What Are The Advantages Of High-Speed Cutting Technology In Mold Processing?

In modern manufacturing, molds are widely used in automobiles, electronics, aerospace and other fields, and their processing accuracy and production efficiency directly affect product quality. Traditional mold processing methods are subject to cutting speed and tool performance, and often have problems such as long processing time and poor surface quality. High-speed cutting technology (High-Speed Machining, HSM) has shown significant advantages in mold manufacturing with faster cutting speed, higher accuracy and better surface quality.

1. High-speed cutting improves mold processing efficiency

The cutting speed of high-speed cutting is usually 3 to 10 times that of traditional processing, which can significantly shorten the processing time. For example, in the cavity processing of the mold, the use of high-speed milling technology can greatly improve the material removal rate and reduce the rough processing time by 30%-50%. In addition, high-speed cutting can reduce the number of tool changes, reduce processing downtime, and improve overall production efficiency.

2. Improve mold processing accuracy and surface quality

The surface quality of the mold directly affects the appearance and service life of the finished product. High-speed cutting uses a small cutting depth and a high spindle speed to reduce cutting force and tool vibration, making the processed surface smoother. For example, high-speed milling can reduce the surface roughness of the mold to within Ra0.2μm, and even achieve a mirror effect, thereby reducing subsequent polishing and grinding processes and improving mold accuracy.

3. Reduce thermal deformation of mold processing

Traditional low-speed cutting generates a lot of heat, which will cause thermal deformation of the mold material and affect the processing accuracy. High-speed cutting uses a smaller cutting force, so that the cutting heat is mainly taken away by the chips, thereby reducing the thermal deformation of the workpiece. For example, in the processing of hard steel molds, high-speed cutting can effectively control temperature changes, ensure the dimensional stability of the mold, and improve the yield rate.

4. Suitable for high-hardness material processing

With the development of the mold industry, high-hardness steel (such as hardened steel above HRC50) is widely used, and traditional processing methods are difficult to cut efficiently. High-speed cutting combined with advanced tool materials (such as PCD, CBN, coated cemented carbide) can directly process hardened steel without reducing processing accuracy. For example, in the manufacture of automotive stamping molds, high-speed cutting can directly process the hardened mold steel, reduce the electrospark machining (EDM) link, and improve production efficiency.

5. Reduce tool wear and extend tool life

High-speed cutting uses optimized tool geometry and smaller cutting forces to make tool wear more uniform and reduce the risk of chipping. For example, when high-speed milling is used to process aluminum alloy molds, the service life of coated carbide tools can be increased by 30%-50%, reducing tool replacement costs.