The Three Main Types Of Mold Release Agents
Each mold and material pair requires a unique and specific mold release agent. Using the wrong mold release agent can cost your business money in scrap components, lost time and increased mold and mandrel wear. Arm yourself with a highly engineered and formulated mold release agent that’s perfectly adapted to your mold and product materials, temperatures, machine speeds and surface finish requirements.
At W.N. SHAW, we custom-formulate mold release agents for a broad number of applications. In general, mold release agents are grouped into three major categories, depending on your requirements:
1. Internal Release Agents
Internal release agents are directly added to the composite material being molded during mixing to provide integrated release properties. This is the method typically used in tire molding. We formulate our internal mold release agents to provide optimal mold release, quick drying and no residue or discoloration.
The use of an internal release agent allows for precise dosage during mixing and preparation of your composite material, saving time during the molding process. Tight control over your composite mold release agents can also save you money lost in waste due to molding errors, rapid mold and mandrel wear or excess release agent consumption.
2. Non-Permanent Release Agents
These solvent-based mold release agents ensure your composite doesn’t bind to your mandrel, a common problem that creates high amounts of scrap and slows down your cycle times. We engineer our non-permanent release agents according to the material, geometry and speed of your mandrel, as well as the nature of your composite — including process temperature, fluidity and curing time.
‘Standard’ solvent-based release agents don’t take into account the specific properties of your unique composites and materials, which is why our experts at W.N. SHAW treat each non-permanent release agent as a unique opportunity to find the perfect mold release properties.
3. Semi-Permanent Release Agents
The most common mold release solution. Semi-permanent release agents allow the greatest control over your molding process speed, quality and economy. We formulate each of our mold release agents to provide the cleanest mold and mandrel release possible with a maximum of cycles between reapplication.
The key to creating high-performance semi-permanent release agents is finding a formulation that is 100% compatible with your composite and adheres to your molds and mandrels for even coverage and smooth release after forming. Our chemists will take into account your specific mold release requirements and create an ideal agent for your application.
Mold Release Agents for Any Application
W.N. SHAW is your partner for advanced composite mold release agents. We have experience formulating release agents for many types of materials, including plastics, rubbers, elastomers and carbon fiber composites. In all cases, we can help you determine which of the three types of mold release agents — internal, non-permanent or semi-permanent — is best suited to your materials and application.
Take advantage of our years of experience and advanced engineering for the formulation of the ideal mold release agent. We can supply the best combination of performance and quality, allowing you to fine-tune your molding process for maximum throughput, tight tolerance control and minimum scrap. Don’t settle for generic composite mold release agents when you can have a perfectly adapted solution that surpasses your expectations.