Facebook Linkedin
Get A Quote

Mold & Tool Making Services

Mold and tool making is a highly specialized manufacturing process focused on the design, engineering, fabrication, and maintenance of precision molds, dies, fixtures, and tooling used in plastic injection molding and other production operations. High-quality tooling is essential to achieving consistent part quality, tight tolerances, efficient cycle times, and long-term manufacturing reliability.

Capabilities

  • Experienced engineering and tooling teams work closely with customers throughout every phase of development, from initial concept and DFM analysis through mold design, fabrication, validation, production launch, and ongoing maintenance
  • Domestic (onshore) and international (offshore) tooling solutions to support a wide range of project timelines, production volumes, and cost requirements, including complete project management, supplier coordination, tool qualification, and production validation
  • Mold design and tooling support for injection molding, extrusion blow molding (EBM), injection stretch blow molding (ISBM), thermoforming, and rotational molding applications
  • Single-cavity, multi-cavity, family, stack, insert, overmold, unscrewing, and high-cavitation mold capabilities for complex and tight-tolerance components
  • Two-plate and three-plate molds, hot runner systems, cold runner systems, valve gate systems, and custom runner balancing solutions for efficient material flow and reduced waste
  • Tooling support for insert molding, overmolding, multi-shot molding, vertical molding, micro molding, and cleanroom molding applications
  • Support for SPI mold classifications including:
    • Class 101 molds for high-volume production
    • Class 102 and 103 molds for medium-volume production
    • Class 104 and 105 molds for low-volume and prototype applications
  • Surface finish and texture capabilities including SPI surface finish standards (A-1 to D-3), high-polish optical finishes, matte and bead-blast textures, EDM finishes, and custom mold texturing
  • Advanced manufacturing processes including CNC machining, high-speed milling, precision grinding, polishing, and mold texturing
  • Mold repair, refurbishment, preventive maintenance, engineering changes, cavity replacement, and tool transfer services
  • Automation-ready tooling designs compatible with robotics, insert loading systems, vision inspection, and secondary automation integration

Other Capabilities

Custom Tool Design

Engineered molds built to meet specific part requirements and performance standards.

High-Precision Manufacturing

Advanced machining processes ensure accuracy and consistency in every tool.

Durable Tool Construction

Molds designed for long-term use and high-volume production environments.

Maintenance & Optimization

Ongoing support to maintain tool performance and extend operational life.

Key Materials for Mold & Tool Making

  • P20 Tool Steel: A versatile pre-hardened mold steel widely used for injection molds and general-purpose production tooling. P20 offers excellent machinability, good polish ability, and balanced toughness, making it ideal for medium- to high-volume molding applications and large mold bases.
  • H13 Hardened Tool Steel: A premium hot-work tool steel known for exceptional toughness, heat resistance, and wear performance. Commonly used for high-
    volume production molds, abrasive materials, and high-temperature molding applications requiring long tool life and dimensional stability.
  • S7 Tool Steel: A shock-resistant tool steel with excellent impact strength and durability. Frequently used for tooling components exposed to repeated mechanical stress, slides, cores, inserts, and high-impact production environments.
  • 420 Stainless Steel: A corrosion-resistant stainless mold steel commonly used for medical, optical, cleanroom, and PVC molding applications. Provides excellent polish ability, good wear resistance, and improved corrosion protection for molds exposed to moisture or aggressive materials.
  • 440 Stainless Steel: A high-hardness stainless steel offering superior wear resistance and corrosion resistance. Often selected for high-cavitation molds, precision tooling, and applications requiring extended production life and excellent surface finish quality.
  • A2 Tool Steel: An air-hardening tool steel with strong dimensional stability and abrasion resistance. Suitable for precision tooling components, inserts, and molds requiring a balance of toughness and wear resistance.
  • D2 Tool Steel: A high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel known for outstanding wear resistance and hardness. Commonly used for tooling subjected to abrasive materials, glass-filled resins, and long production runs.
  • Beryllium Copper Alloys: High thermal conductivity alloys used in mold inserts, cores, and cooling-critical areas to improve heat transfer, reduce cycle times, and enhance temperature consistency during molding operations.
  • Aluminum Tooling: Lightweight, highly machinable tooling material commonly used for prototype molds, bridge tooling, thermoforming molds, and low-volume production applications. Aluminum tooling offers faster lead times and cost- effective development solutions.
  • Specialty Hardened & Corrosion-Resistant Mold Steels: Advanced mold materials engineered for demanding applications involving high-temperature resins, flame-retardant materials, corrosive compounds, tight-tolerance molding, and extended production cycles requiring superior durability and dimensional stability.

Common Mold & Tool Making Applications

  • Automotive & EV: Molds for interior and exterior trim, sensor housings, connector systems, fuse boxes, fluid reservoirs, HVAC components, battery-related housings, and under-the-hood parts designed for heat, vibration, and chemical resistance.
  • Medical & Life Sciences: High-precision tooling for diagnostic devices, drug delivery systems, surgical instrument components, housings, fluid management parts, and single-use disposable components requiring cleanroom compatibility and strict dimensional control.
  • Electronics & Electrical: Tooling for connector housings, PCB enclosures, switches, terminal blocks, insulating components, strain reliefs, and precision housings requiring tight tolerances and consistent electrical performance.
  • Industrial Equipment: Durable molds for machine housings, protective guards, structural brackets, knobs, levers, fluid system components, and heavy-duty parts designed for continuous operation in demanding environments.
  • Consumer Products & Appliances: Tooling for appliance housings, power tools, storage systems, ergonomic handles, cosmetic-grade parts, caps and closures, and decorative components requiring high-quality surface finish.
  • Packaging & Closures: Molds for caps, lids, dispensing systems, containers, pump components, and tamper-evident closures used in food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and consumer packaging applications.
  • Construction & Infrastructure: Tooling for pipe fittings, connectors, irrigation components, electrical conduit systems, and durable outdoor-use parts requiring weather, UV, and impact resistance.
  • Agriculture & Outdoor Equipment: Molds for equipment housings, irrigation fittings, protective covers, and rugged components designed for exposure to harsh environmental conditions.

Get started

Get Started with Hi-Rel Plastics Today!

Contact Us