A Study of Mold Friction and Wear in Injection Molding of Plastic-Bonded Hard Ferrite

Abstract

In injection molding of highly filled polymers, such as plastic-bonded hard ferrite, mold life decreases significantly due to wear and surface damage. This deterioration process leads to lower accuracy concerning the surface finish and the dimensional and geometric tolerance of the molded bonded magnets. In this work, the wear of a steel mold caused by the molding of a plastic-bonded ferrite magnet has been studied with the aim of determining the main wear factors. Furthermore, two different surface treatments have been tested, namely gas nitriding and DLC superlattice coating. Friction and wear induced by part de-molding was investigated by means of tribological pin-on-disc tests. The results of such experiments were analyzed in terms of loads, surface roughness evolution and surface investigations by means of Scanning Electron Microscope observations.