Injection molds are always made in accordance with the same rules.

Therefore, it should
not come as a surprise that their design approach is always similar. This holds
particularly true for the basic components. A great number of companies are specialized
in manufacturing such basic elements. They produce these elements on a large scale and
in a variety that a detailed discussion of these products would be beyond the scope of this
chapter. We emphasize, therefore, to contact a supplier of mold standards. Suppliers offer
extensive and very informative catalogs. Sometimes the information is also available as
a software database. Figures 17.1-17.3 and Table 17.1 show the most common mold
standards and their application areas.
Mold standards are parts or modules whose dimensions have been standardized and
characterized. In line with the basic design of a mold, they can be classified as standards
for the mold structure, the cavity, the gate system, the guides and centering, for heat
control, for demolding and for accommodating the mold in the injection molding
machine.
The use of mold standards shortens production times and relieves the designer and
mold maker of routine work. Advantages are:
- For computer-assisted design, standards can be retrieved from a database, displayed on
the screen and employed in the design ("features"). The user has the option to "play"
with several variants to select the solution which is the most suitable one in his
opinion. This relieves him of routine work.
- The uncertainty in a quotation is smaller because one can calculate with fixed costs for
the individual elements.
- Work input into the production of the molds can be reduced by 25-45% through the
use of standards. Extensive studies have shown that 55% of the total work is performed
by the mold maker himself, 25% by the standards producer, and 20% can additionally
be delegated to the standards producer [17.2].
- The mold maker can adjust his machinery to the special requirements of mold making
since he has to work primarily on the cavities. He saves on capital expenditure and can
operate more effectively and with lower costs.
- Supply of replacement is simplified because standards are interchangeable. There is no
need for maintaining an expensive in-house stock.
- Discarded molds can be disassembled and part of their components re-used.
1 7 M o l d S t a n d a r d s
Figure 17.1 Use of mold
standards for injection
molds [17.1] (See
Table 17.1 for explanation
of numbers)
Figure 17.2 Use of
mold standards for
injection molds
[17.1] (See
Table 17.1 for
explanation of
numbers)
Figure 17.3 Use
of mold standards
for injection molds
[17.1] (See
Table 17.1 for
explanation of
numbers)
Table 17.1 Mold standards and their applications (see Figures 17.1-17.3 for illustrations of parts)
Module
0
1
Functional group
Mold frame
Gating systems
Part No.
1
2
3
4
10
11
13
14
15
17
18
Name
Mounting plates
Mold plate
Backing plate
Spacer strip
Sprue bushes
Sprue retaining bush
Sprue bushes with
pneumatic sprue
removal and corre-
sponding nozzles
Hot runner nozzles,
with and without
needle valve
Heated manifold
blocks
Closure plug
Deflector plug
Melt filter
Filter insert
Heating elements, like:
Cartridge heaters
Band heaters,
Flat tubular heating
elements,
Spiral tube cartridges,
Ring heaters with
corresponding control
devices
Application area
Circular, rectangular, drilled and
undrilled plates, machined on all sides,
in various dimensions.
Material: steel and different aluminum
grades.
Used for individual mold constructions
into which only the cavities or mold
inserts, gating system, cooling system
and drill holes for the ejector systems
have to be incorporated. The drilled
plates contain drilled holes for guide
elements and for bolting plates
together; these are exchangeable parts.
Accommodating the drill hole for the
sprue, sealing the mold against the
injection nozzle
Demolding the gating system,
especially the sprue and the sprue gate
Fully automatic sprue removal
Single-point and multipoint gate
nozzles lead the melt directly to the
cavity. Runners etc are eliminated.
Fully automatic production
Leading the melt in hot runner molds
from the injection nozzle to the hot
runner nozzles
Sealing a melt channel in hot runner
blocks
Deflecting the melt in hot runner blocks
Retaining contaminants.
For injection nozzles and hot runner
nozzles
Temperature control in hot runner
molds, molds with insulated
runners and thermoset and
elastomer molds
Module
2
3
Functional group
Guide and
locating
elements
Temperature
control system
Part No.
20
21
22
23
24
30
31
34
36
37
310
Name
Guide bolts
Guide bushes
Locating bush
Locating unit
Flat guides
Locating ring
Couplings and
nipples, also as
sealing couplings
and nipples
Hose connectors
Hose clamps
Pinch-off sleeves
Hoses: PVC
Hose with fabric insert
Vition hose with
metal braiding
Corrugated metal hose
with metal braiding
Sealing bolt
Seals
Spiral cores, single
flighted, double
flighted
Cooling finger
Heat pipe
Heat sink cartridge
Thermal protection
plates
Insulating plates
Heating elements
(see Gating system)
Application area
Internal guiding and locating of
mold halves and lateral slide bars
Locating and guiding mold halves
and ejector assembly
Locating mold plates and strips
relative to each other
Locating the mold plates
For individual guides with solid
lubricant depots
Locating and centring mold halves on
the machine mounting plates
Connecting the mold to the
temperature control units
Depending on temperature of heating
medium
Locking heating channel holes, e.g. at
deflectors (cross holes)
O-rings for sealing the temperature
control system, Teflon ribbon, etc.
Cooling mold cores
Spot cooling at points in barely
accessible areas of mold
Avoiding heat dissipation into machine
mounting plates in hot runner molds,
molds with insulated runners and
thermoset and elastomer molds
See Gating system
Table 17.1 (continued) Mold standards and their applications (see Figures 17.1-17.3 for
illustrations of parts)
Module
4
5
Functional group
Ejector
system
Ejector
retraction/
retraction force
Ejector
subassembly
Accessories
Part No.
40
42
43
44
45
46
48
49
411
410
412
413
420
50
52
Name
Ejector pins
Flat ejectors
Ejector bushes
Stripper plate
Ejector plate
Ejector retaining plate
Ejector guide bolts
Ejector plate
Retaining disc
Quick-action coupling
Coarse pitch spindles
Coarse pitch nuts
Pinions
Bearings
Gear racks
Spur gear
Idle wheels
Retraction spring
Ejector plate return
pins split/non-split
Retraction device
Feedback device
Return pin
Ratchet rod
Driver
Two-stage ejector
Bolts
Setscrews
Straight pins
Application area
Demolding molded parts and gating
systems
Accommodating the ejector pins and
the retraction forces
Supporting the ejector pins
Application of load into pins
Guiding, locatings and displacing the
ejector assembly
Application of load into ejector
system on opening of mold
Tensioning the pull-back springs
Connection to machines with
hydraulic ejector system
Demolding molded parts with threads
Retracting ejector assembly after
demolding. Protection of ejector pins
and mold plates
Subdivision of ejector movement for
molds with several parting lines
For bolting together mold plates,
locating ring, thermal protection
plates, etc.
Table 17.1 (continued) Mold standards and their applications (see Figures 17.1-17.3 for
illustrations of parts)
Module
6
7
8
9
Functional group
Transport aids
Spacer segments
Clamping
systems/rapid
clamping
systems
Slide bar
mechanism
Measuring and
control devices
Mold inserts
Part No.
54
55
57
59
510
60
61
70
80
83
86
90
Name
Ball catch
Springs/spring
elements
Ring bolts
Support rolls
Support strips
Headed dowels and
support discs
Spacing rings
Mechanical and
hydraulic clamping
systems
Clamps/brackets
Mechanism com-
prising tie rod and
slide rod
Locking cylinders
Heat sensors
Electronic temperature
controllers
Pressure sensors
Sensor
Recording device
Computer
Plug-in connectors
Cores
Application area
Stopping movable mold parts, e.g.
jaws
Compression and disc springs for e.g.
ejector retraction, bolt security, etc.
Lowering lifting tool and securing
molds during transport
Partial support for mold plates and for
bridging large distances bewteen the
mold plates with minimal thermal
conduction
Supporting the ejector assembly
Supporting the hot runner blocks
Compensating plate thicknesses
Mounting the molds on the machine
mounting plates
Long slide bar distances that otherwise
are attainable only with hydraulic or
pneumatic cylinders
Locking and pulling lateral slide bars
and core pins
Temperature control and monitoring in
hot runner molds with insulated
runners and thermoplastics and
elastomer molds
Monitoring and recording cavity
pressure and pressure in the hydraulic
system of the injection molding
machine
Connecting sensors to measuring and
recording devices
Core pins for swappable cores, e.g.
unscrewing cores
Table 17.1 (continued) Mold standards and their applications (see Figures 17.1-17.3 for
illustrations of parts)
Company
American MSI
Bohler
D-M-E
DMS
Dynisco
Enerpac
Engel
Eurotool
Ewicon
East Heat
Gammaflux
Gunther
Hasco Internorm
Hasco Mold Bases
Hotset
Husky
Incoe
Kistler
Manner
Mold-Masters
Plasthing
Staubli
Thermodyne
Uddeholm
Watlow
City, State
Moorpark, CA/USA
Arlington Heights, IL/USA
Madison Heights, MI/USA
Windsor,Ontario/Canada
Gloucester, MA/USA
Milwaukee, WIAJSA
Guelph, Ontario/Canada
Gloucester, MA/USA
East Dundee, IL/USA
Elmhurst, IL/USA
Sterling, VA/USA
Buffalo Grove, IL/USA
Chatsworth, CA/USA
Arden, NC/USA
Battle Creek, MI/USA
Bolton, Ontario/Canada
Troy, MI/USA
Amherst, NY/USA
Tucker, GA/USA
Georgetown, Ontario/Canada
Mishawaka, IN/USA
Duncon, SC/USA
Beverly, MA/USA
Wood Dale, IL/USA
St. Louis/MO/USA
Table 17.2 Selected suppliers of mold standards, hot runners and accessories, pressure and
temperature sensors as well as mold changing systems in North America. These suppliers offer
not only tried and true parts but also systems tailored to specific needs.
R e f e r e n c e s
[17.1] Catalog of Standards, Hasco, Ludenscheid, Germany.
[17.2] Heuel, 0.: Werkzeug - F M E A fur SpritzgieBwerkzeuge. Kunststoffberater, 1, 2 and 3,
1994.