Case Study #8: Plastic Injection Molding Pins

Tool Type: Plastic Injection Molding Pins

Work Material: Plastic resin

Original Tooling Material: H-13 tool steel hardened to RC 52-54

Problem: Up to 8 of the H-13 pins are inserted into a 420 ESR mold cavity. As the plastic resin is injected into the mold and passes around the pins, the resin erodes the head of the pinsand caused the head of the pins to pop off. Shut-down of the molder to replace the damaged pins would require 1 hour of downtime per 24 hour production cycle.

Solution: Upgrade to A-11LV PM tool steel hardened to RC 52-54.

Results: Due to the high wear resistance of the A-11LV PM, the pins were able to resist erosion caused by the resin. The A-11LV PM also supplied sufficient toughness to avoid breakage of the pins. A-11LV PM provided enough wear resistance to require only 1 hour of downtime per week, saving the manufacturer 6 hours of downtime and the cost of 6 sets of pin per week.

For more information, see the A-11LV PM Tool Steel Data Sheet or read our industry-specific article on Plastic Injection Molding.