Five commonly used types of mold steel and their prices! Don't make the wrong choice.

To manufacture a set of injection molds, special steel for molds is needed, and there are various types of mold steel.

There are certain subtleties in choosing which kind of steel to use for manufacturing injection molds. The selection of steel will not only affect the performance and service life of the injection molds, but also influence the cost and price of the injection molds.

The following are several commonly used types of mold steel.

Five types of steel commonly used in injection molds:

1.P20 steel

P20 steel is one of the most commonly used steels for general - purpose injection molds. Its hardness as - delivered is generally between HRC30 - 42, and the hardness can be further increased after quenching and nitriding heat treatment. It has good wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and machinability, and is easy to cut and form.

The price of this mold steel is generally around 8,000 - 12,000 yuan per ton. The price of imported products is much higher, reaching 15,000 - 18,000 yuan per ton.

Injection molds made of P20 steel as the main material generally have a service life of about 300,000 shots, and are suitable for manufacturing injection molds for various daily necessities, toys, electronic product housings, etc.

2.718H steel

718H steel is an improved version of P20 steel. It outperforms P20 steel in terms of hardness, durability, and polishability. However, it is more difficult to process and comes with a higher price. The price of domestic 718H steel can reach 12,000 - 18,000 yuan per ton.

Injection molds made of 718H steel have a service life of approximately 500,000 shots. They are suitable for manufacturing injection molds for household appliances, computer casings, and plastic products that require a high level of surface finish. They can also be used to make blow - molding molds and other types of molds.

3.NAK80 steel

NAK80 steel is a hardened mold steel with high hardness and high wear resistance. It has excellent mirror - polishing performance and electrical discharge machining performance, as well as good machinability and weldability. It is suitable for transparent injection molds, precision injection molds, etc.

The service life of injection molds made of NAK80 steel under normal production conditions is about 500,000 shots. After nitriding treatment, the service life of NAK80 steel injection molds can reach 500,000 - 1,000,000 shots.

However, the price of this mold steel is relatively high. The price of domestic NAK80 steel is about 15,000 - 50,000 yuan per ton, and the price of imported products is even higher. For example, the price of NAK80 steel from Daido Steel in Japan exceeds 60,000 yuan per ton.

4.S136 steel

S136 steel is a type of mold steel with high hardness, excellent corrosion resistance, and polishing performance.

After heat treatment, the hardness of this steel can reach over 58HRC. In a humid environment or when in contact with corrosive materials, it is not prone to rusting and oxidation, and can easily achieve a highly smooth surface. It is suitable for manufacturing injection molds for transparent plastic products, medical plastic supplies, as well as blow - molding molds for plastic bottles, etc.

If molds made of S136 steel are used to produce plastic products from common materials, their service life can reach 500,000 - 1,000,000 shots. They have good performance, but of course, the price is also relatively high.

The price of domestic regular S136 steel is approximately 20,000 - 35,000 yuan per ton. The price of top - grade polishing - level S136 steel can reach 45,000 - 70,000 yuan per ton, and the price of imported products can exceed 80,000 yuan per ton.

5.H13 steel

H13 steel is a type of hot - work tool steel. It has good thermal strength, is not prone to deformation and softening at high temperatures, and has excellent thermal fatigue resistance, meaning it is not likely to crack under repeated heating and cooling. It also has high toughness and good machinability, making it suitable for manufacturing high - temperature injection molds, large - scale injection molds, and precision injection molds.

The service life of ordinary injection molds made of H13 steel can reach 500,000 - 1,000,000 shots, while that of precision injection molds ranges from 100,000 to 300,000 shots.

The price of domestic H13 steel is around 15,000 - 25,000 yuan per ton. For better - quality H13 steel, the price is about 25,000 - 35,000 yuan per ton. The price of imported products can reach 40,000 - 80,000 yuan per ton.

There are certain differences in the performance and price of the above - mentioned mold steels. When choosing steel, it's not necessarily true that the more expensive one is the better. Instead, you should make the selection based on factors such as the type of plastic products, personalized requirements, and production volume.