A high-cavity injection mold production tooling setup

PRODUCTION TOOLING

PRODUCTION TOOLS.

PROTOTYPE TIMING.

Mantle automates the toolmaking process to print production-quality tools in prototype timing, shaving months and tens of thousands of dollars off traditional production tooling cycles.

Mantle tools can also incorporate conformal cooling to reduce cycle times and produce better parts.

RUN
MILLIONS OF CYCLES

FAMILIAR,
TRUSTED TOOL STEELS

REDUCE
COST, LEAD TIME, AND LABOR

ENABLE
CONFORMAL COOLING

FAMILIAR, DURABLE TOOL STEELS

Mantle’s tool steels have the properties required for molding even the most demanding plastics. 

Mantle’s H13 is a mainstay of production tooling and can be heat-treated to 52 HRC, enabling excellent wear resistance and millions of cycles.

A injection mold insert that was used as production tooling to mold millions of plastic parts

REDUCE COST AND LEAD TIME

Print production tooling with the push of a button and remove the many costly, time-consuming, and labor intensive-steps of the conventional toolmaking process. 

Choose below to compare the scope and impact of familiar methods:

ROUGH PART

PRECISION FINISHING

12 STEPS / 12+ WEEKS / $$ COST

While familiar, the time and cost associated with conventional manufacturing is not sustainable.

ROUGH PART

POST-PROCESSING NEEDED AFTER 3D PRINTING

10 STEPS / 14+ WEEKS / $$$ COST

3D printing only addresses a small portion of the process, costs more, and takes longer.

PRINT & SHAPE

SINTER

4 STEPS / 2-4 WEEKS / $ COST

Mantle’s process addresses the entire precision part process while reducing lead time and cost.

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CONFORMAL COOLING
WITHOUT ADDED TIME AND COST

Reduce cycle time with improved cooling

Enhance part quality with more uniform cooling

Improve process stability for better repeatability and consistency

EASY POST-PROCESSING
FOR PRODUCTION
TOLERANCES AND FINISH

A tool steel production tooling block with labeled secondary finishing processes. The block features various features including drilled holes, tapped holes, and milled surfaces.

MOLD REPAIR AND
MAINTENANCE

A close-up image of production tooling showing wear after millions of cycles. The tooling features a worn channel, indicating the need for repair. Welding is often used to restore such tooling to operational condition, extending its lifespan for further use.

CASE STUDIES

3.4 MILLION CYCLES AND COUNTING

TESSY PLASTICS RUNS MANTLE’S METAL 3D PRINTED INSERTS IN HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION

A metal 3D-printed mold insert on the left, shown alongside molded plastic components on the right. The image demonstrates Tessy Plastics' use of Mantle’s metal 3D-printed inserts in high-volume production.

Tessy Plastics conducted a benchmark test to assess the accuracy, durability, and reliability of Mantle’s metal 3D printed mold inserts in a high-volume production injection mold that produces personal-care products.

PRODUCTION MOLD TOOLING IN DAYS

NICOLET PLASTICS INVESTS IN MANTLE TO PRODUCE H13 MOLD TOOLING

A 3D-printed H13 mold tooling block on the left, accompanied by blue plastic molded parts on the right. This image highlights Nicolet Plastics' investment in Mantle's technology to produce durable and precise H13 mold tooling for efficient manufacturing.

Nicolet Plastics used Mantle’s metal 3D printing technology to produce three tooling components for their customer Gamber-Johnson, reducing the time to deliver molded parts from six weeks to just two weeks.

PRODUCTION TOOLING FAQS

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Production tooling refers to the durable molds, dies, and fixtures used to manufacture large volumes of components at high throughputs and low costs while maintaining consistent quality and precision. These tools are designed to withstand the high pressures and temperatures coupled with the long lifetime required of mass production, ensuring that each part meets stringent performance and dimensional requirements even after years and millions of cycles on the tool.

Production tooling is some of the most precise and complex metal components fabricated in any industry. It demands extraordinary precision and stringent surface finish requirements, These tools must endure millions of cycles under high heat and pressure, necessitating the use of specialized high-hardness materials.

Traditional fabrication of production tooling involves a multi-step process that includes design, programming, rough milling, heat treatment, EDM, and finishing. Each step requires time, as well as a different machine and skillset, to ensure the tool is made to the required precision. Additionally, production tools often feature hundreds of parts that need to be designed to fit and work together. Mantle’s TrueShape™ technology simplifies this process by automating many steps, drastically reducing lead times while maintaining the precision required for production tooling​​.

Production tooling is typically made from specific tool steels designed for durability in specific applications. H13 is a hot-work tool steel known for its high hardness and resistance to heat checking, making it ideal for molds subject to constant temperature fluctuation. S7 is a shock-resistant tool steel often used for injection mold slide components. 420 Stainless Steel is commonly used for mold tools that require high hardness and corrosion resistance, such as medical device tooling. A2 and D2 steel are air-hardened steels known for their exceptionally high hardness and abrasion resistance, making them popular for cold working applications such as stamping.

Read more about common tooling materials here: Tool Steel Comprehensive Guide

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