MOLDINO targets top position in giga casting mold tool market

April 9, 2025

MOLDINO (Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President: Yoshiaki Kaneko) is stepping up efforts to develop the market for cutting tools used in molds for “giga casting,” a die casting technology for large automotive parts. The company has launched a series of new products starting this year. At a press conference held on February 17, President Kaneko said, “We aim to lead the market and become the top player in this field.”

Designed for large, difficult-to-machine, and fine-feature applications

President Yoshiaki Kaneko explains MOLDINO’s goal of becoming a global niche leader. Shown above is a sample workpiece designed with deep ribs for giga casting molds.

MOLDINO specializes in cutting tools for mold manufacturing. As the automotive industry—its primary customer base—undergoes significant changes in production processes, the demand for mold types is expected to change as well.

A prime example is giga casting, a technique for forming large aluminum parts using a die-casting machine. This technology helps reduce the number of components and vehicle weight, and several Japanese automakers and parts manufacturers have already announced investments in compatible equipment.

Giga casting molds are large and complex in shape. To improve durability, the materials used are becoming increasingly difficult to machine. What’s more, due to labor shortages in the mold industry, there is a growing demand for high-precision machining to reduce manual polishing work.

President Kaneko emphasized, “We will proactively address the emerging needs of giga casting mold manufacturing. Even within a limited market, our goal is to become a global niche leader by securing a high market share worldwide.”

Focus on deep rib machining

Since the beginning of 2025, MOLDINO has introduced several new products designed with giga casting mold applications in mind. These include solutions for deep ribs and vertical wall shapes, which are becoming increasingly common as molds grow in size.

One such product is the “TR2F high-feed radius end mill,” launched in January. It is suitable for roughing die-casting molds. As more difficult-to-machine materials are used in die-casting molds, tool adhesion during cutting has become an issue.

To address this, the TR2F features a redesigned cutting edge that provides stable machining, increased tool life, and reduced chatter even with long overhangs.

In particular, the combination of the modular type of the TR2F, which is fixed with screws, and the “free-neck type” solid carbide shank, released in February, offers significant advantages. The use of carbide for the free-neck shank material helps suppress deflection even with long overhangs, making this combination ideal for machining deep ribs.

Promoting new machining methods

A new finishing end mill, “EPVF-ATH,” scheduled for release this spring, introduces a new approach to finishing vertical wall surfaces: “plunge finishing.”

Conventional finishing is typically done by moving the tool in the XY plane along contour paths. The EPVF-ATH, however, is designed to move vertically along the Z-axis. This vertical tool path helps suppress deflection even with long overhangs, and the tool’s cutting edge has been redesigned to accommodate this method.

A company representative explained, “Currently, many deep ribs made of difficult-to-machine materials are processed with EDM. By introducing a cutting tool designed to minimize chatter even with long tool overhangs, we hope to encourage a shift to direct cutting.”