Non-Beryllium Plastic Tooling Alloys
As the world’s leading supplier of high performance alloys, Materion Brush Performance Alloys offers customers more than just superior manufacturing materials. Driven by our customers’ complete satisfaction, Materion provides a total product support system giving them a unique advantage.
The MoldMAX® Advantage
Through the unique combination of thermal conductivity and strength available in the MoldMAX® product line, these copper mold alloys provide:
- Shorter cycle time
- Improved plastic part dimensional control
- Better parting line maintenance
- Excellent corrosion resistance
Wear Resistance Advantage
Mold life is primarily a function of a mold material’s ability to withstand abrasive wear and galling. MoldMAX® has exhibited excellent wear resistance as injection mold components and cavity inserts in direct contact with the plastic part. Many molds have been used with glass-reinforced polymers and achieved in excess of 1 million cycles. Strategic location of MoldMAX® components and inserts in aluminum blow molds improves parting line maintenance and provides longer service life.
Corrosion Resistance Advantage
The copper base in the entire MoldMAX® family provides excellent resistance to hydrochloric acid, carbonic acid and similar decomposition products, which may result from plastics processing. As a result, these materials are ideal for applications involving potentially corrosive plastics, such as PVC.
Machinability Advantages
All MoldMAX® grades are readily machinable. In conventional machining operations, MoldMAX® provides a 10-25% reduction in machining time over the tool steels. While the high thermal conductivity of MoldMAX makes it slower to electrical discharge machine (EDM) than steel, set up can be optimized to minimize this difference.