A method for manufacturing a steel tire mold that uses CAD and CAM software
to design the shapes of the mold and develop numerical sequences for
computer numerical controlled (CNC) machines, electrodes for an electric
discharge machine (EDM) and characters and designs on the tire, and the
CNC lathe forms the different designed parts. Alignment and assembly holes
are bored so the parts can be assembled to form a semi-finished mold. The
tread design is formed in the electrode by the CNC machine, and the
electrode is used with an electric discharge machine to cut the tread
design in the mold. The CNC engraving machine cuts the characters and
designs in the mold. Finally, the mold is dressed to remove any burrs, and
the mold is a finished product.
