Hard tooling意思

"Hard tooling" is a term used in manufacturing, particularly in the context of injection molding, to describe the durable, long-lasting tools used to produce large quantities of identical parts. These tools are typically made from materials like steel or aluminum and are designed to withstand the high pressures and temperatures involved in the injection molding process.

Hard tooling is contrasted with "soft tooling," which refers to less expensive and less durable tools that are used for prototyping or low-volume production. Soft tooling can be made from materials like aluminum, silicone, or urethane, and it is often quicker and cheaper to produce than hard tooling, but it is not suitable for high-volume production.

In the context of injection molding, hard tooling is used to create molds that are precision-machined to the exact specifications of the part to be produced. The mold consists of two halves (or more for more complex parts), and when heated plastic is injected into the mold, it takes the shape of the mold cavity. After the plastic has cooled and solidified, the mold is opened, and the finished part is ejected. Hard tooling allows for the production of thousands or even millions of parts before the tool needs to be replaced.