inserts, so that the mold core material does not need to be set so high, thereby saving mold materials.
- Convenient for mold modification
Where the mould is frequently modified, it can be dismantled and made into inserts. When the mould is modified in the future, only the inserts need to be replaced.
You can even make several spare parts of the inserts for replacement when opening the mould, which makes it easier to modify the mold. For example, for some ODM manufacturers, the appearance of the product remains unchanged, but they only need to change the LOGO to become a product of another brand.
At this time, the mold can be removed from the LOGO part and made into an insert, so there is no need to open a new set of molds.
- Conducive to the exhaust of the mold
It is very important to vent the mould. If the venting is not good, trapped air will appear in the mold cavity, especially in the deeper bone areas.
During injection molding, the product is prone to bubbles or shrinkage, lack of glue, and whitening.
Or black spots and other undesirable phenomena, so you can add inserts to the places where the mold needs to be vented, and use the fitting gaps of the inserts to vent.
- Facilitate mold processing
We know that in some deep bone positions in injection molds, it is difficult for the tool to process. For example, if electric spark EDM is used, everyone knows that EDM processing is the slowest and the processing efficiency is too low, so this is generally the choice.
Making inserts reduces the difficulty of processing and also facilitates exhaust. There is also the mold dart in the deep bone position.
It is very inconvenient to save the mold in the place where the mold must be released due to the need for mold release. However, it is much more convenient to install inserts in these places and remove the mold separately.
- Increase the service life of the mold
Under normal circumstances, the places where moulds need to be designed with inserts are often places that are easily damaged, such as places with sharp and thin steel.
Once the inserts are damaged, they can be replaced, thereby extending the service life of the mold.
- Conduction mold temperature
Normally, the mould is cooled by designing water channels, but in some places it is impossible to design water channels or the water channels are inaccessible.
In these places, inserts can be used to dissipate heat. Of course, the material of the insert must be selected with good thermal conductivity. Materials, such as beryllium copper, etc.
3. There Are Certain Defects In Mold Inserts, Such As the Following
- Increase the difficulty of mould assembly;
- It is easy to produce glue overflow and flash around the insert;
- The inlay structure of the mold sometimes increases the cost of mold design and processing, thereby increasing the cost;
- Too many inlaid structures will affect the design of the mold cooling waterway;
- Too many inlaid structures will affect the strength of the mold core.
From the aspect of processing efficiency. Some large molds are set into several small pieces and processed separately, which can save time.
Generally, there are two types of inserts, through inserts and blind inserts. For some smaller inserts, Y-CUT wire cutting can be used and positioned with a hanging table. For some larger inserts, such as those above 60X60, blind inserts can be used, with screws hanging on them.
The processing is relatively difficult, but the strength of the mold is ensured.
4. Summary
Inserts are already a very common structure on molds. Although they have shortcomings, the advantages are also obvious.
When designing the mold, you should determine which places need to be made according to the specific product structure and which places can be left intact.
When making inserts, it should be noted that there are usually insert marks or insert lines where the inserts are made. The customer needs to confirm whether it is acceptable when opening the mold for inspection.
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