Whether in injection molding or die casting, mold cooling and temperature control have always been crucial factors affecting production. Traditional molds are often cooled by drilling straight cooling channels through machining processes. While this method is simple and convenient, it often fails to achieve precise temperature control, greatly diminishing cooling efficiency. As products become more complex and molds larger, poor cooling has increasingly become a key issue, slowing down production cycles and reducing production yield.

Dual Constraints of Design and Manufacturing

Conformal cooling was first proposed by an American in 1997, but before the maturation of 3D printing technology, the manufacturing of conformal channels was an unattainable goal. Mold designers could design conformal channels, but there was no mature manufacturing method to produce them. This limitation in manufacturing, in turn, constrained the designers' thinking, forcing them to consider the limitations of manufacturing processes when designing molds.

Traditional straight cooling channels fail to provide optimal cooling

3D printed conformal cooling channels

In the past decade, with the rapid development of metal 3D printing technology, the design and manufacturing of conformal channels are no longer a challenge. For instance, Raymo Technology has delivered conformal cooling inserts with a service life of up to one million cycles, and the economic benefits of conformal cooling have been widely validated and accepted by mold customers, leading to large-scale industrial application. However, the actual performance of conformal cooling depends on the depth of understanding different 3D printing service providers have regarding mold printing applications. The real-world results may vary:

1. Complete inability to design qualified conformal channels
2. Inability to manufacture the conformal design with high quality
3. Conformal cooling fails to achieve the expected cooling effect
4. Conformal cooling works, but compromises mold lifespan and safety

Key Principles of Conformal Cooling Design

Based on LAMOTEK's extensive experience with 3D printing technology and a deep understanding of mold applications, we have accumulated significant expertise in conformal cooling design. From a design perspective, we have outlined three key principles to help better understand conformal cooling:

01 Safety

The primary principle of conformal cooling design is safety. The design must fully account for working conditions, mold materials, and the corrosive effects of cooling media on the mold. This may involve selecting corrosion-resistant materials or applying protective measures on the channel surfaces, such as using 3D printing-specific mold steels resistant to rust and corrosion, or polishing or coating the conformal channels. The design must also comply with safety standards, ensuring appropriate minimum wall thickness and corner radii to prevent cracking, leaks, or stress concentrations.

Cracking and leakage in weak spots

02 Functionality

On the premise of safety, conformal cooling design should fully consider functionality to meet the cooling requirements of the mold. This involves tailoring the design to factors such as hotspot locations, mold temperature, molding material, and production efficiency. The layout, shape, diameter, and circuit of the conformal channels should be carefully designed. Ideally, simulation tools should be used before manufacturing to verify the design and ensure its practicality.

03 Adaptability

Since product structures vary, conformal cooling design must adapt to the shape and structure of the mold cavity, providing a customized solution. When designing, factors such as cavity complexity, depth, and wall thickness should be considered to ensure that cooling water covers the entire cavity surface. The spacing and layout of the channels must be arranged appropriately to avoid issues like turbulence, backflow, or dead zones during water flow.

Conformal cooling design is a highly customized process, requiring extensive design experience or a well-developed design database to achieve good results. A reasonable design can improve cooling performance and extend mold life, whereas a poor design may not only result in unnecessary additional costs but also fail to optimize cooling, potentially even damaging the mold’s normal lifespan.

As a leading company in 3D printed molds in China, LAMOTEK has accumulated numerous successful cases in the application of conformal cooling. We welcome discussions and exchanges with customers and will continue to advance the deep application of 3D printing technology in the mold industry.