{"id":1327,"date":"2026-02-27T14:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/?p=1327"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T14:50:18","slug":"how-to-choose-between-p20-718-or-nak80-steel-for-small-batch-injection-moulds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/?p=1327","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose Between P20, 718, or NAK80 Steel for small batch Injection Moulds?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For small batch injection molding production (typically prototyping, validation runs, or annual volumes from a few thousand to tens of thousands of parts), the core principle in selecting mold steel is high cost-effectiveness, short machining lead time, and sufficient mold lifespan\u2014no need to chase ultra-long durability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mainstream Options Comparison:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>P20<\/strong> (pre-hardened steel, hardness 28-36 HRC): The most budget-friendly choice. Excellent machinability, no additional heat treatment required, minimal distortion, and fast delivery. Mold life around 100,000\u2013300,000 shots, ideal for common non-corrosive, non-high-gloss materials like PP\/ABS in small runs. Drawback: moderate mirror polishing and wear resistance. If budget is tight or part appearance is not demanding, P20 is the top pick for small batches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>718 \/ 718H<\/strong> (improved P20 with added Ni, hardness 30-40 HRC): Builds on P20 with better toughness, polishability, and wear resistance; mold life can reach 300,000\u2013500,000 shots. Especially suitable for medium-complexity cavities, larger parts, or small-to-medium runs needing improved surface quality. Priced 20-40% higher than P20, but offers superior overall value\u2014many factories regard it as the \u201csmall-batch upgrade version.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>NAK80<\/strong> (mirror-finish pre-hardened steel, hardness 37-43 HRC): Top-tier mirror polishing performance (up to #10,000 or better), excellent corrosion and wear resistance, perfect for high-gloss, transparent parts (e.g., PC, PMMA) or strict aesthetic requirements in small batches. Lifespan exceeds 400,000\u2013500,000 shots, but it\u2019s the most expensive (often 2-3x P20) and slightly slower to machine. If your product demands ultimate mirror finish or high-precision appearance,<strong> <\/strong>NAK80 is worth the investment; otherwise, it\u2019s overkill for small runs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Small-Batch Recommendation Order:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Tight budget + general appearance \u2192 <strong>P20<\/strong> (most cost- and time-efficient)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moderate requirements + better durability \u2192 <strong>718\/718H<\/strong> (the balanced king)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>High-gloss\/transparent\/premium appearance \u2192 <strong>NAK80<\/strong> (mirror expert)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Don\u2019t blindly opt for expensive steel in small batches\u2014first evaluate your plastic material, surface finish needs, and expected shot volume! Professional mold makers recommend starting with a smart assessment for optimal results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For small batch injection molding production (typically prototyping, validation runs, or annual volumes from a few thousand to tens of thousands of parts), the core principle in selecting mold steel is high cost-effectiveness, short machining lead time, and sufficient mold lifespan\u2014no need to chase ultra-long durability. Mainstream Options Comparison: Small-Batch Recommendation Order: Don\u2019t blindly opt [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1327"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1328,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1327\/revisions\/1328"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.atc-mould.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}