Mold Optimization Technology is an automated mechanism installed inside an injection mold to solve a series of molding solutions during the molding process, 

including gate separation, punching, core pulling, auxiliary molding, and secondary filling after embedded injection part positioning.

Industry Overview

In mold hot cutting, also known as "in mold cutting" in China, can be traced back to the 1990s or even earlier as an advanced injection molding process in European and American countries.

Due to its many advantages, in mold hot cutting technology has developed rapidly in foreign countries, especially in Europe and America. 

More than 30% of the molds produced by many plastic mold manufacturers use in mold hot cutting technology, and some mold manufacturers even reach more than 50%. 

However, in China, this technology has only been truly promoted and applied in recent years. 

With the continuous development of the mold industry, the proportion of in mold hot cutting technology used in China has been increasing year by year, but overall it is less than 2%, and this gap is quite large;

 In recent years, the application of in mold hot cutting technology in China has been largely due to the upgrading of end products and the increasing labor costs. 

Injection molding production in European and American countries has already relied on in mold hot cutting technology. 

It can be said that molds without using in mold hot cutting technology are difficult to have industry competitive advantages,

which has also led to a change in the awareness of in mold hot cutting technology among many molding and mold manufacturers.

Technical advantages

In mold hot cutting molds have been widely used in industrialized countries and regions around the world, mainly due to their significant characteristics.

Beneficial for industrial production

After the traditional plastic mold is opened, the product and the gate need to be separated in two processes. 

The hot cutting mold in the mold separates the gate before the mold is opened, avoiding secondary processing of the product. 

The merging process is conducive to production automation.

Reduce human impact

In the process of hot cutting mold forming inside the mold, the automation of gate separation ensures that the appearance of the gate separation end is consistent, resulting in parts of the same quality. 

However, traditional secondary processing of gate separation outside the mold, especially through manual trimming, cannot guarantee the consistency of the appearance of the gate separation end. 

Therefore, many high-quality products on the market are produced by hot cutting molds inside the mold.

Improve production efficiency

The automation of injection molding avoids unnecessary human actions in the production process, and fully automated production can ensure quality. 

Therefore, its advantages are very obvious in large-scale production.

Optimize molding conditions

Due to the limitations of product design requirements and traditional mold technology, some products require extreme molding parameters during molding. 

For example, traditional manual and fixture trimming of transparent thin parts result in gate design not being too large, and molding requires a series of parameter requirements such as high mold temperature and pressure. 

The implementation of automated separation of in mold gates eliminates certain factors in mold design, allowing for arbitrary adjustment of gate data according to requirements, 

improving injection molding process parameters, and optimizing molding conditions.

Resolve molding defects

The diversification of social development products has made traditional mold design ideas unable to meet existing product needs. 

The introduction of in mold hot cutting technology has solved a series of molding problems caused by traditional design, such as weld lines, difficulty in exhaust, local shrinkage of products, and difficulty in thin-wall glue removal. 

Therefore, with the support of in mold hot cutting technology, injection molding will become simpler.

Other solutions

The use of in mold hot cutting technology to assist in the molding of embedded injection parts avoids problems caused by conventional design, simplifies mold design through in mold core pulling, 

and extends the application of in mold hot cutting technology to solve a series of molding problems such as product shrinkage and poor filling. 

Therefore, with the implementation of in mold hot cutting technology, injection molding technology will usher in a leapfrog development.

System composition 

Although there are many in mold hot cutting manufacturers and various structural styles in the world, from a theoretical perspective, a typical system in the in mold hot cutting industry consists of the following parts:

Power unit (timing control system);

Power medium (micro cylinder module);

Force bearing motion unit (cutting blade module);

And other accessories (auxiliary parts) that play a role in connection and matching;

Types of plastics

In mold hot cutting technology has been successfully applied abroad to process various plastics, such as PP, PE, ABS, PBT, PA, PC, POM, PVC, PET, PMMA and a series of common plastics. 

At present, it can be said that plastics that can be processed with traditional molds can basically achieve the introduction of in mold hot cutting technology.

Product weight

Currently, the smallest parts manufactured using in mold hot cutting molds abroad are below 0.1g, and the largest are above 30KG, with a wide range of applications.

Application area 

At present, in mold hot cutting technology has been widely applied in various industrial products such as electronics, electrical appliances, automobiles, medical, aviation, packaging, and daily necessities.

The problems faced by the application of technology in China

Compared with traditional molds, in mold hot cutting molds have significant advantages and are suitable for most industries and products.

 However, considering the current situation of domestic manufacturing, not all users are suitable for introducing in mold hot cutting technology.

 In summary, the following points are provided for reference:

Cost increase

In European and American countries, in mold hot cutting technology is used as a solution to optimize injection molding conditions. 

Increasing the in mold hot cutting process leads to an increase in mold costs.

 Therefore, in China, the added value of products is low, the output is not high, and the introduction of in mold hot cutting technology for products without special requirements is economically uneconomical for users. 

Therefore, for mold and molding manufacturers in developing countries, the increase in mold costs caused by in mold hot cutting technology is one of the main reasons affecting its widespread application.

User limitations

The hot cutting mold inside the mold requires precision machining equipment as support, and the assembly of parts and molds requires precise data as guarantee. 

Otherwise, many problems will occur during the production process, such as the deviation of the oil cylinder hole parameters on the mold, which will cause the oil cylinder to be unable to seal, leak oil, fail, and ultimately cannot operate normally. 

The accuracy problem of the cutting blade hole will lead to a series of problems such as abnormal operation, jamming, and cutting of the cutting blade. 

Therefore, for most users in China, the overall strength and precision machining technology concept of the company are also the reasons that affect its large-scale application.

Usage habits

The use and maintenance of in mold hot cutting molds are different from traditional molds. 

For personnel who are accustomed to the operation and maintenance of traditional molds, the new process requires a certain amount of time to adapt. 

A company that promotes a new process on a large scale needs to receive sufficient positive feedback from internal personnel. 

When there is no unified understanding of the new process internally, the promotion of the technology is very slow. 

Therefore, the widespread application of in mold hot cutting technology in China requires long-term cultivation and experience accumulation in the market.

Industry development period

The wild and chaotic growth of in mold enthusiasm during the development period is an inevitable process in the development of any industry, and the same goes for in mold enthusiasm.

In developed industrial countries around the world, in mold hot cutting technology is used as a "technical solution" to enhance the intelligent manufacturing level of the injection molding and mold industry. 

Manufacturers focus on and deeply cultivate the industry, promoting the healthy development of the mold and injection molding industry through technological innovation; 

However, the domestic industry is still in its early stages of development, and in the situation where new processes have a market and no standards, everyone can participate. 

This has led most mold professionals to believe that in mold hot cutting technology is a simple application of selling "standard parts" to solve the problem of "gate separation" in products;

As a "technical solution", in mold hot cutting process is to install a set of mechanisms inside the mold to optimize the front-end mold and improve or solve the defects or other technical problems in traditional mold forming.

 In mold hot cutting manufacturers are responsible for the overall results. 

However, at present, due to the lack of standards in China, there is no threshold for the industry, and everyone can participate. 

In order to make quick profits, participants intentionally promote in mold hot cutting process as a "standard part" in a misleading way. 

This not only compensates for their own technical deficiencies, but also avoids responsibility. 

Even if there are disputes with users during cooperation, the risk borne by the standard part mode is only related to the quality problems of the parts; 

Due to the knowledge blind spots of users in the early stages of the industry, 

when they did not have a clear understanding of the concepts of "standard parts" and "solutions", standard parts were more likely to be recognized by users due to their price advantages.

Therefore, a large part of the domestic market saw the use of in mold hot cutting technology scenarios: 

users received the solution drawings, most of the parts were self-made, and only purchased standard parts from in mold hot cutting manufacturers. 

As a result, non professionals cross industries to do professional work, and simple applications are not smooth. 

When encountering complex problems, they are helpless, and the final use effect is greatly different from expectations. 

They mistakenly believe that the technology is not mature and will not invest in it in the future. 

This is a strange phenomenon that many mold workers see. A new process with a very broad market is becoming increasingly popular in the market. 

Due to rare reasons, Therefore, the widespread use of hot cutting technology in domestic molds requires a long period of experience accumulation and application;

Application key

A successful and stable operation of the in mold hot cutting system requires multiple links to be guaranteed, among which the three most important factors are:

Design scheme

For in mold hot cutting manufacturers, a precise design plan in the early stage plays a role of twice the effort. 

The manufacturer first evaluates based on relevant data, and then combines data and experience to provide the best design plan. 

Otherwise, a series of problems will arise in the production process, which may seriously lead to downtime. These data require years of experience accumulation. 

Therefore, choosing a formal and professional in mold hot cutting manufacturer is extremely important.

Assembly process

During the normal production process of the hot cutting mold in the mold, its overall structure needs to maintain long-term stable operation. 

Therefore, the customized hot cutting system in the mold needs to be adjusted according to the corresponding product data during assembly. 

These scientific and reasonable data need to be accumulated over a long period of experience.

 When assembling, operate according to standard procedures, otherwise various problems will occur, such as poor operation, oil leakage, abnormal wear and tear, which will bring unnecessary hidden dangers to stable production.

Industrial system 

Providing scientific and reasonable proposal suggestions before production, with a complete production process, and timely and accurate solutions for any abnormal situations that occur during the production process, 

can be said to be the basic conditions for a hot cutting manufacturer's products to operate stably.

Domestic situation

Although the current in mold hot cutting technology is still in its early stages of development in China and the industry is not standardized, it plays an indispensable role in the upgrading process of the injection molding industry. 

Therefore, in mold hot cutting technology has certain significance. Given the current situation of the industry, only by understanding more industry related knowledge can unnecessary losses be avoided in application.

 In order to further understand the industry, the following will be summarized from four aspects as clues.

Technology

From the perspective of the entire domestic market, most manufacturers currently have weak R&D and innovation capabilities, strong brand substitutability for technology assimilation, and fierce competition among general technology peers. 

The mid to high end market is dominated by Speer, which is recognized by most injection molding and mold professionals for its leading technology.

 It is known as the "Tesla" in the hot cutting industry and has mastered the most advanced technology in the industry. 

For example, while most manufacturers are still researching gate cutting and cutting problems, Speer has already matured and mastered the "gate residue free" solution, which has been widely applied in the 3C industry. 

The operation of the cutting blade produces black powder and oil stains, leading to poor quality of white or transparent products. 

When most manufacturers are still researching this problem, Speer has already treated it as a routine solution. Therefore, from a technical perspective, the technology currently mastered by Speer can be fully regarded as an industry leader.

 In terms of market share, Speer occupies the mid to high end market with technological leadership, 

while other manufacturers rely more on price or other advantages to differentiate and compete in the mid to low end market due to technological assimilation.

Price

In mold hot cutting technology is a technical solution that is in the early stages of development in China. 

From the perspective of the domestic manufacturing industry, its price is relatively high and it is positioned for the mid to high end customer group.

 In addition, "solutions" are different from "standard parts". 

Solutions are responsible for the overall results and require comprehensive technical strength to support them, while standard parts are only responsible for the quality of the parts. 

Therefore, when users choose different needs to understand these two different modes, their prices will differ greatly;

Service

The in mold hot cutting process belongs to the injection molding industry, which exists as an improved process and is a niche industry. 

However, the domestic industry is in the early stage of development, so there are very few manufacturers specializing in the operation of in mold hot cutting technology. 

Based on the current industry situation, it is not realistic for manufacturers to provide comprehensive technical support and after-sales service nationwide. 

Moreover, the in mold hot cutting industry is not yet mature in China, 

and general customers can only choose suppliers nearby to make up for the technical deficiencies of manufacturers by providing after-sales service through a closer geographical location. 

High end customers can choose Speer to reduce after-sales maintenance through its mature technology. 

Therefore, in order for in mold hot cutting technology to have a complete service system like other mature industries, it can only be achieved through long-term cooperation.

 After accumulating time and technology, Widely applied in the market for implementation.

Manufacturer

The hot cutting process inside the mold belongs to an industry with highly concentrated technology, requiring knowledge related to multiple fields such as molds, injection molding, materials, hydraulics, and automation. 

Practitioners need strong professional knowledge, so its system price is relatively high compared to general industrial products. 

In the early stages of industry development, early practitioners had insufficient understanding of the industry and mistakenly believed that in mold hot cutting technology was just selling a few standard parts at a high price and lucrative profits. 

These factors led to the participation of many personnel, with hundreds of manufacturers participating during peak periods. 

However, with the increase of applications, the problems exposed by products on the client side also increased. 

Due to the lack of technology, these manufacturers were unable to reasonably solve the related problems. 

After multiple supplier changes, the problems still existed, and users no longer imported in mold hot cutting technology. 

As a result, the market shrank, the number of users decreased, and the corresponding manufacturers became fewer and fewer. 

As a result, it is difficult to find professional physical manufacturers engaged in mold hot cutting operations in the market, and non professional manufacturers are mostly in the form of agents or mold standard parts distributors. 

Existence, These manufacturers continue to harvest users who are not familiar with the industry through standard parts.

Due to the irreplaceable role of in mold hot cutting technology in the upgrading process of the injection molding industry, it has a certain significance of existence. 

The market also needs some professional in mold hot cutting manufacturers to exist. 

As we all know, from the perspective of the entire market, Speer has been recognized by customers in the high-end market due to its leading technology and strongest comprehensive strength. 

Fukuzaki Yamano has accumulated a lot of production and manufacturing experience in standard parts manufacturing for many years, with affordable prices and guaranteed quality. 

Therefore, it has also gained a large market share in the mid to low end market. 

From the current market perspective, these two brands are known by mold makers for their distinctive characteristics, clear positioning, and high market share,

while most other domestic manufacturers are still in the primary development stage of enterprise operation, and their enterprise labels are not obvious. 

Survival period, But with the increase of applications and long-term experience accumulation, the industry will gradually mature and become more standardized, and there will be more and more manufacturers.

Epilogue

By sorting out information about the in mold hot cutting industry, more mold and injection molding professionals can gain a better understanding of the industry's related knowledge, 

which can help them avoid unnecessary losses during the selection and use process; 

Given the current situation, when users choose and use in mold manufacturers, they should try to have a deeper understanding, such as whether they are physical or professional manufacturers. 

This way, at least when problems arise, they can communicate with the manufacturer on the same frequency, so as not to encounter low-level problems such as unresolved issues or even inability to find people; 

As a mold maker, I hope that the hot cutting technology in the mold will continue to develop better and better in China, gradually moving towards standardization. 

Through the mature application of hot cutting technology in the mold, it will push China's mold and molding technology to a new height.