The growing demand for glass packaging contributes to the increase in production capacity of glass-container plants. Their equipment (cast iron glass-forming sets) operates in continuous mode under complex cyclic thermal loads, which lead to the formation of operational defects on the working surfaces of details: graphite falling, cracks, oxidation, etc. Particular influence on the formation of these defects renders the microstructure of the material at the time of installation of details on the line.

The article identifies the causes for formation of operational defects, formulates the ways to remedy them and prevent their occurrence.

The authors studied details made from grey cast iron with flake and spherical forms of graphite. It is found that in the process of exploitation of the material is greatly reducing its hardness, strength, resistance to oxidation through of graphitization processes, chemical interaction of glass and iron, shock loads working edges. It is proved that the choice of initial microstructure of cast iron (the metal base, the graphite form, the presence of structural-free cementite) exercises a determining influence on the durability of the mold tooling. The article proposes differential (layered) arrangement of the graphite phase of cast iron in the alloy matrix (ferrite). This arrangement of high-carbon phase can simultaneously increase the thermal and oxidation resistance of the material. The formation of a layered structure of iron is produced by the intensification of the processes of alloying, modifying and directional freezing the melt.

These data can be used to select the material of details by manufacturers glass-molds tooling.