Several Common Manufacturing Methods for Mold Steel
I. Smelting
The smelting of mold steel generally adopts the method of electric arc furnace plus secondary refining. There are various secondary refining processes, such as ladle furnace refining (LF), vacuum degassing (VD), and powder injection refining. For the production of high-performance mold steel, the method of electric arc furnace plus electroslag remelting (ESR) or vacuum arc remelting (VAR) is adopted.
II. Casting
Mold steel is mainly produced by die casting. To ensure the quality of steel ingots, techniques to prevent secondary oxidation are widely used, including protective gas casting and vacuum casting. To improve yield rates and reduce costs, some special steel plants at home and abroad have adopted continuous casting for the production of mold steel. For mold materials with large cross-sections, large-section continuous casting machines are usually selected.
III. Forging
Forging is an important step in the manufacturing process of mold steel. Through repeated forging, the coarse dendritic crystals in the billet will undergo fragmentation and recrystallization, making the structure tend to be homogeneous, thereby improving the homogeneity of the mold steel. After forging, the forgings need to be cooled directly in the air and undergo post-forging heat treatment to homogenize the structure and improve the quality of the forgings.
IV. Heat Treatment
Heat treatment of mold steel, including pre-deformation heat treatment and post-deformation heat treatment, is a critical step in improving the performance of mold steel. Through heat treatment, the mechanical properties of mold steel, such as hardness, wear resistance, and toughness, can be adjusted to meet different application requirements.
V. Cutting and Machining
Cutting and machining is the final process in the manufacturing process of mold steel. Through cutting and machining, mold parts with specific shapes and dimensions can be obtained. Cutting and machining methods include general machine tool processing, precision cutting machine tools, numerical control machine tools, etc.
In summary, the manufacturing methods of Mold Steel involve multiple stages and various techniques. The selection and application of these manufacturing methods depend on the material type, application field, and specific performance requirements of the mold steel. Through reasonable manufacturing methods and the selection of process parameters, mold steel with excellent performance can be produced to meet the needs of various mold manufacturing.
