Mold & Die Machining Solutions
Bruce Lin August 10, 2020
PMT provides high-precision machining solutions specifically engineered for mold and die manufacturers who must achieve complex geometries, mirror surfaces, and long tool life in hard tool steels, stainless steels, and high-temperature alloys. Drawing on our aerospace-grade experience and advanced 5 Axis CNC Machine technology, we help mold shops shorten lead times, increase accuracy, and reduce polishing and EDM rework—while maintaining highly competitive investment and operating costs.
Precision For Complex 3D Surfaces
Modern molds and dies—whether for automotive, aerospace, medical or consumer products—depend on accurate free-form surfaces and tight dimensional consistency across multiple cavities. PMT machines are designed for this level of performance:
- High-rigidity 5 Axis CNC Machines for complex cavity and core machining, multi-angle surfaces, deep pockets and undercut features.
- High-speed vertical and horizontal machining centers for electrode machining, insert components, base plates and precision details.
- Gantry-style machining centers that offer large travels and excellent straightness for big molds and multi-cavity tools.
With multi-axis contouring and simultaneous 5-axis strategies, our machines maintain consistent tool engagement and smooth surface transitions, dramatically reducing hand-polishing time and improving repeatability between cavities.
Hard-Steel & High-HRC Machining Capability
Tool steels such as H13, P20, SKD61 and high-HRC materials present serious challenges for stability, tool life and thermal control. PMT’s technology comes directly from our work in titanium and hard-metal aerospace parts:
- Robust machine structures with optimised ribbing and symmetrical design minimise deformation during heavy cuts.
- High-torque, high-rigidity spindles and precision drive systems ensure stable cutting forces even with long tools and deep cavities.
- Advanced cooling and thermal-control design maintain geometry accuracy during long roughing and finishing cycles.
The result is reliable performance in hardened steel machining, enabling more “hard milling” and less EDM, shorter process chains and better dimensional stability over the lifetime of the mold or die.
Surface Quality & Accuracy That Reduce Polishing
Surface finish and shape accuracy are critical cost drivers in mold and die manufacturing. PMT machines and process know-how are optimised to minimise secondary operations:
- High-speed finishing with small step-over and optimised tool paths using UG NX and hyperMILL for smooth surface transitions.
- Accurate rotary axes and robust kinematic calibration for 5-axis finishing of highly curved surfaces, blades, lenses and optics-related features.
- Integration of in-machine probing for automatic datum setting, cavity alignment and in-process verification of critical features.
Customers often report measurable reductions in bench time and polishing effort, faster mold try-out, and fewer corrections after first tooling trials.
Efficient Electrode & Insert Manufacturing
Even in highly advanced shops, EDM remains an essential process. PMT supports the complete electrode and insert workflow:
- Dedicated 3-axis and 5 Axis CNC Machine configurations for graphite and copper electrode machining with dust-control and high-speed spindles.
- Multi-part fixturing and pallet systems for unattended electrode production, increasing throughput for large mold programs.
- Accurate repeatability between electrode holders and machine datums ensures fast setup on EDM machines and consistent spark gaps.
By combining high-speed electrode machining with efficient core/cavity milling, PMT helps mold shops compress lead times across the entire tooling package.
Large Mold, Die-Casting & Stamping Tooling
For large plastic injection molds, bumper and instrument panel tools, die-casting dies and stamping dies, PMT offers gantry and long-bed solutions:
- Generous X/Y/Z travels with high stiffness for machining large plates and complex 3D surfaces in a single setup.
- Powerful spindles and robust box-way or hybrid-guide structures for heavy roughing in tool steels and cast iron.
- Accurate 3+2 positioning or full 5-axis capabilities for machining slide faces, lifter pockets, side cores and deep features without complex manual setups.
These capabilities improve alignment between mating surfaces, reduce assembly fitting work and improve the overall life and consistency of large tooling.
Automation & FMS For High-Mix Mold Shops
Mold and die manufacturing is mostly high-mix, low-volume work, but capacity must remain flexible for urgent design changes and spare inserts. PMT enables automation that fits this reality:
- Pallet systems and quick-change fixturing for fast switching between components while maintaining accurate datums.
- Tool-management solutions and offline tool presetting to support 24/7 machining with minimal operator intervention.
- Optional integration with robotic handling or FMS solutions for automated roughing/finishing cells that can run continuously during nights and weekends.
This allows mold shops to increase spindle utilisation, respond quickly to customer design changes and absorb peak workloads without sacrificing quality.
Engineering Support From Design Review To Try-Out
PMT is not only a machine builder; we are a long-term process partner:
- DFM and process planning support to optimise parting lines, draft angles, cooling features and machining allowances for stable machining.
- Cycle-time estimates and process simulations to help you plan capacity and quotation strategies confidently.
- Assistance with fixture concept design, tool selection and cutting strategies tailored to your preferred steel grades and surface requirements.
Our experience in aerospace, automotive and precision industries helps mold and die customers avoid trial-and-error and reach stable, efficient processes faster.
Cost-Performance Advantage For Mold & Die Shops
Although our technology level is very close to global first-tier builders, PMT offers a distinct economic advantage:
- Investment cost for comparable machines is typically about half to two-thirds of premium European brands, freeing budget for more spindles, automation or metrology.
- Under the same accuracy and surface-quality requirements, many customers achieve equal or higher machining efficiency thanks to our rigid structures and process expertise.
For mold and die manufacturers, this combination means more capacity, shorter lead times and higher profitability—without compromising on accuracy or reliability.
Partner With PMT For Next-Level Mold & Die Manufacturing
With roots in China’s top aerospace and defence programs and now part of a leading titanium additive manufacturing group, PMT (Chengdu Precise CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd.) delivers machine tools and engineering support that bring aerospace-grade performance to mold and die machining.
Whether you produce high-precision injection molds, die-casting tools, stamping dies or complex multi-cavity molds, PMT’s 5 Axis CNC Machines, machining centers and automation solutions give you the accuracy, flexibility and cost-efficiency needed to win in today’s competitive tooling market.
Bruce Lin
Dr. Bruce Lin is a preeminent authority in the machine tool industry, with a distinguished career spanning over 40 years. For more than two decades, he has been the cornerstone of technological excellence at PMT (Chengdu Precise CNC Machine Tool Co., Ltd.), serving as our Chief Engineer. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s degree in the same field from a leading Chinese university. Dr. Lin’s profound journey began over four decades ago, encompassing pivotal roles at several globally recognized industrial and precision manufacturing corporations prior to joining PMT. This extensive tenure provided…
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