"Short Lifespan of Brick Machine Molds? 3 Tips for Choosing the Right Wear-Resistant Material"

  "Short Lifespan of Brick Machine Molds? 3 Tips for Choosing the Right Wear-Resistant Material"

In the brick and tile manufacturing industry, molds are one of the core production tools. Many manufacturers face a common problem: molds wear out too quickly, have a short lifespan, and require frequent replacements, leading to high production costs. Choosing the right wear-resistant material can significantly extend mold life and improve production efficiency. This article will reveal three practical tips for selecting the right wear-resistant material.

I. First, consider the working conditions: Different production scenarios require different materials. The wear level of brick machine molds is essentially determined by the raw materials, pressure parameters, and working environment. Before selecting a mold, it's crucial to understand your own working conditions to accurately match the material:

Scenario 1: Ordinary concrete brick/standard brick production (raw materials include pebbles and medium-coarse sand, molding pressure 10-15MPa): This scenario involves moderate wear. Cr12MoV mold steel is the preferred choice—containing 11%-13% chromium, its hardness can reach HRC60-62 after quenching and tempering. It offers balanced wear resistance and a moderate price, making it a cost-effective option suitable for daily production in small and medium-sized brick factories. • Scenario 2: Production of high-strength permeable bricks/slope protection bricks (raw materials include quartz sand and corundum, molding pressure 15-25MPa): The raw materials have high hardness and high extrusion strength, requiring DC53 mold steel—an optimized version of Cr12MoV with improved molybdenum and vanadium content, increasing toughness and wear resistance by 30%, stronger resistance to chipping, and the ability to withstand high-frequency, high-pressure friction, with a lifespan 1.5-2 times that of ordinary mold steel.

• Scenario 3: Production of corrosive raw materials (e.g., bricks for marine environments, raw materials containing industrial waste): In addition to wear, the salt and chemicals in the raw materials can corrode the molds, requiring stainless steel-based wear-resistant alloys (e.g., 2Cr13 + tungsten carbide coating), which are both corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant, suitable for long-term use under special working conditions. Scenario 4: High-volume automated production line (daily output exceeding 100,000 pieces, 24-hour continuous operation): Molds need to balance wear resistance and fatigue resistance. SKD11 mold steel or cemented carbide inlaid molds are recommended. SKD11 has stable hardness after quenching, good resistance to thermal fatigue, and is not easily softened by continuous operation and temperature increases. Cemented carbide inlaid molds have tungsten-cobalt alloy inlaid in key wear areas (such as mold cores and mold frame edges), doubling local wear resistance and achieving an overall lifespan of 3-5 years.

II. Understanding the Characteristics of Mainstream Wear-Resistant Materials

1. High-Chromium Cast Iron

Characteristics: Chromium content 12%-28%, high hardness (HRC58-65), excellent wear resistance
Applications: Suitable for high-wear environments such as the production of high-strength bricks and paving bricks
Advantages: Wear resistance is 5-8 times that of ordinary cast iron
Notes: Relatively high brittleness; impact resistance needs to be optimized based on specific formulations

2. Alloy Tool Steel

Characteristics: Added alloying elements such as tungsten, molybdenum, and vanadium, resulting in balanced overall performance
Applications: Complex-shaped molds, applications requiring good toughness
Advantages: Good strength and toughness combination; performance can be optimized through heat treatment
Notes: Wear resistance is slightly lower than high-chromium cast iron, but impact resistance is better

3. Cemented Carbide

Characteristics: Tungsten-cobalt or tungsten-titanium-cobalt, extremely high hardness (HRA85-92)
Applications: Critical wear parts of molds, such as edges and corners
Advantages: Extremely wear-resistant; service life can be dozens of times longer than ordinary materials
Notes: High cost; typically used as mold inserts or for localized reinforcement

4. Ceramic Composite Materials

Features: Composite of ceramic materials such as alumina and silicon carbide with metals

Applicable Scenarios: Special high-wear and corrosion-resistant environments

Advantages: Excellent wear and corrosion resistance

Points to Note: Difficult to process, relatively brittle

III. Avoid Selection Pitfalls: Don't sacrifice lifespan for "low price" Many brick factories choose low-priced, inferior mold materials to save costs, only to fall into a vicious cycle of "frequent replacement → decreased production capacity → higher costs." The following three pitfalls must be avoided:

• Pitfall 1: Focusing only on hardness, ignoring toughness. Some manufacturers, in pursuit of "wear resistance," adjust the mold steel hardness to above HRC65. While seemingly wear-resistant, it actually has extremely poor toughness, easily chipping when encountering slightly harder sand or sudden impacts, making it less durable than a balanced material around HRC60.

• Pitfall 2: Blindly pursuing "high-end materials." Using cemented carbide molds for producing standard bricks is an overinvestment, as they cost more than three times that of Cr12MoV, actually increasing costs. Conversely, using ordinary carbon steel molds for producing high-strength permeable bricks may result in a lifespan of less than one month, making it counterproductive.

**Misconception 3: Ignoring heat treatment processes.** Even with Cr12MoV, reputable manufacturers use a "vacuum quenching + deep cryogenic treatment + tempering" process, resulting in uniform hardness distribution, low internal stress, and a 50% increase in lifespan. Smaller manufacturers use simple quenching, leading to mold deformation, uneven wear, and a significantly reduced lifespan.

In short, the core of brick machine mold selection is "matching operating conditions + meeting performance standards + avoiding common pitfalls." Choosing the appropriate wear-resistant material based on your production raw materials, pressure, and output avoids frequent replacements and reduces long-term production costs. If you are unsure which material to choose for your operating conditions, consult a professional mold manufacturer with your production parameters for a more reliable, customized solution!