Background
Mold makers often face costly downtime and limited lifespan of molds due to continuous wear during glass bottle manufacturing. Traditional repair processes require removing the mold from service and sending it to specialized facilities for refurbishment, leading to production delays and reduced efficiency.
The Challenge
Develop a faster, on-site repair process for worn mold surfaces that maintains dimensional accuracy and surface quality without requiring full mold replacement or prolonged downtime.
Our Solution
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global utilized AMBIT™ Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) to rebuild worn mold cavities and edges directly on-site.
Using AMBIT’s laser deposition head integrated with a CNC machine, operators restored worn regions with minimal setup and machining.
The process enabled precise material placement and consistent metallurgical bonding, ensuring long-lasting performance with minimal distortion.
Results
🔥 Reduced heat affected zone (HAZ) — from more than 4 mm to approximately 0.2 mm (0.008”), minimizing mold failure.
❄️ Faster heat removal and longer-lasting wear resistance, achieving the desired molding performance.
⚙️ Elimination of preheat and cool-down steps thanks to laser-based hard-facing, simplifying the process.
🧩 Fewer setups and production steps, resulting in significantly reduced lead time and overall production time.
- 💰 Return on investment (ROI) achieved in less than 12 months at 85 % utilization.
Ready to extend the life of your molds?
Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies Global can help you restore and strengthen tooling with laser precision, reducing lead times and maximizing mold performance through hybrid manufacturing.
