ASA Family Mould On LKM Base
Family mould ASA tool, LKM cavity, two slides, side gate, 60 sec cycle, 500,000 shots.
What This Tool Is
A 4+1 family tool: four of one part and one of another in every shot, which only works when the assembly genuinely uses them in that ratio. Moulded in ASA for outdoor weathering. The tool runs two slides and a side gate. The archived record puts the cycle at 60 sec and the tool life at 500,000 shots.
ASA is chosen where the part sees sunlight. It holds colour and surface far better than ABS outdoors, at a higher material cost.
Company catalogue record 184.
Specification And Trade Terms
Mould specification
| Product materials | ASA |
|---|---|
| Mould material | LKM |
| Cavity | 4 + 1 family |
| Slider | 2 |
| Gate | Side gate |
| Cycle time | 60 sec |
| Warranty | 500,000 shots |
Commercial terms
| Product origin | China |
|---|---|
| Price terms | FOB Xiamen or CIF |
| Payment terms | T/T or L/C |
| Minimum order | 1 set |
| Mould standard | HASCO or DME standard components |
Key Benefits
LKM is a mould base standard rather than a cavity steel, which is why it is the cavity steel on this an ASA assembly needing four of one part to one of another tool
A side gate feeds the part from the edge on a simple two plate tool
A family layout gives one tool, one press and one setting instead of two of each, and the matched parts always leave the press in the same colour and batch
Two slides is a low count for this kind of part, and every slide left out is cycle time and maintenance removed
ASA is chosen where the part sees sunlight
Problems It Solves
Substituting ABS for ASA to save material cost gives a part that chalks and fades in its first season outdoors
A cold gate on a visible face leaves a witness that somebody then has to trim, colour match or hide
A pre-hardened cavity substituted into a job that needed a quenched one fails early, and the saving goes on the first repair
Who It Is For And Where It Is Used
Who it is for
- Buyers with a part outside the usual industrial groups
- Programmes needing a family or multi impression layout
- Companies consolidating odd tooling with one source
Application scenarios
- A four plus one family tool where four of one part ship with one of another
- A general ABS part that needs a cost effective 718 cavity rather than a stainless one
- A one off tool that still has to be built properly
Technical Features And Materials
Technical features
- LKM cavity and core
- 4 + 1 family impression layout
- Side gate feed
- Two mechanical slides with hardened wear plates
- Cavity and core rated at 500,000 shots
- HASCO or DME standard mould base components
Customisation options
- Impression count revised up or down once you give us the real annual volume
- Cavity steel changed from LKM where your moulding grade or your expected shot count calls for something different
- Gate type moved away from the side gate if the cosmetic face or the degating requirement changes
- Cosmetic features such as texture, logos and part numbers cut as replaceable inserts so a later change does not mean a new cavity
- Mould base built to HASCO or DME dimensions, or to a standard your own tool room already stocks spares for
Materials
- ASA
How This Mould Is Made
- Cavity and core blocks are inspected against the specified grade before they enter the machining route
- Cavity geometry is cut on the CNC machining centres from programmes generated off the released part model
- Rib roots, text and internal corners are burned in with EDM electrodes, which is detail no rotating cutter can reach
- The two slide pockets are wire cut so the slide fit repeats rather than being filed in
- The moulding face is polished to the finish the part needs, which for a plated part is a different grade from a textured one
- Parting line, shut offs and ejection are fitted and spotted by hand at the bench
- The tool is trialled on one of our injection machines and the 60 sec cycle is measured rather than assumed
Quality Control On This Tool
- Incoming cavity and core steel is checked against the grade on the order, not against the delivery note
- Machined inserts and plates are measured between operations rather than only at the end of the route
- Slide travel and shut off contact are checked at the bench before the tool goes anywhere near a press
- Trial parts are measured on the 2D image measuring projector against the dimensions nominated on your drawing
- Each impression is reported separately, because matched cavities drift apart over life and an averaged figure hides that
- Corrections found at trial are recorded against the mould number with the date and the reason, so a repair years later starts from what the tool actually is
- Before shipment the water and hydraulic circuits are blown out and plugged and the moulding faces are oiled
Compared With The Alternatives
Separate single cavity tools for each part
More flexible if the parts are ever needed in different quantities, but twice the tool cost and twice the press time.
A quenched stainless cavity such as S136
Longer polish life and corrosion resistance for a plated or damp environment part, at a higher steel and heat treatment cost than this tool needed.
A hot runner version
Removes the runner weight and allows a gate in the middle of the part, at a higher tool cost and with a heated manifold to maintain.
Use And Maintenance Guide
- Run the tool in the ASA grade it was trialled with; changing grade changes shrinkage and cavity wear at the same time
- Inspect the side gate at every service, because gate condition is what decides whether parts come off the tool clean
- Grease the slide gibs on the interval in the tool documentation rather than waiting for flash to appear
- Check that every slide returns fully after a press change; a slide that does not return will damage the cavity on the next close
- Oil the moulding faces and plug the circuits for any storage longer than a week
Related Products
Moulds For Other Product Series
ABS Injection Mould With 718 Cavity Steel
718 pre-hardened steel where stainless is not needed
Product materials ABSMould material 718
Moulds For Other Product Series
Custom Plastic Injection Moulds
Three archived records that carry a name and nothing else
Mould Components And Inserts
Mould Inserts And Core Pins
Replace the feature that wore out, not the whole cavity
Mould Components And Inserts
Mould Base Components
Guide pillars, bushings and slide hardware as a matched set
Industries And Guides
Industry
IT And Communications
Enclosures, covers and moulded detail parts for IT and communications hardware
Industry
Medical Instrument
Instrument housings and moulded components for medical equipment makers
Buying Guide
Single Cavity Multi Cavity Or Family Mould
Impression count is most of the tool price and most of the piece price. How to decide it before you ask for a quotation.
Material Guide
ABS PP PC And ASA For Moulded Industrial Parts
The four materials in this catalogue, what each is chosen for, and what changing between them does to the mould.
ASA Family Mould On LKM Base Questions
What buyers ask about this tool before ordering.
Why LKM for this tool?
LKM is a mould base standard rather than a cavity steel. Building on a standard base means plates, guide pillars and ejector hardware are catalogue items, so a later repair does not wait on a special part.
What does the side gate mean for the finished part?
A side gate feeds the part from the edge on a simple two plate tool. The witness sits on the edge, so the gate position has to land somewhere the assembly or the finish covers.
What does the 500,000 shots figure actually cover?
It is the cavity and core life the tool was built for, running the nominated ASA grade under normal maintenance. It is not a guarantee against damage from a mispositioned part, a press fault or a missed service interval.
Is the 60 sec cycle achievable in our press?
It was measured on a trial here with the mould running ASA. Cycle time follows the heaviest section of the part far more than it follows the press, so it should transfer, but confirm your clamp tonnage and cooling capacity with us first.
What happens if I need more of one part than the other?
A family tool makes that awkward. You either overproduce one part or block an impression, which unbalances the fill. If the ratio is not close to what the tool was built for, separate tools usually work out better.
Get A Quotation For This Tool
Tell us your moulding grade, annual volume and target date and we will come back with a specification you can compare against any other offer.