Bending Mold Tooling – Essential for Quality Production
High-quality mold tooling is critical to producing top-tier windshields. Many manufacturers struggle to innovate or maintain quality due to gaps in mold (a.k.a. skeleton ) tooling expertise. Successful windshield bending depends heavily on forming ring quality; without it process will fail, even advanced bending furnace technology can’t compensate poor skeletons or missing additional tooling features. This article explores key aspects of designing and maintaining a quality mold.
Mold Construction Essentials
Two main mold types dominate: the hinged mold with counterweights and the swing type. Both rely on balanced, sturdy construction, typically using stainless steel in various bar shapes. Quality mold construction follows these four principles:
- Correct Mold Ring Size – Avoids reverse bending on glass edges.
- Accurate Hinge Position – Prevents deformation in the windshield’s corners.
- Proper Weight Balance – Ensures the glass lays evenly on the mold.
- Smooth Mold Surface – A polished surface enables flawless bending shape and paves way to mold mark free glass surface.
Key Tooling Characteristics
Once the four cornerstones are met, advanced features can enhance mold performance, including:
- Trimming – Adjustable counterweights and support bars fine-tune wing and edge shapes.
- Heat Control – Absorption and reflection plates manage localized heat to control temperature.
- Complex Geometry Support – A-pillar side supports to address challenging shapes.
- Surface Quality – Special treatments and cloth solutions reduce visible mold marks and glass breakage.
- Repeatability – Visual reference points in the tool help to produce consistent curvature and edge sizing.
Conclusion
Continuous innovation in mold tooling is essential as modern windshield designs continue grow larger, more complex and customer quality demands precision. High-quality tooling requires minimal maintenance, shortens trimming time, and delivers superior results. Global Glass Specialists offers on-site or remote training on mold fabrication, and our technical guide provides a step-by-step approach for manufacturers aiming to elevate their production standards. For more information or assistance with mold tooling contact us now.