Injection moulds are used to produce plastic products. They consist of two halves, which are pressed together during the process. One half is shaped like the outside of the product and the other half is shaped like the inside.

Plastic is injected into the mould at a high temperature. The plastic then cools inside the mould. When something cools, including plastic, it will shrink. The level of shrinkage depends on factors like the type of plastic. To ensure that the product has the correct dimensions, the shrink value of the plastic must always be taken into account.

Ejector pins are (usually) steel pins that push a cooled product out of the mould.

A hot runner system is a heated tubing system that ensures that the plastic remains liquid and can thus be injected into the mould at multiple points.

There are various differences between aluminium and steel moulds. The main differences are the costs, the processing time, the durability and the thermal conductivity. An aluminium mould costs less than a steel mould. This is mainly because of the shorter production time. Milling a mould from aluminium takes less time than milling a steel mould. This means fewer machining hours are required, which reduces costs. Besides lower costs, the shorter processing time of aluminium means moulds can be produced quicker. This in turn shortens the lead time from design to production.

Steel moulds are more durable than aluminium moulds. An aluminium mould wears faster than a steel mould. This means aluminium moulds are mainly suitable for products that are manufactured in lower volumes. We can generally give a short guarantee of 25,000 to 100,000 pieces for aluminium moulds. This depends on the product geometry and the type of plastic that is used.

Aluminium has better thermal conductivity than steel. This means that products made in aluminium moulds undergo a more gradual cooling process than those made in steel moulds. This often results in a straighter, more well-formed product. The improved thermal conductivity also means that the cycle time for aluminium moulds is shorter than for steel moulds. A shorter cycle time also reduces the price of the product.

Aluminium moulds have several advantages compared to steel moulds. Aluminium is quicker to process than steel. This reduces the lead time and cuts costs. Aluminium also conducts heat faster, which reduces the cycle time of the injection-moulding process. A shorter cycle time reduces the price of the product. Faster thermal conductivity also cools the product more evenly, which reduces the likelihood of product deformity.

The lifespan depends on the material used for the injection moulding. There is almost no difference in the lifespan of PP, PE, PS and similar materials. Steel moulds have longer lifespans when used with plastics that are difficult to process. Aluminium moulds are suitable for manufacturing at least 25,000 pieces.

The faster thermal conductivity of aluminium means products cools more evenly. This reduces internal stresses in the product and thus the tendency to deform. Another advantage is the shorter cycle time: this is up to thirty percent less for products made from PP and PE. In short: the faster thermal conductivity saves time and reduces production costs.

No. Production is not affected by whether we use an aluminium or a steel mould. However, the structure of the mould is different.

This is generally true. With aluminium moulds, small and thin cores are more susceptible to breakage than when using steel moulds. Prototypes of such parts can be produced, but not in mass quantities.

Aluminium is suitable for both large and small moulds. After all, large volumes lead to major time savings during the machining process. Promatrix makes moulds of up to 2500 x 1200 x 1000 mm.

Compared to steel moulds, aluminium moulds can be polished to a high gloss faster and more easily.

A high glass content will result in faster wear in aluminium moulds than steel moulds, particularly at the injection point. Nevertheless, visible or measurable wear will not be encountered quickly. Experience has shown that aluminium moulds are preferable to traditional steel moulds for production runs of up to 20,000 pieces when using a glass-filled material.

Just like steel, aluminium is suitable for texturing. Steel and aluminium moulds are textured using the same texturing techniques.

No, it is similar to steel in this regard. It is perfectly possible to create aluminium moulds with slides and other demoulding mechanisms.

Just as with steel, aluminium is easy to weld. This means damage to aluminium moulds can also be repaired via welding.

CAD stands for Computer Aided Design. The design of the mould is produced using a CAD system. CAD is used to produce a mould design on a computer.

CAM stands for Computer Aided Manufacturing. CAM is the software used to produce programs for milling machines. Milling machines then run the entire program.

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control. A CNC milling machine is a computer controlled milling machine. Once a product has been placed on the milling machine, the machine can run the CAM program without human intervention.

Several of our milling machines are equipped with robot cells. These robots automate the CNC milling machine. This automation makes it possible to exchange products and tools on the milling machine. This allows us to mill 24/7 without human intervention.

During the injection moulding process, plastic granules (granulate) are heated until they become liquid and are then injected into the mould. The plastic that enters the mould cools and hardens. Once the product has cooled and hardened, the mould halves separate and the product can be removed.

We work with the most commonly used plastics, including ABS, PC, PMMA, PA, POM, PP, PE and PS. We also use plastics with additives including glass fibres, minerals or talc. We also work with bioplastics and recycled plastics.

High-pressure injection moulding is a technique where plastic is injected into the mould at a very high pressure. This technique is suitable for products with wall thicknesses of up to around 5 mm.

Gas injection is a technique used to make products with thick walls. Gas is injected during the injection moulding process, so that the interior remains hollow. The gas presses the plastic against the mould to form the outside of the product.

2C injection moulding stands for two-component injection moulding. It is used when a single product must be produced from two or more plastic materials. We begin by injecting the first material into the cavity. The cavity in the mould is then modified and the second material injected. This technique allows us to produce combinations of hard and soft plastics.

Thermoplastic foam casting (TSC) is also known as low-pressure foam casting. A foam (or chemical blowing agent) is added to the plastic granules. It becomes active when the plastic is melted. This causes the plastic to expand inside the mould. This technique allows thick-walled products to be produced.

The cycle time is the time that the machine requires to produce a single product. This includes the time required to close the mould, inject the plastic, cool it and eject the product.