Overcoming Complex Mold Texturing Challenges

The mold manufacturing industry is constantly evolving. As a result, options for overcoming complex mold texturing challenges are evolving, too. 

Our complex marketplace demands new and innovative design possibilities with higher accuracy and tighter tolerances while keeping production times as short as possible. For example, some projects may require depth or detail unachievable by acid etching, while others demand consistent results with high-volume multi-cavity tools. 

Laser texturing might be the right solution to overcome these complex challenges. Here are a few key advantages to consider. 

Mold Repair

Mistakes happen and we’re here to help!

St. Paul Engraving’s proprietary repair process can prolong the life of your company’s mold. Through our laser repair process we can directly repair a damaged area and blend into existing texture eliminating any visual defects to restore your tool to a like-new condition.

Important to note: if you find a textured area or parting line that is damaged on your mold, contact us before any welding or polishing is done. In many cases we can hand work the steel back and repair without any weld. If welding or polishing is required we prefer to do this in house as there are several factors to consider.

If welding is required, follow the below tips for optimal chemical repair:

• Weld with the same material the mold was made from; i.e P-20, S-7, H-13 or stainless steel. If the same material is not used, the weld may etch at a different rate leaving a white line around the weld when repairing the texture.
• Mold must be properly heated prior to welding. If not properly heated, it can cause the weld to cool too quickly. If this happens, even when using the same material, it will cause the weld to etch at different rate which would then require stress tempering to normalize the steel to get a constant etch for the best repair result.

With the advances of the laser texturing industry we have developed a laser repair process at St. Paul Engraving that can be used on any mold whether it was laser textured or chemically etched to repair these damaged areas. Through this process we can laser repair the area and blend into the existing texture eliminating any visual defects restoring you tool to a like-new condition.

5 Axis Laser Machine

Take a look inside our shop here at St. Paul Engraving.

Video of 5 Axis Laser Machine lasering a texture on medical implants. The texture applied to the medical implants will allow bone & tissue fibers to naturally adhere to the implant. A process is known as osseointegration*.

*Osseointegration; the firm anchoring of a surgical implant (such as dentistry or bone surgery) by the growth of bone around it without fibrous tissue formation at the interface.

Watch Our Video

Our Commitment

Since 1976, St. Paul Engraving has been committed to providing customers the latest innovative technology allowing us to deliver on consistent quality, customer service & fast turnaround time.

If you have any questions on an upcoming project and how St. Paul Engraving may be able to help customize your product’s design, please do not hesitate to ask, we are here to help.
Contact information in our bio or email us at info@stpaulengraving.com.

Happy Holidays!

From all of us here at St. Paul Engraving we hope you and your loved ones have a safe and enjoyable holiday, Merry Christmas!