Meaning
Amorphous carbon coatings provide high hardness and extremely low friction coefficients to wear-prone surfaces. Applying diamond-like carbon to injection mold cores and ejector pins prevents friction-induced wear and reduces the need for oil lubricants. This thin-film coating is beneficial in medical molding environments where grease contamination must be avoided.
Surface Property
Hard coatings combine the structural properties of diamond and graphite to deliver exceptional sliding wear resistance. The application of diamond-like carbon yields a surface that prevents micro-welding between sliding steel mold components. Low frictional forces reduce the torque required to actuate slide mechanisms and prevent mold crashes.
Molding Benefit
Processors use coated cores to improve the release of complex plastic parts from the mold cavity. Ejection is smoother when diamond-like carbon reduces the adhesion between the warm polymer and the mold surface. This clean release reduces cycle times by allowing faster ejection without risk of part distortion.
Coating Durability
Deposited films must maintain adhesion under the high cyclic pressures and temperatures of the molding process. Inadequate substrate preparation can cause diamond-like carbon to delaminate under heavy mechanical loads. When applied correctly, the thin layer extends the operational lifespan of high-speed molds by several million cycles before recoating is necessary.
This prevents surface degradation from abrasive resins and ensures consistent gloss finish on the molded plastic parts.
