What factors affect the durability and production efficiency of Aluminum Alloy Casting Molds?

1、 Influence of mold design on durability and production efficiency
Mold design is the primary factor affecting the durability and production efficiency of aluminum alloy casting molds. In terms of structural design, a reasonable mold structure design can effectively reduce stress concentration and the occurrence of heat treatment defects. Sharp rounded corners, excessive cross-sectional changes, and geometric notches should be avoided during design, as these design defects may cause cracks and deformations in the mold during use. At the same time, the cross-sectional dimensions of the mold should be kept as uniform as possible, with a symmetrical and simple shape to reduce unnecessary stress concentration. Blind holes should also be designed as through holes as much as possible to reduce the risk of stress concentration and cracking. When necessary, the mold structure can be optimized by opening process holes to improve durability and production efficiency.
The design of cooling water channels is also an important part of mold design. The cooling water channel can take away the heat generated by the mold during operation, ensuring the temperature stability of the mold. When processing cooling water channels, attention should be paid to maintaining concentricity to avoid cracking at connected corners during use. At the same time, the surface of the cooling system should be smooth, preferably without machining marks, to reduce the impact on the durability of the mold. Reasonable design of cooling water channels can improve the thermal balance performance of molds, prolong their service life, and enhance production efficiency.

2、 The impact of manufacturing processes on durability and production efficiency
Manufacturing process is one of the key factors affecting the durability and production efficiency of aluminum alloy casting molds. Firstly, the selection of mold materials is crucial. High quality mold materials should have good thermal fatigue resistance, fracture toughness, and thermal stability. The commonly used aluminum alloy die-casting mold materials include H13 steel, etc. The selection and heat treatment quality of these materials have a significant impact on the mold life. When selecting materials, factors such as material performance, cost, and processing performance should be comprehensively considered based on the usage conditions and working environment of the mold.
The quality of machining also has a significant impact on the durability and production efficiency of molds. Inappropriate machining can easily lead to stress concentration and early material failure. During the processing, it is necessary to ensure sufficient smoothness and completely and uniformly eliminate the decarburization layer formed by rolling and forging. Meanwhile, thicker templates cannot be stacked to ensure their corresponding thickness, in order to avoid stress concentration and deformation during use. During the processing, attention should also be paid to controlling the machining accuracy and surface quality to improve the durability and production efficiency of the mold.
In terms of grinding and electrical discharge machining, these processing methods can easily lead to residual stress and structural changes on the surface of the mold, thereby affecting the durability of the mold. Therefore, during the grinding process, attention should be paid to selecting appropriate coolant to control the grinding temperature and avoid generating excessive surface residual stress. During the electric discharge machining process, attention should be paid to controlling the machining parameters to avoid the formation of excessively thick hardened layers. At the same time, after processing, the mold should be subjected to stress relief, tempering, polishing, chlorination, and other treatments to eliminate residual stress and improve surface quality, thereby enhancing the durability and production efficiency of the mold.

3、 The impact of heat treatment on durability and production efficiency
Heat treatment is an important link that affects the durability and production efficiency of aluminum alloy casting molds. Improper heat treatment is one of the main reasons for early failure of molds. The deformation phenomenon of heat treatment is mainly caused by thermal stress and tissue stress. During the heat treatment process, attention should be paid to the following points:
The control of heating temperature and holding time is crucial. Pay attention to the heating temperature and holding time of the steel during quenching to prevent austenite coarsening. Excessive heating temperature and prolonged holding time can lead to coarse grains in mold materials, reducing their mechanical properties and thermal stability. During tempering, it is also necessary to maintain insulation at a certain speed, and the number of tempering cycles is generally multiple times. By controlling the heating temperature and holding time reasonably, ideal organizational structure and properties can be obtained, improving the durability and production efficiency of the mold.
The control of decarbonization and carbonization is also an important step in the heat treatment process. During the heat treatment process, the surface of the mold is prone to decarburization and carbonization, which can lead to a decrease in the hardness and wear resistance of the mold surface, thereby affecting the durability of the mold. Effective measures should be taken to control decarburization and carbonization during the heat treatment process. For example, pre oxidation treatment of the mold before quenching can reduce the occurrence of decarburization; During the tempering process, methods such as inert gas protection or vacuum tempering are used to reduce the occurrence of carbonization.
The treatment of nitride surface is also an effective means to improve the durability and production efficiency of molds. Nitriding treatment can form a dense nitride layer on the surface of the mold, improving the hardness and wear resistance of the mold surface. Some issues also need to be noted during the nitriding process. For example, there should be no oil stains or other pollutants on the nitride surface, otherwise it will affect the quality of the nitride layer. Before nitriding, the surface of the mold should be thoroughly cleaned and dried. During the nitriding process, parameters such as nitriding temperature and holding time should also be controlled to achieve ideal quality and performance of the nitriding layer.
The selection of heat treatment equipment and processes also has a significant impact on the durability and production efficiency of molds. The use of advanced heat treatment equipment and processes, such as vacuum furnaces and flow particle furnaces, can improve the heat treatment quality and performance of molds. These devices and processes can precisely control parameters such as heating temperature, holding time, and cooling rate to achieve ideal organizational structure and performance. These devices and processes can also reduce the occurrence of defects such as deformation and cracking of molds during heat treatment, improving the durability and production efficiency of molds.

4、 The impact of use and maintenance on durability and production efficiency
The use and maintenance are the final hurdle that affects the durability and production efficiency of aluminum alloy casting molds. In terms of usage conditions, the melting point of aluminum alloy is relatively low, and the temperature of the aluminum liquid during die casting is relatively high. Molds need to withstand significant thermal and mechanical stresses during use. After thousands of die-casting cycles, defects such as cracks may appear on the surface of the mold. In order to extend the service life of the mold and improve production efficiency, measures such as reducing the casting temperature and injection speed of the aluminum liquid as much as possible within the process permit, and increasing the preheating temperature of the mold should be taken to reduce the thermal and mechanical stress of the mold.
The optimization of casting process flow can also significantly improve the durability and production efficiency of molds. During the casting process, attention should be paid to controlling parameters such as the composition and temperature of the aluminum liquid to reduce corrosion and wear on the mold. At the same time, the cooling system of the mold should be optimized to ensure that the mold can receive sufficient cooling and lubrication during operation. During the casting process, attention should also be paid to controlling parameters such as casting pressure and casting speed to avoid excessive deformation and cracking of the mold.