What are the core elements of mold steel selection?

The core elements of mold steel selection need to comprehensively consider the usage scenarios, material properties, and economy of the mold, which can be summarized into the following four aspects:

1、 Die type and working conditions

Forming process: Select material type based on cold and hot processing characteristics.
Hot work molds (die-casting, forging): High temperature resistance (500~800 ℃) is required, with priority given to 1.2344 and H13 heat-resistant steel.
Cold work molds (punching, stretching): require high hardness (HRC50 or above) and wear resistance, suitable for tool steels such as 1.2379, D2, SKD11, DC53, etc.
Plastic molds: Pay attention to polishing and corrosion resistance. S136 stainless steel is recommended for transparent parts, and special corrosion-resistant steel should be selected for plastics containing corrosive additives.
Environmental factors: Corrosive environments (such as PVC processing) must use stainless steel; High temperature cyclic loading requires investigation of thermal fatigue resistance.

2、 Key performance indicators of materials

Mechanical properties:
Hardness and wear resistance: High hardness steel (HRC48~65) is required for long-term use (>1 million cycles); Select pre hardened steel (HRC30~45) for medium lifespan (100000~1 million cycles).
Resilience and impact resistance: High impact scenarios (such as hammer forging dies) require low-alloy tool steel or new high toughness steel grades.
Special performance:
Thermal stability: Hard alloys are suitable for extreme high temperature environments.
Corrosion resistance: Molds that come into contact with chemical gases require stainless steel or coating treatment.

3、 Production scale and economy

Batch size: prioritize high wear-resistant materials (such as hard alloy coated steel) for large-scale production; Small batch options include economical carbon steel or pre hardened steel to reduce processing costs.

4、 Feasibility of Processing and Maintenance Requirements

Manufacturing process adaptation: Complex structural molds use pre hardened steel to avoid heat treatment deformation; High precision components require electric slag remelting steel to improve purity.

Post maintenance: Use materials with strong repairability for vulnerable parts (such as carburizing steel for local strengthening).

The essence of selection is a multi-objective optimization process, which needs to be combined with failure mode analysis (such as wear, cracking, and corrosion dominant scenarios) to determine priority. Suggest establishing a three-dimensional decision model that includes "performance parameters cost weights risk assessment" to achieve the optimal balance between technical feasibility and economic benefits.