Manufacturing and Production

Mould and Die Design, Maintenance and Trials

A mould is a capital asset that determines what a process can ever achieve, and a plant that treats it as a consumable spends the difference every day in cycle time and scrap. This course covers looking after it. Delegates work through mould construction and what each element does: cavity, core, runner, gate, venting, ejection and cooling. Gate type and position are addressed as decisions that constrain the process permanently. Cooling layout is covered in detail, since cooling is most of the cycle. Venting is treated as the cause of burn marks and short shots that operators usually blame on pressure. Die construction for extrusion follows. Mould trials and qualification are addressed, including what to record so the trial is worth repeating. Preventive maintenance schedules are covered, along with cleaning, corrosion protection and storage. Wear, damage and repair decisions follow. The course closes on spare parts, on mould history records and on knowing when a tool should be replaced.