The Top Chinese Customize Mold Partner
We Offer a Variety of Tooling / Mold Materials
Material selection determines whether a part works, lasts, can be made cost-effectively, and meets all functional and regulatory demands. Skipping this step leads to redesigns, production delays, or field failures.
Check out our wide selection of quality materials, those materials meeting the needs of different projects for strength, corrosion resistance, and specialized physical properties for customized parts by CNC machining, injection molding, sheet metal fabrication and 3D printing, vacuum casting, die casting for both prototyping and production stages.
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- RPD Provide 24/7 Engineering Support All Year Round.
- All tools and dies are engineered and produced in house
- More Than 60+ Certified Materials for Choose. Offer CoCs, Material Certifications, Inspection Reports.
- ISO 9001:2015 quality standards.
- Expert DFM & process optimization
Why does material selection matter so much for custom parts?
Choosing the right material for custom parts is critical because it directly impacts performance, cost, manufacturability, and longevity.
Mechanical & Physical Properties
Application Environment
Manufacturing Compatibility
Cost & Lead Time
Surface Finish & Aesthetics
Regulatory & Safety Requirements
Custom Mold with More than 20+ Materials
Provide Various Tooling/Die Materials One-Stop Services for Different Industries.
Material Selection for Injection Molds:
The choice of mold material is primarily determined by:
Type of plastic: Corrosiveness, glass fiber (GF) content
Part requirements: High gloss, transparency, precision
Production volume: High-volume vs. low-volume
Selection Guidelines:
High-volume production: Use hardened steel (high hardness, wear resistance, long service life)
Low-volume production: Consider aluminum molds or pre-hardened steel (lower cost, shorter lead time)
Common Grades and Characteristics
P20 / 718H / NAK80 Pre-hardened (30-42 HRC), ready for direct machining; good balance of properties, low cost, short lead time; NAK80 offers superior mirror-finish polishability General-purpose plastics (ABS/PP/PE) housings, home appliances, automotive interior/exterior parts, high-gloss/transparent products.
S136 / 420 High-chromium stainless steel; hardness 48-52 HRC after heat treatment; excellent corrosion resistance and polishability Corrosive plastics (PVC/POM/flame-retardant plastics), medical/food-grade components, optical lenses.
H13 / 2344 Hot work tool steel; hardness 48-52 HRC after heat treatment; excellent red hardness (500-600°C); good thermal fatigue resistance High-temperature engineering plastics (PEEK/PEI/LCP/PPS), glass fiber (GF) reinforced plastics
Material Selection for Die Casting Molds:
Die-casting mold materials must possess two essential properties：high-temperature resistance and thermal fatigue resistance.
Most Common Die-Casting Mold Steel: H13 (SKD61) offering excellent overall performance and serving as the industry standard.
Common Grades and Characteristics:
H13 / SKD61 / 2344 The most widely used die-casting steel; combines high-temperature strength with good toughness; excellent thermal fatigue resistance Cores, cavities, and slides for aluminum, magnesium, and zinc alloy die-casting molds.
8418 / Dievar Advanced high-performance hot work tool steel; significantly superior toughness and heat-check resistance at elevated temperatures compared to H13 Demanding large or complex die-casting molds, such as automotive structural components
Material Selection for Stamping Dies
The choice of stamping die material depends primarily on three factors:
Workpiece material: Type and strength grade
Material thickness: Sheet thickness
Production volume: High-volume vs. low-volume
Selection Guidelines:
High-volume, high-strength production: Requires high-wear-resistance materials (e.g., SKD11, DC53) to ensure die life and product quality consistency
Low-volume or simple dies: Carbon tool steels (e.g., T10A) are suitable — low cost and easy to machine
Common Grades and Characteristics
Cr12MoV / SKD11 / D2：High-carbon, high-chromium cold work tool steel; hardness 58-62 HRC after heat treatment; extremely high wear resistance; minimal heat treatment distortion Heavy-duty blanking dies, drawing dies, forming dies; suitable for high-strength steel sheets.
DC53：Improved version of SKD11; toughness is twice that of SKD11; better wear resistance; less prone to chipping Precision stamping dies; stamping high-strength materials such as stainless steel.
T10A / CrWMn：Carbon / low-alloy tool steel; low cost, good machinability; limitation: poor hardenability Small-sized, simple-shaped stamping dies with light load requirements.
Mold materials of Investment Casting & Vacuum Casting
Both investment casting and vacuum casting are indirect replication processes, but their purposes are completely different:
Investment casting: Uses ceramic molds to produce metal parts
Vacuum casting: Uses silicone molds to produce plastic or elastomer parts
Comparsion of Mold Materials
| Content | AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) | DIN (German Institute for Standardization) | JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) | Feature | Type & Application | ||
| ABS、PS、PP、PE、ABS+PC | P20 | 1.2311 | SCM | Mold steel for general requirements, ideal for small to medium production runs. | P20 / 2311 / 618 /Injection Mold | ||
| GPPS、K、PMMA、SAN、PC、PVC,etc transparent or corrosive plastics | 420（SS） | 1.2083 | SUS420J2 | Pre-hardened, high-gloss mold steel for corrosive plastic materials | 420 / 2083 / S136/Injection Mold | ||
| 1.2316 | |||||||
| Suitable for zinc, aluminum alloys, polyamide (PA), and glass‑fiber‑reinforced materials — requiring high precision, extended service life, or other high‑performance molding applications. | H13 | 1.2344 | SKD61 | Suitable for general zinc alloy die-casting molds, as well as for hardened plastic injection molds. | H13 / SKD61 / 2344/8418/Die Casting Mold | ||
| High-wear applications such as blanking and forming dies, as well as wear-resistant inserts in injection molds. | D2 | 1.2379 | SKD11 | D2 is the top choice for cold stamping, wear-resistant inserts, slides, precision forming, and high-volume production lines where wear resistance is critical. | Cr12MoV / SKD11 / D2/Stamping Die | ||
| Molds demanding high-quality surface texturing for plastics such as ABS, PC, and others. | P21 | close to 1.2312 | NAK80 | Suitable for B-side (moving half) steel of high-demand plastic injection molds, or for high-demand plastic injection mold steel in general. | NAK80 / P80//Injection Mold | ||
| Non-critical mold (typically the ejector side / bottom half) | 1050 | 1.1209 | S55C | Medium carbon steel for general mold base applications. | 1050/1055/S55C /Mold Base/Simple Die | ||
| 1055 | |||||||
| Beryllium Copper | C17200 | CuBe2 | C1720 | Cooling inserts in injection molds. Corrosion-resistant applications: it is a top choice for mold cores when processing plastics like PVC and POM that emit corrosive gases. | C17200/CuBe2/Injection Mold Insert | ||
| Alloy Copper | C95400/C95500 | 2.0940.03/2.0975.03 | CAC704/CAC703 | Gravity and low-pressure die casting molds for producing parts from copper alloys, aluminum alloys, etc. Continuous casting molds，specifically the crystallizers for manufacturing metal tubes, bars, and rods. | C95400/C95500/Die Casting | ||
| Non-Deforming Oil-Hardening Steel | O1 | 1.2510 | SKS3 | For high-wear-resistance mold parts. | O1/SKS3/Precise Stamping Die/Injection Mold | ||
| Other Steel | H11 | 1.2343 | SKD6 | Widely used for zinc and aluminum alloy dies, hardened plastic molds, and also suitable for high‑requirement aluminum‑magnesium alloy molds. | H11/SKD6/Die Casting Mold / Fiberglass Molding | ||
| 6F7 | 1.2767 | This high-toughness cold work tool steel is often specified by European customers and has proven to deliver outstanding performance. | 6F7/Injection Mold/Stamping Die | ||||
Blog & News
What is a CNC Machining Center?
A CNC machining center is an advanced, computer-controlled machine tool capable of performing multiple machining operations—such as milling, drilling, tapping, boring, and sometimes turning.
Ashely . March 9, 2026
How many kinds of Types in CNC Machining Centers?
There are at least 5 different CNC lathes type in Machining Centers: Vertical Machining Center, Horizontal Machining, 5-Axis Machining Center, Gantry / Bridge Mill, Turn-Mill Center (Multi-Tasking).
Ashely . March 9, 2026
What is CNC Machining?
CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining is a subtractive manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software controls the movement of factory tools and machinery to remove material from a solid workpiece, creating a finished part or product.
Ashely . March 9, 2026
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FAQs About Our NPI Solutions Services
Why Tooling?
Tooling is the foundation of high-volume, repeatable manufacturing. Tooling turns a slow, manual process into a fast, automated, high-volume production system. If you need mass production, you must be choose tooling and molding production.
What kind of equipment do you use?
The molding workshop includes EDM, wire EDM, 50+CNC machining center, 50+injection machines ranging from 80 to 1000 tons, ect to meet different production requirements. Request equipment list, contact our team: ashely@rpdmfg.com.
Do you support export mold or production?
Yes, exactly. We support both. You can either for use at your own facility or leave it with us for long-term molding production.
What is your quality control system?
We operate under a rigorous Quality Management System (QMS) aligned with ISO standards. Our 5 Steps QC process is including IQC (Incoming Quality Control) , FQC (Final Quality Control) , OQC (Outgoing Quality Control) for routine production.
QE (Quality Engineering) / CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Actions) implemented throughout the entire product lifecycle, especially during the post-sale stage, to drive continuous improvement. Simply speaking 100% inspection before shipment to ensure zero defects.
What kind of quality assurance or warranty do you offer on orders?
One of the reasons engineers purchase from RPD is that we take on all the risks for you. We guarantee you’ll love what you get. Not happy with it? We’ll either redo it or give you a full refund. Your purchase is completely risk-free.
Why injection tooling is so expensive?
Material – Hardened steel (costly but durable for high volume)
Complexity – CNC, EDM, polishing; multi-cavity, undercuts add cost
Precision – Tight tolerances require advanced equipment & skilled labor
Customization – Every mold is custom-built for a specific part
Engineering – Significant design time for cooling, ejection, and geometry
Which kind of file formats can I send for tooling& production?
We accept STEP, IGES, STL, DWG, DXF, and other common CAD formats.
What Factors will Influence Tooling Design?
1. Part Geometry – Shape, size, and complexity drive mold design. Thin walls, intricate details, and complex geometries require specialized features like additional cooling or advanced gating systems.
2. Material Selection – The plastic type affects cooling rates, shrinkage, and flow. Polypropylene shrinks more; polycarbonate needs higher mold temperatures. Abrasive or corrosive plastics also demand wear-resistant mold materials.
3. Tolerances & Precision – High-precision parts (automotive, medical) require tighter mold tolerances — which complicates design and increases cost.
4. Ejection System – Ejector pins, air blasts, or stripper plates must be carefully integrated to remove parts without damage — affecting both design and cycle time.
5. Gate Design – Gate type and location (direct, pin, edge) control how molten plastic enters the mold, impacting part quality, surface finish, and cycle time.
6. Undercuts & Parting Lines – Undercuts or complex shapes may require side actions or lifters to release the part, increasing mold complexity and cost.
Can we store the mold at your facility for future production orders? Do you provide free maintenance for the mold?
Yes, we offer two key benefits for molds set up at our facility: free storage and free maintenance.