Compression Moulding

Compression moulding is a technique mainly for thermoset moulding in which the moulding compound is placed in the open mould cavity. Heat and pressure are applied until the material is cured. Compression moulding is often used for moulding of glass fibre reinforced plastic.

The technique is often used for molding of glass fiber reinforced parts and high pressure is often used. Wear resistance, strength and hardness are required from the mould material.

There are several advantages with compression moulding:

No waste of plastic material (no gate or runner system)
Minimum of internal stresses in the part
Process can be used for very heavy parts
Less expensive equipment

The grades recommended are ASSAB 8407 Supreme, Unimax, ASSAB XW-10, Vanadis 4 Extra SuperClean, stainless grades such as Stavax ESR, Mirrax ESR and Elmax SuperClean.

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CALMAX	Calmax has high toughness, good wear resistance and good polishability. It is a suitable tool for plastic mould applications. Same chemical composition as Carmo but delivered in soft annealed condition.
CALDIE	Caldie is a medium alloyed tool steel suitable for short and medium run tooling in applications where a combination of very high chipping resistance and compressive strength is required. The property profile makes Caldie a robust cold work tool steel for heavy duty blanking and forming of AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel).
ASSAB 88	ASSAB 88 is a high alloyed tool steel with a very broad property profile. It is also a very good steel for all types of surface treatments. This combination means that ASSAB 88 is an extremely versatile conventional tool steel for medium run cold work tooling. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB 88 is promoted as Sleipner.
ASSAB PM 23 SUPERCLEAN	ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is powder high speed steel with excellent wear resistance and toughness. ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is perfect for high volume cold work applications like blanking of harder materials, e.g. carbon steel or cold rolled strip steel. It is also suitable for forming thinner work materials. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB PM 23 SuperClean is promoted as Vanadis 23 SuperClean.
VANADIS 4 EXTRA SUPERCLEAN	Vanadis 4 Extra SuperClean is powder tool steel for long run tooling. This is the most versatile PM tool steel on the market today, combining high wear resistance with very good ductility and resistance to chipping of edges. Excellent machinability in both soft and hard condition ensures advantages in both tool making and tool maintenance, where high demands on adhesive wear and chipping resistance are required.
ELMAX SUPERCLEAN	Elmax SuperClean is a powder mould steel characterized by a combination of very good wear resistance, corrosion resistance and dimensional stability. Recommended for long production runs of smaller and complicated shapes and/or reinforced plastics.
VIDAR 1 ESR	Vidar 1 ESR is a product suitable for both hot work and plastic mould applications, especially large plastic moulds that require good toughness in combination with high surface finish obtained by polishing or texturing. Vidar 1 ESR is an electroslag remelted (ESR) steel which provides reduction of inclusions in the material.
UNIMAX	Unimax is a high hardness electroslag remelted tool steel which provides great wear resistance even over extended time at elevated temperatures. This product is suitable for coating and nitriding. Unimax performs very well in precision forging, hot stamping and moulding of reinforced plastics.
CORRAX	Corrax is a precipitation hardening steel with superior corrosion resistance and easy to heat treat. Corrax provides good dimensional stability. This product is used both as mould material and engineering material.
ASSAB 2083	ASSAB 2083 is a corrosion resistant mould steel with high wear resistance and good polishability. This grade is produced through conventional production method and for superior polishability we recommend other products in our Stainless Concept series.
STAVAX ESR	Stavax ESR is the most renowned of the ASSAB plastic mould steels. As the core product in the Stainless Concept series it is characterised as a through hardening corrosion resistant mould steel with excellent polishability. Stavax ESR is electro slag remelted in order to further reduce the number of inclusions in the steel.
MIRRAX ESR	Mirrax ESR is a through hardening corrosion resistant steel with very good polishability. ASSAB recommends Mirrax ESR to be used for applications demanding medium to large cross sections. It has a unique combination of toughness, corrosion resistance and through-hardening properties.
ASSAB 8407 SUPREME	ASSAB 8407 Supreme is our trusted premium H13 steel for all kinds of hot work tool applications. Proven over and over again ASSAB 8407 Supreme has stood the test of time and remains well known in the tooling industry for its high and reliable performance and ease of maching. In markets served by Uddeholm, ASSAB 8407 Supreme is promoted as Orvar Supreme.
DIEVAR	Dievar is ASSAB’s premium steel developed for the demanding application of High pressure die casting. It is the industry benchmark for as the high performance steel for the longest tool life and lowest crack risks due to its superior toughness and ductility. Apart from die casting it has proven itself as a great tool steel for other applications such as forging, extrusion and hot stamping.