ABSTRACT
A mold is a mechanical apparatus which provides a rigid confined space where parts are shaped through solidification of polymer melt with precise dimensions and other features as dictated by the mold cavity. Depending on the complexity of the part geometry, a mold could be a simple structure with a cavity situated between two base plates or as complicated as a sophisticated machine by itself incorporated with power-driven slides and other moving parts. They move in and out when the mold opens and closes under the control, which can be integrated into the control system of the entire molding machine. Despite its complexity, however, the whole structure is always attached mechanically to a pair of parallel surfaces: one on a stationary platen and the other on a moving platen of a molding machine.
