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

A major advantage of using plastics for molds is the short lead time needed with them. If patterns, prototype parts, or models are available for casting or for layup of the resins, plastics can be molded to complex contours quickly, in a fraction of the time required to produce metal molds. Other advantages include their low initial cost, minimum finishing requirements, light weight, and toughness and flexibility. However, the strengths and hardnesses of plastics are lower than those of metallic die materials. As a result, the requirements of the application must be considered and the mold carefully designed. KEYWORDS for this process: moldmakers, mouldmakers, moulds, moulding, moulders, molds, molders, molding