05.

Plastic Injection Mold Design

Module 05: Plastic Injection Mold Design

1. Introduction
Injection molding (British origin: moulding) is a manufacturing technique for making
parts from both thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials in production. Molten
plastic is injected at high pressure into a mold, which is the inverse of the product's shape.
After a product is designed, (usually by an industrial designer or an engineer) molds are made
by a moldmaker (or toolmaker) from metal, usually either steel or aluminium, and precision
machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection molding is widely used for
manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest component to entire body panels of cars.
Injection molding is the most common method of production, with some commonly made
items including bottle caps and outdoor furniture. Injection molding typically is capable of
tolerances equivalent to an IT Grade of about 914.
Injection molding is the one of the most commonly used manufacturing process for
the plastic components. It is used to manufacture thin walled plastic parts for a wide variety
of shapes and sizes. In this process, the plastic material is melted in the injection chamber and
then injected into the mold, where it cools and finally the finished plastic part is ejected.
When a plastic material begins its journey through the injection molding process, the
first thing that is considered is how the material is delivered and stored until it is used. The
next step is to determine how the material will flow to the individual machines for molding,
and finally, what process is needed to prepare the material so that it can be molded. Other
side processes, such as color and additive feeding, also need to be considered if these apply.
2. Materials Used
The injection molding process can be used to process materials such as Acetal,
Acrylic, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Cellulose Acetate, Polyamide (Nylon),
Polycarbonate, Polyester, Polyether Sulphone (PS), Polyetheretherketone (PEEK),
Polyetherimide, Polyethylene, Polyphenylene Oxide, Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS),
Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), and Elastomers.
3. Construction
3.1 MATERIAL FEED PHASE
AA) Drying of material
The chemical structure of a particular polymer determines whether it will absorb
moisture. Due to their nonpolar chemical structures, a number of polymers (e.g., polystyrene,
polyethylene, and polypropylene) are nonhygroscopic and do not absorb moisture. However,
due to their more complex chemistry, materials such as polycarbonate, polycarbonate blends,
acrylonitrilebutadienestyrene (ABS) terpolymers, polyesters, thermoplastic polyurethanes,
and nylon are hygroscopic and absorb moisture.
BB) Hopper
The hopper is the section of the injection molding machine that stores material just
before it enters the barrel of an injection molding machine. The hopper also has a holding
area for the material as it is fed from its bulk storage (gaylords, railcars, etc.) and awaits any
preconditioning of the material that may be needed, such as drying. Hopper size is a critical
element in determining how to make the injection molding process efficient.

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3.2 MELT-CONVEYING PHASE

CC) Barrel
The barrel is defined as an open-ended cylinder that controls the linear direction of the
melt-conveying process, from the hopper to the mold. Barrel provides a frictional surface for
the plastic material to assist in the melting of the plastic which is moving from granular (or
pellet) form to molten form and it results in moving the material in a basically linear direction
from the hopper to the mold. Material used for manufacturing of barrel is steel with a
bimetallic liner and liner is made from a steel alloy.

Figure 5.1: Injection molding machine

DD) Heater bands & Thermocouple

Several types of heater bands are used for heating a barrel. These include tubular
heaters, cartridge heaters, band heaters, and natural gas heaters. A thermocouple is used to
measure and control the amount of heat being applied to the barrel by the heaters.
EE) Screw
The screw forces the pellet then melts material and forwards it to mold through
nozzle. The key factor is that the material must adhere to the inside wall of the barrel.
Otherwise, the screw will rotate in one spot without any forward movement. Traditionally,
the screw is divided into three parts: (1) the feed section, (2) the transition section, and (3) the
metering section.
In the feed section, the material in pellet form moves from the hopper section of the
injection molding barrel toward the nozzle and mold section. The pellets here are still in solid
form, but there has been some initial softening. The channels of the screw are deep in this
area to allow the pellets to convey down the barrel. Temperature settings of the barrel are the
lowest in this section, to avoid premature melting of the pellets, which can cause degradation
or interfere with material feed into the barrel.
In the transition section the pellet material begins to melt and mix with non-melted
pellets. In this section the channel depth of the screw becomes shallow, and this degree of
shallowness increasing down the transition section. This increasing shallowness causes the
meltpellet mix to compress against the inside of the barrel wall. Frictional heat builds up,
and in combination with the heat generated by the barrel heater, creates more melt to be
formed within the screw flight channels. The melt pool formed as you go down the transition
section increases. As the pellets reach the section where compression takes place, the volume
of material inside the screw flight channel decreases until the metering section is reached.
The metering section of the screw of the standard injection molding screw acts as the
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pumping mechanism for the melt, forcing molten material forward accurately and completing
the melting process. As the material goes forward to the front of the screw, force is generated
to push the screw back in the direction of the hopper to the original, set position of the shot
size. As the screw rotates and pumps the molten material through the non-return valve, the
molten material that is accumulating in front of the valve is pushing and reciprocating the
screw.
FF) Nozzle
It is the last section of the melt-conveying phase. It guides the melt of the material
into the sprue bushing and then into the mold. The purpose of the nozzle is to maintain the
temperature of the molten material after it has been plasticated by the screw and barrel and
before it enters the mold to be formed into the final part. The nozzle typically is kept short to
avoid overheating the material by increasing the residence time in plastication.

Figure 5.2: Nozzle

It is important that the orifice or opening of the nozzle tip match the opening of the
sprue bushing. If these areas match up, material will get caught and hang up in this area,
leading to material degradation due to excessive shear.
3.3 MELT-DIRECTING PHASE
When molten polymer leaves the barrel through the nozzle, its flow path begins to be
guided toward its final destination i.e. mold cavity. Molten material takes path which goes
through a series of turns, twists, and restrictions as it approaches the mold cavity.
GG) Sprue
The sprue is the first channel that molten material is exposed as it goes from the barrel
and nozzle into the mold and begins directing the molten material toward the mold cavity.
The main interface between an injection molding machines nozzle and the runner system
that starts the melt-directing process is referred to as the sprue bushing. The design of this
bushing is not standard to every molding process. The sprue bushing is designed as a shelf
item, available through a number of manufacturers
Another part of the sprue, which is sometimes neglected in its design, is the cold slug
well. The well is located at the end of the sprue at the interface of the sprue and runner and is
in the direct line of the sprue.

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Figure 5.3: Cold slug well

The cold slug well plays an important part in material directing and has two functions.
(1) The cold slug provides a location for cold material that is entering the mold to be directed
to, which allows the hotter material to flow straight to the cavity. Otherwise, introduction of
cold material into the mold cavity can cause surface defects, such as a blemish or cold flow
mark or may create a weakness in the part causing the part to fail prematurely. (2) To provide
an anchor to cause the sprue to be pulled away from the sprue bushing and ultimately be
ejected from the mold after the part is cooled.
HH) Runner
1. It is a series of channels to direct molten polymer into mold cavity.
2. Must provide shortest, most direct route for molten polymer.
3. Viscosity & Temperature determines runner length and diameter.
4. Runner system must be balanced.
5. Freezing occurs if runner length is large & diameter is small.
6. Excess grinding is required if runner system is too large.

Figure 5.4: Channel types

Several cold runner cross-sectional geometries are used in injection molding, including the
full round, half round, trapezoidal, and modified trapezoidal.
i) Full-round runner design is the most efficient type of runner system and is widely used.
Full-round runners are easy to eject and are easily machined using a standard end mill.
However, this type of runner needs to be machined into both halves of the mold and can be
more expensive to machine. Also, matching both halves of the runner is critical to the
functioning of this design
ii) Half-round runner design allows for machining on one side of the mold with a circular end
mill. However, a low volume-to-surface area is present in this runner design.
iii) Trapezoidal runner design is less expensive to machine than a full-round design since;
machining takes place on one-half of the tool (mold). The trapezoidal runner should be
designed with a taper between 2 and 5 per side, with the depth of the trapezoid equal to its
base width. This configuration will provide excellent volume-to-surface area. However, if
sharp corners are used at the base of the trapezoidal runner, part ejection may be hindered.
iv) Modified trapezoidal runner system is another variation of the standard trapezoidal runner
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system. It offers the same features as those of the trapezoidal runner system but includes a
radius base. This provides ease of part ejection and is also easy to machine. Modified
trapezoidal runners have been used with a great deal of success with semi crystalline
materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene and both nylon 6 and nylon 6, 6.
Two basic types of runners are used in injection molding, namely cold runner and the hot
runner.
Table 5.1: Cold Vs Hot runner
Cold Runner System
1.

Consists of 2 or 3 plates

Hot Runner System

Consists of 2 plates

5.

Runner is ejected from mold after the No runner is ejected. (Runner-less system)
part is cooled.
(Runners are in separate plate of mold)
Same temperature and viscosity as in the
Different temperature and viscosity of
barrel, so material stays in molten state until
molten polymer in barrel and runner.
it reaches the cavity.
Hot runner tool operates with a system of
NA(Not Applicable)
heater bands located inside the tool and
heaters, called manifold heaters.
NA
Act as an extension of the barrel

6.

Slower cycle time

Potentially faster cycle times

7.

Colour changes can be made quickly

Cant done easily

8.

Plastic waste from runners

Eliminate runners and potential waste

9.

Will not give balanced cavity filling

Gives balanced cavity filling

10.

Simple working in nature

Complex working

2.
3.

4.

11.
12.
13.

Comparatively higher injection pressures

are involved
Comparatively
higher
clamping
pressures are involved
Greater shot size is required because of
runner system

Lower injection pressures involved

Lower clamping pressures involved
Shot size is reduced due to reduction in
weight of runner system

Hot runner uses two systems by which heating of channel is done and these are
[1] Insulated hot runner system
Insulated hot runner system allows the molten polymer to flow into the runner and
then cool to form an insulating skin of solid, cooled material along the walls of the runner.
This insulating layer decreases the diameter of the runner and helps maintain the temperature
of the molten polymer as it awaits injection into the mold cavity. The insulated runner is
designed so that while the runner volume does not exceed the cavity volume. This full
consumption of molten material is necessary to prevent excess buildup of the insulating skin
and to minimize any drop in melt temperature.
[2] Heated hot runner system (or Conventional)
[a] Externally heated hot runner system

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Figure 5.5: Externally heated system

Externally heated hot runner channels have the lowest pressure drop of any runner
system (because there is no heater obstructing flow and all the plastic which is in
molten state).
There are no places for material to hang up and degrade so externally heated systems
are good for thermally sensitive materials.
Thermal Efficiency is less
Good for thermally sensitive materials
[b] Internally heated hot runner system

Figure 5.6: Internally heated system

Internally heated runner systems require higher molding pressures.
There are many places for material to hang up and degrade so thermally sensitive
materials should not be used.
Internally heated nozzles offer better gate tip control than externally heated nozzles.
Thermal efficiency is high
High pressure drop
II) Gate
The gate is the last major passageway for material to flow from the injection molding
machine barrel to the mold cavity. The gate directs the flow of molten material from the
runner channel system into the mold cavity. The location of the gate on the molded part plays
a major role in how the part will perform as well as the quality, properties, and performance
of the part. A number of items needed to be considered when selecting a location of gate on a
part.
i) The gate needs to be located so that gases built up during processing can escape through a

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parting line, ejector pin, porous insert, or vented area without leaving a burn mark or poor
surface finish.
ii) The gate should be located where the material can flow into a wall, core pin, or other part
feature rather than an empty space, to prevent jetting or worming of the polymer into the
part surface.
iii) The location and size of the gate vestige or scar on the part should be in a location where
part functionality is not compromised.
iv) Gating is recommended at the thickest section of the part to allow flow to go from a thick
section to a thin section, which can cause part defects such as voids.
v) The gate is an area of high stress and should be located in a part that is not exposed to high
forces or stresses in its end use.
vi) Gates should be located so that flow does not occur around core pins, depressions and
holes leading to the formation of weld or knit lines.
Type of Gates;{a} Edge gates are used most often in large part designs and also where thin walls are used
in a part. Examples of where these types of gates have been used are in business machine and
electronics enclosures and in automotive glove box doors. One of the advantages of edge
gates is that it provides the widest molding window since, due to its design, low shear rates
are found. This gate is placed along the side or width of a part and the width can range
anywhere 12.7 to 305 mm. The recommended thickness of an edge gate is approximately
0.40 to 0.50 times the nominal wall thickness where the edge gate is located.

Figure 5.7: Edge gate

{b} Fan gate:

Figure 5.8: Fan gate

Fan gates are used in applications such as automotive trim parts and electronics covers and
enclosures, provide reduced pressures and clamp tonnage over other conventional gate
designs and are excellent when flow lengths are short. Fan gates allow for a wide process
window and reduce over packing issues since the pressure is lower than that found in tunnel
gates. The disadvantages of using fan gates include the inability to trim off the gate since a
larger area must be trimmed through leaving a large gate vestige. Increased scrap may also be
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found, due to the difficulty of trimming off fan gates. One solution to reducing the vestige
and alleviating the trim issue is to use a chisel cross section for the fan gate. This allows the
fan gate to break off from the part cleanly and evenly. Figure 5.8 shows a fan gate and a
chisel-type design to reduce gate vestige issues.
Application: Electronics covers and enclosures
{c} Pinpoint gates are used mostly in single or multicavity three-plate tools or where
multiple gates are used in a part. Pinpoint gates are also used with a thin nominal wall
thickness but for a part with a large surface area. One big advantage of pin point gates is their
ease of degating from a part without the use of special degating tools or fixtures to remove
the gate. However, pinpoint gates have the potential to create high shear on the molten
material. It is suggested that the recommendations given by a material supplier for a given
material to be molded using a pinpoint gate be followed.

Figure 5.9: Pinpoint gate

Applications: Electrical switches and consumer applications such as childrens toys.
{d} Tunnel gates convey material below a parting line of the mold and tunnel into the
cavity. This type of gate is used on smaller parts and thin walled parts due to its small size. A
big advantage in using tunnel gates is its ease in separating the part from the runner and gate
system upon the part ejecting from the mold cavity. Similar to pinpoint gates, its big
disadvantage is that due to the high shear rates, which can cause the material to degrade, the
injection molding window is narrowed. Once again, It is suggested the material suppliers
recommendations as to the optimum gate design to use for a selected material.

Figure 5.10: Tunnel gate

Application: Electronic connectors and small parts for medical applications
{e} Diaphragm or disk gate: Material flows from the cylindrical core to its perimeter. These
gates are used mostly for single-cavity tools in fabricating single-shaped parts such as
cylindrical parts that have small or medium sized internal diameters. One advantage of
diaphragm gate is the reduction in core pin shift when molding tube-shaped parts.

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Figure 5.11: Diaphragm or disk gate

Applications: toner bottles for business machines and industrial applications such as
hydraulic fluid reservoirs.
3.4 MELT-FORMING PHASE
When the molten polymer travels through the channels that guide its flow path such as
the sprue, runner, and gate, it arrives at its destination i.e. mold cavity. In this location, the
shape, size, and design of the cavity take the configuration of the final part to be molded. The
molten material flows into this cavity & takes the shape of this chamber and it is cooled from
a molten material to a solid mass of polymer (As simple as this sounds, there are many
aspects to forming the molten material into its final solid mass that need to be considered to
fabricate a part for its final end use)
JJ) The Clamp
Function of a clamp is to close the mold, hold it closed under pressure during
injection of the molten material and during cooling of the material until formation of a solid
part and to open the mold so that the part can be ejected & removed from the mold. In
injection molding, four different types of clamping are used: hydraulic, mechanical,
hydromechanical, and electrical.
(i) Mechanical clamp
The concept of a mechanical clamping system utilizes a mechanical linkage called as
a toggle. It develops a clamping force needed to hold the mold closed during the injecting and
cooling portion of the injection molding cycle.

Figure 5.12: Mechanical toggle clamp

A mechanical clamp consists of 3 platens, 4 tie bars and a toggle system which is
activated by a hydraulic cylinder. Two types of mechanical toggles are used; single toggle
lever and the double toggle lever. The single toggle lever is used for machines which are built
for lower clamping forces (25 to 50 tons) but can be used with machines built up to 200 tons
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of force. The double toggle lever is used for clamping forces as high as 1000 tons. In the
single toggle lever system, a small hydraulic cylinder is used with the single toggle lever for
closing the clamp. The cylinder travels at a constant speed with a slowdown built in as the
two mold halves close. This system allows for only short opening strokes. For the doubletoggle lever system, a center hydraulic driving system is used, and larger opening strokes are
realized, depending on the length of the driving system.
In a mechanical toggle system, the hydraulic cylinder causes the toggle to stretch or
collapse the toggle mechanism (similar to human elbow extends or contracts the human arm).
The mold is fully closed once the toggle has stretched and is locked in place. At the
beginning of the movement, mechanical advantage is low and speed is high but near the end
of the stroke, the reverse is true. To assure that the toggle is not overstretched or not stretched
enough, after the mold is installed between the platens, the clamp is moved forward until the
mold actually snaps the mold halves to a closed position. This is adjusted at the rear of the
machine using the die height adjustment. If the toggle is overstretched, the mold may open
slightly, causing material to flash excessively between the mold halves. To prevent
overstretching, machines with toggle systems are equipped with a limit switch that will
switch off the hydraulic valves operating the linkages.
(ii) Hydromechanical clamp
It operates by mechanical means for closing and opening of a mold under high speeds.
It consists of two small fast-travel cylinders and one large central clamp cylinder.

Figure 5.13: Hydromechanical toggle clamp

Firstly, the mold closes using the two small, fast cylinders until it fully extends. At
this full extension point, a switch indicates the correct pressure of the pressure column and
then moves the locking pad into position behind the large central clamp cylinder. The clamp
system moves forward and locks the mold platens in place and holds the mold tool in place
through the injection and cooling cycle. Upon opening of the mold, the clamp cylinder
pressure is reduced, the travel cylinders move forward, and the locking pad moves out of
position. At this point the small fast travel cylinders open the mold. a locking pad is used
behind the large central cylinder, built for clamp tonnages similar to those of a hydraulic
clamping system. The purpose of using a locking pad is to reduce the size of the large
cylinder.
(iii) Electric clamping system
The electric clamping system operates similar to the mechanical clamping system but
in this case, no main hydraulic cylinder is used to move the toggle. An electrically driven
motor is used to move the toggle forward and backward into position using a ball screw
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mechanism. The electric clamping system provides an energy-efficient mechanism to

accomplish all machine functions and it is totally mechanical.
3.4.1 Cooling System
After injection of molten material (polymer) into the mold cavity, next objective in
the injection molding process is to turn the molten polymer into a solid mass. This is done by
decreasing the temperature of molten material by cooling the injection mold. There are three
methods of heat transfer: conduction, radiation, and convection. Conduction is the most
important in the injection molding process.
The mold material is responsible for the conduction process. The mold material
moves the heat from the molten polymer material to the mold and the cooling lines. Heat is
taken away from the molten material by the mold, and this heat is taken away by the water or
cooling medium flowing through the cooling lines. Once the process of heat flow is
completed and the equilibrium of the temperature is achieved, the heat flow works backward
to hold the temperature of the part at the desired temperature. The temperature of the cooling
medium can affect the kinematic viscosity of the cooling medium.
3.4.2 Cooling line positioning
Location of the cooling lines is critical to achieving efficient cooling of the part and
improving part productivity. One point to keep in mind is that the cooling channel diameter
should be large enough to have reasonably low pressure drop but not so large that excessive
flow rate is needed to obtain maximum cooling efficiency via turbulent flow.

Figure 5.14: Cooling efficiency

Figure 5.15: Guidelines for layout of cooling channels

The guidelines to follow for determining a proper cooling line layout are
Keep the cooling lines at a uniform distance from the part walls. Otherwise cooling
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will not be consistent across the part.

Avoid more than 10 bends in any cooling line circuit, to minimize the pressure drop
Distribute cooling in such a way to match the amount of heat in various sections of a
part. For example, a non-uniform thick area needs more intensive cooling than a thin
area.
Avoid a metal to metal interface between cooling channels and the mold surface.
Install channels directly in cores and cavities, not into the back plates alone.
Limit hoses for cooling lines and fitting restrictions. The inside diameter should be at
least the size of the cooling channel inside diameters.
To avoid losing heat to ambient temperature surroundings, insulation should be used
on all pipes and lines.
Many times it is difficult to accommodate cooling channels in the smaller cores with
difficult geometry. In such cases, the core should be made of Beryllium copper
which has high thermal conductivity. These core inserts should be located near the
cooling channel.
4. The basic injection cycle is as follows:
1) Mold close injection carriage forward 2) Injection of plastic 3) Metering in mold
cavity 4) Carriage retract 5) Opening of mold 6) Ejection of part.
Some machines are run by electric motors instead of hydraulics or a combination of
both. The water-cooling channels that assist in cooling the mold and the heated plastic
solidifies into the part. Improper cooling can result in distorted molding. The cycle is
completed when the mold opens and the part is ejected with the assistance of ejector pins
within the mold.

Figure 5.7: Injection cycle

The resin (or raw material) for injection molding, is most commonly supplied in pellet
or granule form. Resin pellets are poured into the feed hopper, a large open bottomed
container, which is attached to the back end of a cylindrical, horizontal barrel.
A screw within this barrel is rotated by a motor, feeding pellets up the screw's
grooves. Channels of the screw do not have a constant depth. The screw at the hopper end of
the barrel will be deep, and moving forward toward the mold end of the screw, the depth of
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the channel becomes shallow.

As all this is taking place, the inside opening of the barrel stays at a constant diameter.
So, in terms of conveying, material is fed at the deep channels and conveyed into shallower
channels, which causes the material to compress and pack together. This compression process
increases the friction of the material against the inside wall of the barrel, providing frictional
heat. In addition to this, heaters are spaced on the outside diameter of the entire length of the
barrel, providing additional heat. Therefore the frictional heat of the material in the screw
plus the heat applied on the outside of the barrel together provide enough heat to convert
material in pellet form at the hopper end of the screw and barrel to material in a melt form
midway down the length of the barrel to the end of the barrel and screw.
The channels through which the plastic flows toward the chamber will also solidify,
forming an attached frame. This frame is composed of the sprue, which is the main channel
from the reservoir of molten resin, parallel with the direction of draw, and runners, which are
perpendicular to the direction of draw, and are used to convey molten resin to the gate(s), or
point(s) of injection. The sprue and runner system can be cut or twisted off and recycled,
sometimes being granulated next to the mold machine. Some molds are designed so that the
part is automatically stripped through action of the mold.
5. Feeding system
The main elements of feeding system are
i) Sprue
ii) Runner
and
iii) Gate
Earlier we have discussed in brief so we are moving to next point.
6. Cooling System
6.1 Introduction
Injection moulding process is a cyclic in characteristic. Cooling time is about 50 to
75% of the total cycle time. Therefore, optimizing cooling time for best performance is very
important from quality and productivity point of view. Cooling time is proportional to square
of wall thickness. Therefore part design should ensure more or less uniform wall thickness
throughout the part. Part design should also ensure that the melt flow is uniform in all
direction from the gate and melt should reach the boundary of the part more or less at the
same time
6.2 A mold cooling system typically consists of the following items
- Temperature controlling unit
- Pump
- Supply manifold
- Hoses
- Cooling channels in the mold
- Collection manifold
The mold itself can be considered as a heat exchanger with heat from the hot polymer melt
taken away by the circulating coolant.

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Figure 5.8: A typical cooling system for an injection molding machine

6.3 Types of cooling channels
6.3.1 Parallel cooling channels
Parallel cooling channels are drilled straight through from a supply manifold to a
collection manifold. Due to the flow characteristics of the parallel design, the flow rate along
various cooling channels may be different, depending on the flow resistance of each
individual cooling channel. These varying flow rates in turn cause the heat transfer efficiency
of the cooling channels to vary from one to another. As a result, cooling of the mold may not
be uniform with a parallel cooling-channel configuration.
Typically, the cavity and core sides of the mold each have their own system of
parallel cooling channels. The number of cooling channels per system varies with the size
and complexity of the mold.
6.3.2 Serial cooling channels
Cooling channels connected in a single loop from the coolant inlet to its outlet are
called serial cooling channels. This type of cooling-channel configuration is the most
commonly recommended and used. By design, if the cooling channels are uniform in size, the
coolant can maintain its (preferably) turbulent flow rate through its entire length. Turbulent
flow enables heat to be transferred more effectively. Heat transfer of coolant flow discusses
this more thoroughly. However, you should take care to minimize the temperature rise of the
coolant, since the coolant will collect all the heat along the entire cooling-channel path. In
general, the temperature difference of the coolant at the inlet and the exit should be within
5C for general-purpose molds and 3C for precision molds. For large molds, more than one
serial cooling channel may be required to assure Cooling-channel Configuration uniform
coolant temperature and thus uniform mold cooling.

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Baffles and bubblers are sections of cooling lines that divert the coolant flow into areas that
would normally lack cooling. Cooling channels are typically drilled through the mold cavity
and core. The mold, however, may consist of areas too far away to accommodate regular
cooling channels. Alternate methods for cooling these areas uniformly with the rest of the
part involve the use of Baffles, Bubblers, or Thermal pins, as shown below.

Figure 5.9: Baffle, bubbler, and thermal pin

6.3.3 Baffle
A baffle is actually a cooling channel drilled perpendicular to a main cooling line,
with a blade that separates one cooling passage into two semi-circular channels. The coolant
flows in one side of the blade from the main cooling line, turns around the tip to the other
side of the baffle, then flows back to the main cooling line.
This method provides maximum cross sections for the coolant, but it is difficult to
mount the divider exactly in the center. The cooling effect and with it the temperature
distribution on one side of the core may differ from that on the other side. This disadvantage
of an otherwise economical solution, as far as manufacturing is concerned, can be eliminated
if the metal sheet forming the baffle is twisted. For example, the helix baffle, as shown in
Figure 5.10 below, conveys the coolant to the tip and back in the form of a helix. It is useful
for diameters of 12 to 50 mm, and makes for a very homogeneous temperature distribution.
Another logical development of baffles is single or double-flight spiral cores, as shown in
Figure 5.10 below.

Figure 5.10: (Left) Helix baffle & (Right) Spiral baffle.

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6.3.4 Bubblers
A bubbler is similar to a baffle except that the blade is replaced with a small tube. The
coolant flows into the bottom of the tube and bubbles out of the top (like fountain). The
coolant then flows down around the outside of the tube to continue its flow through the
cooling channels.
The most effective cooling of slender cores is achieved with bubblers. The diameter of both
must be adjusted in such a way that the flow resistance in both cross sections is equal. The
condition for this is
Bubblers are commercially available and are usually screwed into the core, as shown in
Figure 5.11 below. Up to a diameter of 4 mm, the tubing should be beveled at the end to
enlarge the cross section of the outlet; this technique is illustrated in Figure 5.11. Bubblers
can be used not only for core cooling, but also used for cooling flat mold sections, which
cant be equipped with drilled or milled channels.

Figure 5.11: (Left) Bubblers screwed into core & (Right) Bubbler beveled to enlarge outlet
6.3.5 Thermal pins
A thermal pin is an alternative to baffles and bubblers. It is a sealed cylinder filled with a
fluid. The fluid vaporizes as it draws heat from the tool steel and condenses as it releases the
heat to the coolant, as shown in Figure 5.12. The heat transfer efficiency of a thermal pin is
almost ten times as great as a copper tube. For good heat conduction, avoid an air gap
between the thermal pin and the mold or fill it with a highly conductive sealant.

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Figure 5.12: Thermal pin heat transfer efficiency

7. Ejection system
The basic function of the ejection system of a mold is to eject the part as fast as
possible without distorting it. The amount of ejector area needed is depends upon part
geometry, mold finish, material release characteristics & part temperature at the time of
ejection. To prevent damage during ejection, thin walled parts generally require larger
ejectors and greater ejector area than comparable parts with thicker walls.

Figure 5.13: Ejection housing

At the most basic level, mould consists of two main parts: the cavity and core. The core
forms the main internal surfaces of the part. The cavity forms the major external surfaces.
Typically, the core and cavity separate out as the mould opens, so that the part can be
removed. This mould separation occurs along the interface known as the parting line. The
parting line can lie in one plane corresponding to a major geometric feature such as the part
top, bottom or centerline, or it can be stepped or angled to accommodate irregular part
features. Choose the partingline location to minimize undercuts that would hinder or prevent
easy part removal. Undercuts that cannot be avoided via reasonable adjustments in the parting
line require mechanisms (Slide Mechanisms) in the mould to disengage the undercut prior to
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ejection.
Typically, molds have ejector systems built into the moving half (see figure 5.14). Ejector
travel must be sufficient to clear the moulding from fixed members in the mould. Undercuts
or pickup ribs may be machined into mould members to ensure that the molded part
remains on the ejection side of the mould. Parts may be removed from a mould using the
common type of ejector or knockout system. Ejectors actuated by an ejector bar must contain
push backs or safety return pins to reposition the ejector pins prior to the start of the injection
or mould filling cycle.

Figure 5.14: Two plate mold showing sectional view(right hand side)
7.1 Various Types of Ejection system used in Injection molds are
1. Pin ejection
Cylindrical pins are used for ejection purpose, in case of square and rectangular components
minimum four pins at the four corners are required and in case of cylindrical component
minimum three pins at 120 apart is required based on the component profile, size and area of
ejection the number of pins to be increased. Visible ejection marks will remain on
component.
2. Sleeve ejection
This type of ejection is preferred for only cylindrical cores and core has to be fixed in bottom
plate. This ejection is limited to cylindrical core due to manufacturing constraints, when
ejection assembly is moved the sleeve will slide over the core and eject the component. No

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05. Plastic Injection Mold Design

visible ejection marks will be there on component.

Figure 5.13: Sleeve ejection

3. Stripper plate ejection

Figure 5.14: Stripper plate ejection

A stripper plate is used when ejector pins or pressurized air will not be enough to eject
a part off a core. Examples of parts using a stripper for ejection are caps, containers and lids.
Stripper plates are very common in thin wall injection molding because by their nature these
parts are weak so the ejection method requires full contact with the outer edge of the part to
remove it off the core. This ejection is preferred for component with larger area, an additional
plate (stripper) will be provided in between core plate and cavity plate. In order to avoid flash
the stripper plate will be in contact with cavity plate and gap is maintained between cavity
and core plate. No visible ejection marks will be there on component. A stripper plate will
eject parts quickly 100% of the time. Stripper plates can be used for both single cavity and
multi-cavity injection molds.
Making a mould with a stripper plate is a lot more difficult than making a mould with
ejector pins. If it is not designed and made right there will be constant part quality issues
such as flashing. Cycle time will also suffer. Molds with stripper plates require more mould
maintenance than molds without. There is always a waxy residue which builds up over time
behind a stripper plate and this must be cleaned on a regular basis usually every 48 hours of
production. If cleaning is not done part quality issues will result sooner rather than later.

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05. Plastic Injection Mold Design

4. Blade ejection
This type of ejection is preferred for thin rectangular cross sections, rectangular blades will
inserted in cylindrical pins or cylindrical pins will be machined to rectangular cross section
till ejection length for easy accommodation of ejection pin head in counter bore provided in
ejection plates
5. By rotation of core (internal threaded components)
This method of ejection is required for threaded components were component is
automatically ejected by rotating the core insert.
6. Air ejection
This method is used to actuate the ejection pin fitted in core using compressed air; retraction
of ejection pin in core is done by spring.

Figure 5.15: Air ejection

8. 2-plate & 3-plate molds
8.1 2-Plate mold
This consists of two halves fastened to the two platens of the molding machine's
clamping unit. When the clamping unit is opened, the mold halves separate out. Molds can
contain multiple cavities to produce one or multiple parts in a single shot. The parting
surface is the surface shared by the two mold halves.

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05. Plastic Injection Mold Design

Figure 5.16: Two plate mold

8.2 3 Plate mold
This design (see figure 5.17) has some advantages. The molten plastic flows through a gate
located at the base of the cup-shaped part, rather than at the side. This allows more even
distribution of melt into the sides of the cup. In the side gate design in the two-plate the
plastic must flow around the core and join on the opposite side, possibly creating a weakness
at the weld line. Secondly, the three-plate mold allows more automatic operation of the
molding machine. As the mold opens, the three plates separate; this forces the runner to break
from the parts, which drop by gravity or using air-blower into collecting containers put under
the mold
Step 1: Mold opens at Secondary (or Runner) parting line.
Step 2: Runner drops off.
Step 3: Mold opens at primary parting line.
Step 4: Ejectors eject the part.
Step 5: Mold closes for next shot and injection & cooling takes place.
Step 6: Cycle repeats

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05. Plastic Injection Mold Design

Figure 5.17: Three plate mold

9. Undercuts
In manufacturing, an undercut is a special type of recessed surface. In turning it
refers to a recess in a diameter. In machining it refers to a recess in a corner. In molding it
refers to a feature that cannot be molded using only a single pull mold. In printed circuit
board construction it refers to the portion of the copper that is etched away under the
photoresist. In welding it refers to undesired melting and removal of metal near the weld
bead.
Undercut is any indentation or protrusion in a shape that will prevent its withdrawal from a
one-piece mold.
Undercuts on molded parts are features that prevent the part from being directly ejected from
an injection molding machine. They are categorized into internal and external undercuts,
where external undercuts are on the exterior of the part and interior undercuts are on the
inside of the part. Undercuts can still be molded, but require a side action or side pull. This is
an extra part of the mold that moves separately from the two halves. These can increase the
cost of the molded part due to an added 15 to 30% cost of the mold itself and added
complexity of the molding machine.
If the size of the undercut is small enough and the material is flexible enough a side action is
not always required. In these cases the undercut is stripped or snapped out of the mold. When
this is done usually a stripping plate or ring is used instead of stripper pins so that the part is
not damaged. This technique can be used on internal and external undercuts.
The biggest problem of using undercuts is in removing the part from the mold. Sometimes the
part can bend enough to eject the part from the mold without damaging the part or the mold,
depending on the depth and shape of the undercut together with the plastic materials
flexibility, or flexural modulus. Undercuts can be ejected from a mold only if they are located
away from stiffening members such as corners or ribs. The part must also have enough room
to flex and deform.
For some filled or reinforced plastic materials, such as nylon 6 and nylon 6,6, collapsible
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cores or split-cavity undercuts are used and are recommended to reduce high stresses in the
part. Mold temperature can affect the amount of undercut allowed.
Undercut designs are often used to create threaded parts such as screw-on bottle caps, Snapon products such as lipstick containers, and a variety of consumer, medical, automotive, and
other products. Threaded caps illustrate well the complexities associated with undercuts.
After the cap is formed, the threads of the part and the threads of the core are intermeshed
and must be disengaged before the core can be pulled out and the cap removed from the
mold. Molders have developed a variety of methods for molding undercut or threaded parts,
some as simple as unscrewing the part by hand or machining the undercuts in a separate
operation that range widely in cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
9.1 Unscrewing mold mechanisms
Two of the most common methods for dealing with threaded parts are by jumping
threads or installing unscrewing mechanisms. Occasionally, if the material is flexible enough,
a molder can simply pull out the core or strip the part, jumping the threads over each other. If
this isnt an option, unscrewing mechanisms built into the mold can unscrew the part from the
core as a secondary action.
Unscrewing molds are among the most complex of all injection molds, requiring
considerable technical savvy to build and maintain. They are usually built for many years of
production and are considered a long-term investment for producing high-volume parts.
Unscrewing technology has evolved considerably, but it still has a significant number of
limitations. It demands frequent maintenance for issues such as broken rollers, damaged
racks, and water and oil leaks. Part quality issues such as scuffing, ovality, flash, and grease
contamination can arise as well.
9.2 Collapsible cores
One technology that has expanded the capabilities of undercut molding more than any
other is the collapsible core. Rather than jumping the threads or mechanically unscrewing the
parts, flexing steel collapsible cores function by collapsing radially inward during the normal
mold sequence. They eliminate secondary operations and complex coring approaches while
providing dramatic cycle-time reductionsoften as much as 30% faster than with
unscrewing mechanisms.
The segments of a collapsible core are attached to the ejector plate, while its tapered inner
center pin is attached to the back of the mold. When the mold opens, the threaded outer core
collapses as the ejector plate moves forward. Incorporating only three moving parts, which
utilize conventional mold movements, a collapsible core enables part designs that previously
would have been considered impossible to mold.
Collapsible cores are compatible with other mold components, such as two -stage ejectors
and internal latch locks. These products enable positive control of both the stroke sequence
and distance in two-stage ejection and of mold-plate latching operation.

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