company news about Super-Hard Alloys Extend Mobile Button Mold Lifespan by 2.3x—New Materials Gain Traction

Material Innovation: Mobile button mold manufacturers are shifting to super-hard alloys and composite materials to address wear and tear—critical for high-volume production (1 million+ buttons per mold).

Standout Materials:

• CT75 Super-Hard Alloy: Developed by Japan’s Daido Steel, this alloy has a hardness rating of 85.2 HRA (Rockwell scale) and resists corrosion from plastic resins like PC and ABS. Tests show CT75 molds last 2.3x longer than traditional H13 steel molds (350,000 cycles vs. 150,000 cycles) for physical volume buttons.
• NAK80 Pre-Hardened Steel: Ideal for decorative button trims, NAK80 achieves mirror finishes (Ra ≤0.005μm) without post-heat treatment, shortening mold lead times by 7 days. Heya Precision uses NAK80 for a European luxury phone brand’s gold-plated button molds, reducing surface defect rates to 0.1%.
• Glass-Fiber Reinforced Resins: For lightweight, low-cost button molds (e.g., budget smartphone accessories), these resins (30% glass fiber content) offer 30% weight savings vs. metal molds and maintain ±0.01mm tolerance for 200,000 cycles.

Sustainability Angle: Recycled super-hard alloys are also gaining ground. A Korean mold maker recently launched a recycled CT75 alloy that meets 95% of the performance of virgin material, cutting material costs by 18% and carbon emissions by 25%.

Buyer Priority: “Material durability is now the top request from our mobile OEM clients," says Heya’s sales director, Chris Wang. “A single mold failure can delay a phone launch by weeks—so investing in super-hard alloys is a risk-mitigation strategy."