Mold making is the art of making a mold which will be used to make a casting or finished part. Essential requirements for the mold, with respect to optimum performance and economy, include:

• proper design
• proper materials
• accurate manufacture
• correct heat treatment
• proper setup, use and maintenance

Tool steels are special grades of carbon, alloy, or high-speed steels capable of being hardened and tempered, and are the most widely used materials for molds. They are usually melted in electric furnaces and produced under high-quality tool steel practices to meet special requirements. Also, several nonferrous metals are used for molds in specific applications. These metals include aluminum bronzes, beryllium coppers, zinc-based alloys, antimonial lead, and bismuth alloys. KEYWORDS for this process: moldmakers, mouldmakers, moulds, moulding, moulders, molds, molders, molding