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Precision Mold Base
High-precision mold base manufacturing for PET preform, closure and blow molds. Plates are machined on Mazak, Makino and Haas CNC centers, ground on Okamoto precision grinders and verified on Zeiss CMMs, giving the flatness, parallelism and hole-position accuracy that high-cavitation molds depend on.
- Applications: Mold bases and plates for preform molds up to 160 cavities, closure molds and blow molds.
- Machining: Multi-axis CNC machining, deep-hole drilling for cooling channels and precision surface grinding.
- Accuracy: Flatness, parallelism and cavity-position accuracy verified on Zeiss CMM before delivery.
- Scope: Complete mold bases, individual plates, and replacement or refurbished plates for existing molds.
- Built to drawings: Manufactured to customer drawings or designed in-house for new molds.
Quotes and technical questions are handled directly by the manufacturer's international sales department.
Precision mold base ordering guide: plate stack, materials, Zeiss CMM inspection and drawings for PET preform molds
A precision mold base is a set of machined and ground plates, with guide elements and cooling channels, made to the tight geometric tolerances that multi-cavity PET preform, closure and blow molds need. This page is an ordering reference: it lists the scope options, the plate-by-plate information to include in a specification, how materials and surface treatments are usually specified, what the Zeiss CMM inspection covers, and the difference between a base built to your drawing and one designed by LIHE's engineering team.
Scope options when ordering a precision mold base
| Scope | Typical use | What to send with the enquiry | Inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete mold base | New preform mold up to 160 cavities, new closure or blow mold | Mold layout or product and machine data for in-house design | Zeiss CMM, report on request |
| Individual plate | Adding or replacing one plate in an existing stack | Plate drawing, or the mating plates' drawings | Zeiss CMM, report on request |
| Replacement plate | Damaged or cracked plate in a running mold | Original drawing or the plate itself as reference, mold number | Zeiss CMM, report on request |
| Refurbished plate | Worn faces or bores on a sound plate | The plate, a description of the wear, any previous measurement data | Remeasured on Zeiss CMM after repair |
Plate stack checklist for a preform mold base specification
A preform mold base consists of a hot half and a cold half. For each plate in the order, the specification should state the following, either on the drawing or in a separate list.
- Plate name and position in the stack: manifold plate, backing plate, cavity plate, core plate, stripper plate or slide plates.
- Outer dimensions and thickness in mm, with the tolerance for thickness and the required flatness and parallelism.
- Bore pattern: number of cavities, pitch, bore diameters and the positional tolerance of each bore, all referenced to one datum.
- Guide and locating features: guide pin and bushing bores, locating ring, dowel holes and taper lock seats.
- Cooling: channel diameters, positions, depth and connection threads; deep-hole drilled channels must be shown with their entry and exit points.
- Threads and fixings: thread standard (metric or inch) for clamping, lifting and water connections, to match your plant's fittings.
- Markings: plate number, mold number and cavity numbering, so plates can be traced during maintenance.
Mold base materials and surface treatments in general terms
Material and treatment choices depend on the plate's function, the mold's expected service life and the cooling water quality in your plant. The points below describe common practice in mold making; the material for your order is agreed during the quotation and shown on the drawing.
- Pre-hardened mold steels are widely used for plates because they can be machined to final size without a hardening step that could distort the plate.
- Stainless mold steels are often chosen for plates with many cooling channels, because they resist corrosion from cooling water and keep channel cross-sections open.
- Hardened tool steels are used for wear parts such as guide bushings, taper locks and inserts that slide or lock against each other.
- Surface treatments such as nitriding increase surface hardness on wear areas; corrosion-protection coatings are used on surfaces exposed to moisture.
- If your plant already runs molds of the same type, state the materials used in them, so new and existing plates behave alike in maintenance.
Inspection on Zeiss CMM: what is measured before delivery
Plates are machined on Mazak, Makino and Haas CNC centers and ground on Okamoto precision grinders. Before delivery, flatness, parallelism and cavity-position accuracy are verified on the in-house Zeiss CMM, and validation and inspection reports are supplied on request.
- Flatness of the main faces and parallelism between them.
- Position of every cavity and core bore relative to the datum, which matters most on 72-cavity to 160-cavity layouts.
- Diameters of guide, locating and cavity bores.
- Positions of cooling channel entries and connection points.
- On request, a report that lists nominal values, tolerances and measured values, which you can keep as a baseline for later wear checks.
Built to your drawing vs designed in-house by LIHE
Mold bases are manufactured to customer drawings or designed in-house for new molds. The choice affects what you send and who is responsible for the design.
| Aspect | Built to customer drawing | Designed in-house by LIHE |
|---|---|---|
| Typical case | Replacement plates, second sets, standardized mold bases | New molds, new cavitation, neck finish conversions |
| What you send | Complete 2D drawings with tolerances, 3D model, material and treatment notes | Machine model, cavitation, product drawing (preform, closure or bottle) |
| Design responsibility | Customer | LIHE engineering and design center (CAD/CAM, 3D simulation, flow analysis) |
| Approval step | Drawing review and confirmation of open points | Design approval by the customer before machining |
How to order a precision mold base from LIHE
- Step 1: Send the scope (complete base, plate, replacement or refurbishment), the machine model and the cavitation to sales@lihe-preform.com.
- Step 2: Attach drawings and a 3D model if the base is built to your drawing, or the product drawing and machine data if LIHE is to design it.
- Step 3: State material, treatment, thread standard and any inspection report requirements.
- Step 4: Review the quotation, which confirms scope and lead time; LIHE publishes 4 weeks for replacement parts and 8 weeks for standard PET molds.
- Step 5: Approve the drawing or design; machining, grinding and Zeiss CMM inspection follow, and the report is supplied if requested.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you make a single replacement plate for a Husky or SACMI mold?
- Yes. Individual and replacement plates for existing molds are part of the scope. Send the original drawing, or the plate and the mold number, so the new plate matches the mating plates.
- Which steel should I specify for the plates?
- It depends on the plate's function, the expected service life and the cooling water conditions. Pre-hardened and stainless mold steels are common choices; the material is agreed in the quotation and noted on the drawing.
- Do I receive the CMM measurement data?
- Flatness, parallelism and cavity-position accuracy are verified on Zeiss CMM before delivery, and inspection reports are supplied on request. State in your order which features the report should include.
- What is the largest cavitation you build mold bases for?
- Mold bases and plates are made for preform molds up to 160 cavities, as well as for closure molds and blow molds.
- Can a worn plate be refurbished instead of replaced?
- Often yes, if the plate is not cracked and the cooling channels are sound. Refurbished plates are remeasured on the Zeiss CMM after repair.