What type of steel should be used in the mold?
The quality of steel is one of the most important factors when building a mold. Harder steels have longer tooling life. As with all benefits, one must consider the cost, as harder steels are more expensive. The degree of hardness of steel is defined as HB or HRC. The pre-hardened steel ranges from 170HB to 370HB or 20HRC to 38HRC. Besides the hardness degree, the most common terms used in the industry is AISI (international standard) P20, 420, and H13 for the insert of Cores and Cavities. P20 – Our manufacturing facility typically uses GS 638, GS 318 and ASSAB 618 steel. On occasion we use ASSAB718 if requested by the customer, which has more reliability and cost twice the normal price. The steel hardness in P20 is approximately 28 32 HRC. 420 – This steel has finer molecules, anti-corrosion stainless steel and can be heat-treated from 30 HRC to 50 HRC for an additional cost. This is normally used for clear Lens and Season Components uses ASSAB S136. H-13 – This is also heat-treated st
