Mold Optimization And Upgrade Case: Practice Of Improving Both Quality And Efficiency

Case Background

In the rolling and embossing processes of aluminum foil, our company faced significant issues such as severe mold wear, high product defect rates (8%), and frequent equipment downtime. Production efficiency was only 80% of industry standards, with a customer complaint rate of 12%.

Problem Diagnosis and Analysis

The original mold material was prone to thermal fatigue, with a service life of only 300 hours. The mold structure was poorly matched to ultra-thin aluminum foil, causing breakage, and an ineffective cooling system led to surface wave defects.

Improvement Implementation

Upgraded to powder metallurgy high-speed steel with a surface coating; optimized mold structure via simulation, adjusting embossing depth to 0.08mm and adopting modular design; introduced a micro-channel intelligent cooling system; established a mold life prediction model and optimized process parameters.

Implementation Results

Defect rates decreased to 1.5%, and customer complaints dropped by 90%. Mold service life extended to 800 hours, equipment efficiency improved to 89%, and monthly production capacity increased by 50%. Annual maintenance costs were reduced by 1.8 million RMB.

Summary of Experience

Technological innovation requires validation through simulation; data-driven management enables full lifecycle monitoring of molds; collaborative optimization of molds, processes, and management is essential to form a systematic solution.