Before opening an injection mold, you must confirm its service life, which directly decides whether it can meet your production capacity requirements.

 In the industry, mold service life is measured by injection shots. The mold steel material is the core factor that determines how long a mold can be used.

 Common Mold Steel Lifespan & Application

1. 45# Steel

Service life: 10,000 - 50,000 shots

Features: Low cost, easy processing, easy to rust and deform

Application: Sample making, short-term trial production, simple daily plastic products

2. P20 Steel

Service life: 100,000 - 300,000 shots

Features: Good machinability, cost-effective, balanced performance

Application: Medium and small batch mass production, toys, common plastic shells

3. 718 / 718H Steel

Service life: 300,000 - 500,000 shots

Features: High hardness, excellent polishing and texture effect, stable structure

Application: Home appliance shells, automotive interior parts, general appearance products

4. NAK80 Steel

Service life: 500,000 - 800,000 shots

Features: Perfect mirror finish, high dimensional stability

Application: High-gloss products, cosmetic packaging, precise plastic parts

5. S136 / STAVAX Stainless Steel

Service life: Over 1,000,000 shots

Features: Strong anti-rust and anti-corrosion performance

Application: Corrosive plastic materials, food-grade and medical plastic products

6. H13 / 1.2344 Steel

Service life: 1,000,000 - 2,000,000+ shots

Features: High temperature resistance, impact resistance, super wear resistance

Application: Mass production, glass fiber reinforced plastics, auto structural parts, battery shells

7. S7, M2 High Speed Steel

Service life: Over 2,000,000 shots

Features: Ultra-high hardness and durability

Application: Super large volume production, high-precision industrial plastic parts

7 Key Factors Affecting Actual Mold Lifespan

 Steel grade sets the maximum service life, while the following points decide the real usage time.

1. Plastic Raw Material

Common PP, ABS cause little wear. Plastics filled with glass fiber will severely wear the mold cavity. Corrosive materials like PVC will rust ordinary steel molds quickly.

2. Heat Treatment Process

Standard quenching and tempering greatly improve mold toughness and durability. Poor processing easily leads to crack and deformation.

3. Injection Molding Parameters

Excessive injection pressure, speed and frequent temperature changes will cause thermal fatigue and surface cracking.

4. Mold Structure Design

Unreasonable draft angle, venting system and ejection structure will cause mold jamming and surface scratch.

5. Daily Maintenance

A good mold needs proper maintenance. Timely cleaning, lubrication and anti-rust work effectively extend mold life.

6. Wear Parts Replacement

Ejector pins, springs, guide pins are vulnerable parts. Timely replacement protects the main mold body.

7. Production Operation Frequency

Stable continuous production is better for molds. Frequent start and stop will cause hidden damage due to repeated thermal expansion and contraction.

Practical Material Selection Tips

Small batch trial production: Choose P20

Regular mass production appearance parts: Choose 718H

High-gloss exquisite products: Choose NAK80

Corrosive raw materials: Choose S136

Large volume & glass fiber materials: Choose H13

Select suitable mold steel and standardize daily use and maintenance, you can well control costs and maximize mold service life to meet long-term production demands.

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