Shenzhen Alu Rapid Prototype Precision Co., Ltd.

1.Mold Material:

Soft tools are usually made from materials like aluminum or lower-grade steel, which are easier and quicker to machine than the high-grade steel used in hard tooling.

These materials are less durable but cost-effective for short production runs.

2.Purpose:

Primarily used for prototyping, testing, and validating part designs before committing to expensive hard tooling.

Suitable for low-volume production (typically 50–10,000 parts) or bridge production to fill the gap before full-scale manufacturing.

3.Advantages:

Cost-Effective: Soft tools are significantly cheaper to produce than hard tools, making them ideal for early-stage development.

Faster Turnaround: Molds can be created in days or weeks, compared to months for hard tooling.

4.Flexibility: Allows for design iterations and modifications with minimal cost.

High-Quality Prototypes: Produces parts that closely mimic the properties of final production parts, including material and surface finish.

5.Limitations:

Limited Lifespan: Soft molds wear out faster, typically lasting for a few hundred to a few thousand cycles, depending on the material and part complexity.

Not Suitable for High Volumes: Less cost-effective for large-scale production due to mold degradation.

Material Constraints: Some high-performance plastics may require harder molds to withstand processing conditions.

6.Process:

A soft mold is designed and machined based on the part’s CAD file.

The mold is mounted in an injection molding machine, where molten plastic is injected, cooled, and ejected to form the part.

Quality control ensures parts meet specifications, often using inspection tools like CMM or laser scanners.