The mold cavity is a crucial component in the production of metal parts. It is the part of the mold that shapes the molten metal into the desired form. The type, design, and construction of the mold cavity can significantly impact the quality, durability, and cost-effectiveness of the produced metal parts.
This blog post will delve into the different types of mold cavities, highlighting their advantages and distinguishing features. By understanding the intricacies of mold cavities, manufacturers can make informed decisions that optimize their metal production processes.
What is a Cavity in Mold?
The cavity in the mold is the entire space within the mold that defines the shape, size, and intricacies of the final part.
Mold cavities are typically created as two halves that come together during the casting process. One half is the stationery half, called the die, and the other is the moving half, known as the die casting tool or the core plate. The two parts can vary in size and shape depending on the application and appearance of the cast part.
As mentioned before, it is essential to design the mold cavity carefully. Bad designs only alter the part’s accuracy, surface finish, and integrity, making the metal part lose its value.
Therefore, you need to strike a balance in terms of the thickness of the walls. This implies that your cavity walls should be thick enough to handle the high temperature of the molten metal and thin enough to produce quality casting.
How Does It Work?
When the mold is formed, a hollow space matching the desired part’s geometry is created, and molten metal is injected into it. The two halves of the mold come together, sealing the cavity, and the molten metal is allowed to solidify.
After cooling and solidification, the mold is opened, and the cast part is ejected. The cooling process normally leads to shrinkage, which can cause bonding, making it hard to remove the solidified part. However, with a well-trained engineer, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Type of Mold Cavity
You don’t want to produce low-quality parts, right? Let’s have a look at the different types of mold cavities to help in the design process.
Single Mold Cavity
As the name suggests, a single mold cavity is a mold with one cavity. This type of mold is usually made of steel or aluminum and is used to produce large and small precision parts depending on the mold size.
The good thing about single mold cavities is that they don’t have high upfront costs as compared to other types of mold cavities. However, as much as they are cost-effective, they can only be used in industries that require low-volume production runs.
Multi Mold Cavity
Unlike single-mold cavities, the multi-mold cavity contains many cavities and is used for mass production because it can produce similar metal parts all at the same time. This makes it adaptable in industries with a higher demand for more quality metal parts. For example, automotive industries leverage the multi-mold cavity to produce many engine components. If this were employed in single-mold cavities, the cavities would fail.
The advantages of multi-mold cavities extend further than high-volume production. These types of cavities are also used to produce metal parts with intricate designs with high accuracy.
Family Mold Cavity
A family mold cavity is more like a multi-cavity, but instead of producing similar parts, it is used to create identical parts that can be combined to form a complete part. Think of it like how you connect the puzzle pieces.
The family mold cavity is also leveraged by industries with a high demand for parts that need to be assembled, like electronic equipment or cars. This manufacturing technique removes the hassle of creating individual components manually, saving time and money during the process. Additionally, the family mold cavity is also used in high-volume production.
The Difference between Multi Cavity Molds and Family Molds
Frankly, these two types of mold cavities can be confusing, given that both have multiple cavities that produce many parts all at the same time. Let’s have a look at what differentiates them.
Production Volume and Efficiency
While family mold and multi-mold cavities produce many parts in a single cycle, the types of parts made are far from being the same. Here is why- Muti mold cavity only produces many similar parts, while family mold produces most or all parts needed to assemble a product. This means that with a cycle, a family mold would have produced complete metal parts, making it more efficient. For multi-cavity, a single batch will not have completed the part; you have to repeat another cycle to get the complete part.
Design and Complexity
Multi-cavity mold requires a simpler design since the technique only produces the same parts.Conversely,family molds are more complex as they are designed to accommodate multiple designs. However, this reverses when it comes to flexibility. Switching the multi-cavity design is more challenging since the molds have identical cavities. For family mold, it’s much easier since the cavities accommodate multiple designs.
Tooling Costs
Generally,multi-cavity mold has lower tooling costs as it involves replicating the same cavity multiple times.Additionally,multi-cavity mold has simpler tooling and maintenance requirements, which further cuts down the costs.
Family mold, on the other hand,has higher tooling costs due to the complexity of accommodating different parts.The intricate designs further result in regular tooling and maintenance requirements, which can be pricey.
How to Determine the Number of Cavity in a Mold
To make the right decision when choosing the number of cavities,consider the following factors.
Delivery Time
How fast do you need your metal parts produced?The more the number of mold cavities,the longer it takes to produce the metal parts.So, if you need your metal parts ASAP,consider reducing the mold cavity number.
Quality and Tolerance
If you aim to get high-quality parts with high tolerance,reducing the number of mold cavities is the best decision. However,if your priority is to produce many parts,you can opt for more mold cavities.It’s much easier to ensure quality and tolerance when the numbers are moderate.
Injection Machine Capacity
The mold is supposed to be manufactured at a predetermined injection molding machine.Now,your mold cavity should not be too big or too small.If your injection machine can’t accommodate your mold design, the total volume of cavities and runners may exceed 80% of it,causing more problems.To avoid such, consider the Injection machine capacity before the design process.
Mold cavities play a significant role in the manufacturing process.If you are new to the industry,it would be best to let a professional handle the designing part and choose the right number of mold cavities to avoid incurring multiple losses.
At Sunrise Metal,we have been experts in the manufacturing industry for over 10 years.We have qualified engineers and tool makers to help you design mold cavities that will promise high-quality and durable finish products.Contact our support team today and request a quote,and let us transform your business together!