Introduction: injection molding process is a processing method used in mass production of certain complex-shaped parts. The specific principle is that the molten plastic are pushed by the injection molding machine screw and injected into the mold cavity of the plastic mold under high pressure. After cooling and solidification, the plastic molded product is obtained.

The plastic mold slider, also known as the guide column, is one of the most important parts of the mold. It is mainly used to support and guide the mold to ensure the accuracy and stability of the mold during operation.

The quality of the plastic mold slider directly affects the life and use effect of the mold, so the selection of its material is very important. So what material is used for the slider of the injection mold? This article will explain this issue.

What is the Slider of the Injection Mold ？

The slider is a mold component that can slide perpendicular to the opening and closing direction or at a certain angle to the opening and closing direction during the mold opening action. When the product structure makes the mold unable to be demolded normally without the slider, the slider must be used.

The material itself has the right hardness and wear resistance to handle the friction of movement. The hardness of the cavity part or the core part on the slider should be the same as the other parts of the cavity and core.

In the injection mold slide design , the reasonable layout of mold opening direction , effective press block configuration and mold guide pincan effectively improve the injection molding cycle, and the use of wear plate and thin mold plates can enhance the durability of the pressing block.

What are the Considerations for the Selection of Injection Mold Slider Materials?

Working Conditions

When using injection mold slides, they often face greater force and heavy pressure, so the selection of materials needs to consider its hardness, strength and other properties. Under different working conditions, the material required for the mold slider will also be different.

For example, mold sliders that work in high temperature and high pressure environments need to be made of materials that can withstand high temperature and high pressure environments.

Product Requirements

The final use of the product will directly affect the material selection. Factors to be considered include:

Product size and complexity: Large or complex products may require stronger mold materials to support their structure.

Required precision: High-precision products require mold materials with stable dimensions and small deformation.

Surface quality requirements: Products with high gloss or smooth surfaces require mold materials with easy surface treatment and high finish.

Material Properties

Different mold materials have different physical and chemical properties, which determine the applicability and performance of the mold.

Thermal stability: The mold material must be able to withstand high temperatures and maintain stable size and shape.

Wear resistance: For long-cycle production, materials with good wear resistance can reduce wear and extend mold life.

Hardness: Hardness is important for determining how well a mold can resist wear and corrosion. If you’re making a lot of parts or need really precise ones, you’ll want a material with high hardness.

Strength and toughness: You want a material with high strength and toughness so it can take a beating during the manufacturing process and not crack.

Cost-Effectiveness

Cost is a big deal when you’re picking mold materials.

Material cost: Different mold materials have way different costs, and you have to balance the cost of the material with how well it’s going to work.

Production cost: You have to pick a material that fits your budget, but you also have to think about how much it’s going to cost to keep the mold running and replace it when it wears out.

Production efficiency: If you pick a material that’s going to last a long time, you won’t have to stop production to fix or replace the mold as often, and that’s going to make you more money.

Processing Performance

When making injection molding sliders , you have to do a bunch of stuff to them, like machine them and heat treat them. So, you have to think about how easy they are to machine when you pick what kind of material to use.

Some metal alloys are really easy to work with and can do all the stuff you need to do to make a mold slider. How easy a material is to work with when you’re making a mold decides how hard it is to make the mold and how much it costs.

Processing difficulty: Some high-performance materials may require special processing techniques, which may increase manufacturing costs.

Surface treatment capabilities: Surface treatment of molds such as polishing and electroplating requires materials to have good processing performance.

Material Supply

Material availability and supply stability are also important considerations.

Material source: Make sure the material you choose is available and won’t run out, so you don’t have to stop production.

Delivery time: How long it takes to get the materials will affect how long it takes to finish the whole project.

Wear Resistance and Corrosion Resistance

Injection mold sliders wear out over time. So, when you’re picking materials, you need to think about wear resistance. Some common wear-resistant materials are metal materials, graphite materials, ceramic materials, and so on.

The environment where injection molded sliders are is often tough and can be corroded by things like acids and alkalis. So, it’s also really important to pick materials that have good corrosion resistance.

What are the Commonly Used Materials for Plastic Mold Sliders?

Organic Glass

Organic glass is a transparent polymer material with excellent transparency, impact resistance, and good mechanical strength. The transparency of this material can reach more than 90%, so it is widely used in injection molds, especially in the manufacture of sliders.

At the same time, the difficulty of making organic glass is relatively high, and the cost is relatively expensive, so the scope of use is limited to a certain extent.

Polymer

Polymer is a material with a polymer structure, which has good processability and mechanical properties in plastic processing. The slider material is generally made of high-density polyethylene material, which has good hardness and wear resistance and can have a long service life.

Polytetrafluoroethylene

Virkron, also known as PTFE, is a material that has a low friction coefficient and is excellent at resisting wear, corrosion, oxidation, and high temperatures. That’s why it’s often used as a slider material when making plastic molds. Plus, it’s lightweight, doesn’t deform easily, and lasts a long time.

Nylon

Nylon is a great plastic material with great performance. It is widely used in the injection mold industry, especially in the making of mold sliders. Nylon has the advantages of being tough, strong, wear-resistant, oil-resistant, and heat-resistant, and it lasts a long time.

Engineering Plastics

It is a high-performance, high-strength plastic material that is suitable for high-end applications like plastic mold sliders. This material has high strength, high hardness, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, high temperature resistance, and tensile resistance. It also has good mechanical properties and production and processing performance.

When the slider is big, in order to simplify the processing, save the material, and facilitate the replacement of the mold, it can be divided into a slider seat and a slider insert, and then the slider insert is fixed to the slider seat with screws. When the slider is small, the slider seat and the slider insert can be directly made into one piece, which can reduce the processing steps and reduce one part.

Copper Alloy Slider

The copper alloy slider is great at resisting wear and corrosion, and it can handle high temperatures and pressures. Plus, it’s easy to work with, so it’s perfect for making molds with complicated shapes. But, it’s heavy, dense, and costs a pretty penny.

Yellow Card Material

The mold slider factory purchase order shows that the slider is made of yellow card material. The slider is a mold component that can slide perpendicular to the mold opening and closing direction or at a certain angle to the mold opening and closing direction during the mold opening action.

What material is used for the plastic mold slider? The slider is generally 718 and 738 for the glue position, and yellow card material or P20 for the non-glue position.

Cast Steel

Cast steel materials have high hardness, high strength, good wear resistance, etc., and are widely used in mechanical manufacturing. When selecting mold slider seats, cast steel materials are often selected. There are many types of process plastic materials, which have the advantages of flame retardancy, wear resistance, and good corrosion resistance.

What are the Common Types of Injection Mold Sliders?

In injection molds, there are many types of sliders, and here are some common ones:

Side Sliding Sliders

Side sliding sliders are typically used for parts with tapers, such as the flange or wall of the injection part of the mold. The movement direction of the side sliding slider is generally perpendicular to the direction of the parting line of the mold, and a special edge guide mechanism is usually required to ensure the movement accuracy.

Positive Beam Sliders

There are two types of positive beam sliders: unidirectional sliders and bidirectional sliders. Unidirectional sliders can only move in one direction and are good for parts with a symmetrical centerline of the mold. Bidirectional sliders can move in two directions and are good for parts with an asymmetrical centerline.

Rotating Sliders

The direction of movement for the rotating slider is rotation, which is suitable for parts that need to rotate in the mold. The rotating shaft and guide mechanism are usually on the moving plate to ensure the accuracy of rotation.

Up and Down Slider Sliders

The up and down movement direction of the up and down slider is up and down, which is suitable for parts that need to move up and down in the mold. The upper and lower sliders are generally driven by small screws or helical gears.

What is the Role of the Plastic Mold Slider?

Control the Direction of the Workpiece

The mold slider is used to control the direction of the workpiece during the opening and closing of the mold. Sometimes, multiple processes need to be done in one mold, and the directions of the different processes are different. In this case, by controlling the direction of the workpiece through the mold slider, multiple processes can be done in the same mold.

Control the Distance of the Workpiece

The mold slider can also be used to control how far the workpiece moves. Sometimes, when making a mold, you need to move the workpiece from one place to another. The mold slider can help you control how far the workpiece moves.

Ensure the Quality of the Workpiece

The mold slider is an important part of the mold, which plays a role in ensuring the quality of the mold.

In the process of mold opening and closing, the mold slider can play a guiding and supporting role, avoid misalignment and flipping between various components, ensure the accuracy and stability of the mold, make the product meet the standard requirements, and improve the quality of the product. Thereby ensuring the quality of the workpiece.

Another important role of the mold slider is to ensure the quality of the workpiece. When the workpiece is formed in the mold, it needs to be taken out of the mold. If the removal process is not done properly, it may cause the workpiece to get bent or damaged.

By designing and using mold sliders in a smart way, we can make sure that the workpiece stays whole and accurate when we take it out of the mold. This way, we can make sure that the workpiece is good quality.

Improve the Production Efficiency of the Mold

One of the important roles that the mold slider can play when the mold is opened and closed is to make the opening and closing of the mold smoother, reduce damage to the product, thereby improving the production efficiency of the mold, making production more stable, and effectively reducing the frequency of mold maintenance and replacement, saving time and cost.

Reduce Mold Wear

The mold slider can provide the necessary functional support and track guidance for the mold, making the opening and closing of the mold smoother and reducing damage to the product. At the same time, during the opening and closing of the mold, the mold slider can reduce the wear of the mold, increase its service life, and save replacement costs.

Conclusion

The injection mold slider is a core component, and its material selection directly affects the performance and life of the mold. The slider needs to have high hardness, wear resistance and strength. Common materials include plexiglass, polymer, polytetrafluoroethylene, nylon and copper alloy.

The slider controls the direction and movement distance of the workpiece during the opening and closing of the mold, while improving production efficiency, ensuring product quality, and reducing wear and maintenance costs.Zetar Mold has outstanding injection molding processes. If you have any injection molding project, please feel free to contact Zetar Mold.