There are three main types of tooling plate available from metalweb:
CAST TOOLING PLATE
A continuous cast plate machined both sides to about 25 microinch finish and thermally stress relieved. Has best thickness tolerance of any aluminium plate plus maximum stability. Excellent for precision applications such as electronic base or mounting plates, photo vacuum plates, checking fixtures. Has good welding, anodizing and corrosion resistance properties. No forming. Usually used in the 6mm to 50mm thickness range, but also available up to 150mm.
PRECISION FACE-MACHINED CAST TOOLING PLATES CAL5®
CAL5® is manufactured exclusively for metalweb, and is a 5000 series based alloy plate machined to industry standard thickness and flatness tolerances. Using special machining equipment with heads designed to match our specifications, we are able to offer aluminium cast plates with a precision Ra 0.4 μm finish. The plates have a thickness tolerance of ±0.10 mm and very good flatness values.
Advantages of metalweb CAL5® Plate:
- High tensile strength
- Good ductility
- Especially heat treated to obtain stress free condition, annealing after machining is not required
- Regular fine grain structure
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Very good machinability
- Very good weldability
- Good anodizing (not decorative) and hardcoating properties
metalweb CAL5® Plate has a range of applications including:
- Jigs and fixtures
- Precision parts
- Electronic mounting plates
- Modelling boards
- Pattern plates
- Plastic moulds
metalweb offer a range of ‘tooling plate’ solutions including other specialist cast, rolled and mould plate products. For details and availability – or for advice on what to select for your chosen application – please enquire. Also, please note that 7000 series cast plate is available on request.
Sizes Available
metalweb CAL5® is available in a range of sizes.
- Thickness range: 6.35mm (¼”) up to 50.8mm (2″)
- Maximum standard length is: 3670.3mm (144 ½”)
- Maximum standard width is: 1841.5mm (72 ½”)
Chemical Compound of CAL5®
- Magnesium 4% – 5%
- Manganese <1%
- Other 1.5%
- Aluminium Rest
Mechanical and Physical Properties
| S.I Units | Imperial Units | |
|---|---|---|
| Yield Strength | [MPa] | 110-130 |
| Ultimate tensile strength Rm | [MPa] | 230-290 |
| Elongation | [%] | 15 |
| Module of elasticity | [GPa] | 70 |
| Brinell hardness HBS | [2.5/62.5] | 70-80 |
| Density | [g/cm3] | 2.66 |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion | [K-1] | 23.5 x 10-6 |
| Thermal conductivity | [W/m•K] | 110 - 140 |
| Electrical conductivity | [m/W•mm2] | 16 - 18 |
| Specific heat | [J/kg•K] | 900 (25°-100° C) |
Non-standard dimensions are available at additional charges. In addition metalweb has a range of specialist processing equipment to cut plates to the exact size required.
* All imperial sizes are inches; metric sizes are millimetres.
Dimension Tolerances
| Thickness (mm) | Flatness* (mm) | Thickness tolerance (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| 6.35 - 12.7 | ≤0.44 | ±0.10 |
| > 12.7 | ≤0.14 | ±0.10 |
* The surface flatness for whole plates is measured with a special digital flatness ruler with a measuring length of 1 metre.
ROLLED TOOLING PLATE
Aluminium alloy plate, usually in a 5000 series alloy, which has been rolled in the normal way. The plate is subsequently super annealed to provide stability, and then precision face machined to provide close tolerance dimensions. This process is often carried out by processors as well as producing mills, and has a variety of trade or brand names that are often similar or equivalent to each other. This has certain advantages over cast plate in weldability or anodising, but may be less stable.
This product is made to a variety of brand or house names essentially in 5000 series alloys.
Product Description
Aluminium Rolled Plates are precision face-machined in a Ra 0.64µm finish. Using proper aluminium machining methods close thickness and flatness tolerance can be maintained uniformly. The rolling process gives an excellent granular structure and virtually eliminated porosity combined with a good tensile strength. Through adequate thermal treatment distortions and stresses are reduced to a minimum. This metal quality enables the manufacturing of thinner plates offering perfect dimensional stability, high resistance to corrosion and minimal porosity.
Advantages
- High tensile strength guaranteeing very good machinability and dimensional stability properties
- No further costs for surfacing
- Can easily be welded using 5183
- Good anodizing (not decorative) and hardcoating properties
- Good low temperature properties
- Good seawater and resistance to corrosion
- Standard DIN EN ISO alloy
Typical Properties
UTS = 300 MPA
YS = 135 MPA
MOULD TOOLING PLATE
Often a rolled tooling plate and is generally made to rolling mills house specifications. It is not as stable as cast tooling plate but gives much better life in highly machined components. Its porosity free characteristics make it ideal for plastic injection moulds. Most commonly used in the 100mm to 250mm thickness range, but some mills can produce up to 400mm thick. Also available as a 5000 series cast mould plate.
ALUMINIUM ALLOY ROLLED MOULD PLATE
metalweb are able to provide a range of rolled mould plate options including branded options from leading aluminium mills.
A specially designed range of aluminium alloys for mould tool applications. These plates are usually available in 7000 series alloys but are also available in 2000 and 5000. These tool and mould alloys are replacing tool steels where the traditional values of aluminium supersedes steels due to its lightness, life cycle, weldability and recycling value. Particularly used in formers and vacuum fixtures.
Typical Properties 7000 Series
| Product Type | Aluminium Alloy Mould Plate |
|---|---|
| Chemical Composition | |
| Alloy type | 7000 |
| Cu | 1.6 |
| Mg | 2.4 |
| Zn | 6.0 |
| Thickness | |
| Mini (mm) | 25 |
| Maxi (mm) | 355 |
| Mechanical Properties (thickness: 100mm) | |
| Rm (Mpa) | 580 |
| RpO,2 (Mpa) | 530 |
| HB | 185 |
| Other properties | |
| Density | 2.82 |
| Thermal conductivity (W/m.0C) | 153 |
| Melting Range | 475–630 |
| Usage Properties | |
| Welding - fitting | Not recommended |
| - fitting | Good |
| Machinability (scrap flow) | Good |
| Hard anodising | Very good |
Comparing Mechanical Properties
| Carbon Steel | Pretreated Steel | Tool Steel | Aluminium Alloy Rolled Mould Plate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UTS (MPa) | 620 | 1010 | 1300-2000 | 580 |
| YSO,2 (MPa) | 325 | 890 | - | 530 |
| HB | 174 | 304 | 400-600 | 185 |
| HRb | 87 | 108 | 114 | 90 |
| HRc | - | 32 | 42-57 | - |
