Mold interlocks are special structures built into molds. They prevent misalignment and sliding between the fixed half and moving half during mold closing, ensuring tight mold closing and stable production.

The shape and dimensions of interlocks are determined by the mold design and clamping pressure. Generally, the interlocks will be installed between the moving half and fixed half of the mold so that they can create sufficient resistance to prevent mold misalignment. In addition, interlocks provide auxiliary guidance during mold closure to achieve precise alignment of both mold halves.

An interlock consists of matching protrusions and recesses that mate with each other to generate resistance force upon mold closing. Interlock design must take account of mold operating conditions and material characteristics so that they can perform reliably throughout molding production.

Poorly designed or low-precision interlocks may cause inaccurate clamping, sliding and misalignment issues during mold closing, which negatively impact part quality and production efficiency. For this reason, the machining of interlocks must be precise to get the accurate geometry, dimension and positioning.