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Tool & Mould Materials
High Strength, Hardness, Thermal Conductivity
Characterize Copper Mould Making Alloy
AMPCO Metal supplies the coppernickel-silicone-chromium
alloy Ampcoloy
® 944 as an alternative to beryllium
copper for industrial applications
requiring strength combined with
high thermal conductivity, such as
mould tooling for plastics processing.
The alloy features an average hardness
of 28 HRc (275 HB), and its thermal
conductivity of 150 W/mK is four
to five times greater than that of P20
tool steel. Proprietary manufacturing
processes and a complex alloy composition
lie behind Ampcoloy 944’s
unique properties.
Because it strongly resists corrosion
from contact with PVC resins and
offers excellent thermoforming performance,
this alloy is suited for the construction
of injection and blow mould
inserts used to process a broad range
of plastics. Plastics processors can
rely on Ampcoloy 944 for cores and
cavities that shorten moulding cycles,
reduce postmould part distortion
and improve moulded parts’ dimensional
stability. Also, the alloy enhances
design flexibility, reduces material
scrap and machining time, and
removes beryllium toxicity concern.
Ampcoloy 944’s hardness maximizes
mould service life, and the absence
of a need for heat treatment
holds down machining
and production costs.
The alloy is useful for
applications demanding
higher hardness levels,
such as cores, core inserts,
runnerless moulds, hot
runner nozzles and sprue
bushings, among others.
AMPCO Metal supplies
Ampcoloy 944 from stock
in 1- to 4-in.-diameter
(25- to 100-mm) rod and
as plates up to 4 in. (100 mm) thick.
Other forms provided on request
include made-to-order forged shapes
and finish-machined parts based on
customer drawings.
» AMPCO Metal S.A.
Marly, Switzerland
www.ampcometal.com
Tough ESR Tool Steel Enables Large Injection
Moulds to Be Given High Surface Quality
Uddeholm Vidar 1 ESR tool steel is
a construction material developed
for the manufacture of large plasticinjection
moulds that the plastics processors
using them require to have a
high-quality surface finish, whether
polished or etched. Larger mould tools
must be made from a material that
features excellent hardenability, which
allows for the attainment of a high
degree of toughness through heat
treatment. The electroslag-remelt
(ESR) product available from the tooling
materials business of Uddeholms
AB is easy to machine. The very good
toughness that it exhibits in the heattreated
condition maximizes the tool
material’s safety in terms of reducing
the likelihood of unexpected mould
failures.
Fulfilling the requirements for a
premium W.-Nr 1.2343 mould steel,
Vidar 1 ESR is available from stock
in cross sections as expansive
as 1,000 x 500 mm. It fills out
the Uddeholm tooling product
range targeted at builders of
large moulds. Other grades in the
same programme include Mirrax
ESR, a corrosion-resistant mould steel
for larger, tougher moulds used in
challenging environments; Nimax, a
mould steel supplied prehardened to
about 40 HRc and offering excellent
machinability, good structure and
few inclusions; and Impax Supreme,
an approximately 34-HRc mould steel
displaying even hardness throughout
and thus satisfying the requirements
for a premium W.-Nr 1.2738 steel.
Uddeholms AB is able to supply
construction materials for every type
of mould component, from mould
bases to highly polished moulds of
premium-grade stainless steel.
» Uddeholms AB
Hagfors, Sweden
www.uddeholm.com
European Tool & Mould Making | Buyer‘s Guide 2011-12 | www.etmm-online.com