Mold Making
G.AL® Sawn Plates in Mold Making
Molds made from G.AL® Aluminum improve efficiency by reducing production time, lowering costs, and streamlining cycles.
Around the world, companies in the plastic processing industry face increasing pressure to reduce production time and control costs. This includes designers, mold makers, and plastic component manufacturers. Aluminum molds offer advantages over steel that help save time and money during processing. G.AL® Sawn and Cast Plates are specially engineered to eliminate challenges in mold making.
Lightweight
G.AL® Sawn Plates are almost three times lighter than steel plates. Their reduced weight makes them easier to handle and transport, simplifies production, and minimizes wear on machinery.
Thermal Conductivity
In mold making, both G.AL® C210R (EN AW 5083) and G.AL® C330R (EN AW 7021) disperse heat more effectively than steel plates. This means faster molding cycles and more efficient production processes.
The high conductivity of G.AL® Sawn Plates allows for shorter cycle times in foaming, blowing, deep drawing, RIM, and injection molds (low and medium pressure). Non-alloyed steel has a thermal conductivity of about 34 BTU/h·ft·°F, and about 9 BTU/h·ft·°F for high-alloy steel. The thermal conductivity of G.AL® C210R ranges from 64–75 BTU/h·ft·°F, and G.AL® C330R ranges from 72–90 BTU/h·ft·°F.
These values show that molds made from G.AL® cast plates have cooling cycles three times faster than steel. Customers reported up to 40% more efficiency in production after switching from steel plates to G.AL® cast plates.
Machinability
G.AL® Cast Plates are renowned for their exceptional machinability. Both the medium-strength G.AL® C210R and higher strength G.AL® C330R reduce machining resistance by over 90%. This allows for more intricate mold designs and enhanced precision than alternative materials.
The ease of machinability makes G.AL® C210R a standout choice for deep drawing, foaming, casting, prototype molds, and other plastic injection molding operations.
Using G.AL® Sawn Plates in mold making helps save resources:
- Lightweight design reduces material and shipping costs
- High thermal conductivity shortens cycle times
- Ease of machinability reduces machining time and tool wear.
G.AL® cast plates have set the standard in quality with outstanding flatness, homogeneous microstructure, and the lowest possible level of microporosity.
Visit our G.AL® Product pages to help determine which G.AL® Cast Plate is best for you, or get in touch with our team of experts by using the button below.
Ready to specify G.AL® for your next project?
Our Oldcastle team can confirm stock availability, recommend the right grade, and provide a same-day quote for standard sizes.
Need mold plate quickly? Browse G.AL® C210R off-cuts in stock - reduced prices, ships next day from Oldcastle, ON. Or learn more about aluminum plate off-cuts.
Building tooling in Southwestern Ontario? Aluminum mold plate in Windsor and Essex County - what we stock locally, pickup, and delivery.
Frequently asked questions
What aluminum plate is best for mold making in Canada?
G.AL® C210R and G.AL® C330 are the recommended aluminum plates for mold making in Canada. C210R (EN AW-5083, O3 temper) offers excellent machinability and surface quality for injection molds and blow molds. C330 (EN AW-7021, T79 temper) is chosen for high-strength mold applications. Both are stocked in Ontario by GLEICH Aluminum Canada.
Why use aluminum instead of steel for molds?
Aluminum molds offer significant advantages over steel: they are 3x lighter (reducing handling and machine load), machine up to 5x faster (cutting production time), offer better thermal conductivity (reducing injection cycle times), and cost less to produce. G.AL® cast aluminum plates are specifically designed to deliver the flatness, low stress, and machinability required for high-precision mold making.
Where can I buy aluminum mold plate in Canada?
GLEICH Aluminum Canada stocks G.AL® aluminum mold plates in Oldcastle, Ontario. We offer same-week delivery to mold makers across Canada. Contact us at sales@gleichaluminum.com or +1 (226) 333-5083 for a quote.
Is high-volume production tooling a different grade from prototype work?
Usually a different finish rather than a different alloy. G.AL® C210R is the workhorse for either case when the shop is machining all faces anyway: EN AW-5083 in O3 temper, precision sawn on both faces with a finishing surplus. C250 is the same alloy and temper milled to a tight as-supplied thickness, which is more common on production tooling where a face is a datum or where mill time is the constraint. Where a tool has to carry load or resist wear over a long run, G.AL® C330R in EN AW-7021 at 42 to 49 ksi yield is the step up. For prototype and small fixture work, off-cuts are the cheapest way into the same material.
How does G.AL® aluminum plate reduce mold making costs?
G.AL® cast plates reduce mold making costs in several ways: faster machining (up to 40% compared to rolled plate), no warping during or after machining (eliminates re-work), superior flatness (no surface grinding needed), excellent anodizing results (better surface quality), and reduced weight (lower handling costs). The combination of these factors typically delivers a significantly lower total cost per mold.
Mold Material in Canada
Tell us your mold requirements - cavity size, alloy preference, thickness - and we'll have a quote ready within one business day.