Injection Molded parts

Defects & Remedies

Part II

8.DULL SPOTS IN GATE AREA

Dull spots in the gate area are primarily caused by

1. Small gates
2. High injection rate.

High injection rates and small

gate cross sections and bye
passes create strong
orientations of the molecules
during injections. Since there
is not enough time for the
relaxation directly behind the
gate the peripheral layers are
frozen while they are still
strongly oriented. Such
peripheral layers can be
Melt flows into the open cracks in the peripheral area. stressed with a very minimal
degree and crack under the
slightest impact of high shear
stress. The hot melt inside
Reduce injection rate.
flows towards the wall and
Increase gate diameter.
forms extremely fine notches.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.

Round of transition from gate to cavity.

Dullness is due to widly
Move the position of gate to unimportant area.
spread reflections in this area

9.Incompletely filled part (Short shots)

Failure to fill the mould or cavities of the mould completely is termed as a sho

Causal Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Injected compound volume is too small (shot volume)

Poor venting.
Injection pressure or rate is insufficient.
Wrong temperature control
Thin cross sections. Where in which the melt freezes pre
maturely due to unfavorable flow conditions.
improper balance of plastic flow in multiple cavity moulds.
Insufficient gate opening

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.

Increase injection pressure,speed.

Increase melt and mold temperature.
Increase nozzle temperature. Ensure that the
manifold and nozzles have reached the set
temperature.

4.
5.

Increase shot size and confirm cushion.

Make sure mold is vented correctly and vents are
clear.
Confirm that the non-return valve used is not
leaking excessively.

6.

7.Change part design. Thin areas of the mold may not

fill completely, especially if there is a thick to thin
transition, or there is a long rib that cannot be
vented very well. If the part design allows it,
change in these areas can improve the situation.

10.DIESEL EFFECT

Diesel effect due to entrapped air at the end of flow path & poor
ventilation near rib

Burn Marks or Dieseling show up on the finish molded

parts as charred or dark plastic caused by trapped gas
and is usually accompanied by a distinctive burnt smell.

This is purely a venting problem, the trapped gas is compressed and gets he
a high degree causing the burn on the plastic. It can occur at blind holes,
fillets,narrow ribs,near places where several flow fronts meet, end of flow pa

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Alter gate position and/or increase gate size.

Decrease injection pressure.
Decrease injection speed.
Decrease melt and/or mold temperature.
Improve mold cavity venting. Vents may become smaller over time
due to wear and they will need to be brought back to their original
depth.

11.FLASHES

Flashes are often seen near sealing faces, out of vent grooves,
or down ejector pins. It appears as thin or sometimes
thick sections of plastic where it would not be on a normal part.

Causal Factors

1. Permissible gap widths exceeded,due to insufficient

mold tightness, exceeding production
tolerances,damged sealing faces.
2. Clamping force too high or too low.
3. Internal mould pressure too high.
4. Insufficient viscosity of melt.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.

Increase clamp pressure.

Check mold venting. Vents may have been
ground too deep for the material being used.
Check sealing surfaces to ensure that they seal
off properly by "blueing" them in under clamp
tonnage.
Check ejector pin bore diameter to pin diameter
tolerances. The tolerances may be too large
allowing plastic to flash down the opening. The
tolerances may be too large for the material
being used and can occur due to wear over time.

12.STRESS WHITENING

Cracking or Crazing is caused by high internal molded in stress or by an

external force imposed upon the part. They can also be caused by an
incompatible external chemical being applied to the finished parts The
cracks often don't appear until days or weeks after the parts have been
molded.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Decrease injection pressure.

Dry material.
Increase cylinder temperature.
Increase mold temperature.
Increase nozzle temperature.
Modify injection speed.
If the material is partially crystalline then it may
help to reduce the mold and/or melt temperature.
If the material is amorphous then it may help to
increase the mold and/or melt temperature.

13.EJECTOR MARKS

Ejector marks are the depressions or the elevations causing

abrupt changes in the wall thickness these may also cause
punctures of the surface of part.

Wrong dimensioning or the design of mold.

High temperature differences within the mould or
between mold wall and ejector.
Premature demoulding or high demoulding forces.
Wrong fittings or ejector lengths.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Check counter bores and contact surfaces of the ejector heads.

Refit ejector
Change ejector size accordingly.
Increase cooling time
Change ejector system.
Check draft on core.
Reduce demoulding force if it is high, reduce holding pressure.

14.DEFORMATION DURING
DEMOULDING

A residual pressure builds up inside the moulded part which is

suddenly released during demoulding.It may be impossible to
demould the part.

Possible Solutions

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Reduce holding pressure

Reduce holding pressure time.
Increase cooling time.
Check ejector dimensions.
Use antifriction layer to reduce demoulding
forces.
Adopt direction of polishing to direction of
demolding.
Use mould release agent.

15.EJECTION GROOVES

Ejection grooves are produced during demoulding and

constitute damage to the surface of the molded
part.They mainly occur on the structured surfaces.

These may appear due to

Less draft.
More surface roughness.
Mold deformation due to excessive cavity pressure.
Mold is not stiff.

Possible Solutions
Increase cooling time
Increase wall thickness.
Increase drafts.
Use lower surface roughness.
Increase mould stiffness.

16.FLAKING OF SURFACE LAYER

Delamination occurs when single

surface layers start
flaking off the molded part due to
insufficient bondage between adjacent
layers.

Possible Solutions

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Check for material contamination. Incompatible

resins or colorants may have been accidentally
mixed causing this condition to be seen.
Dry material.
Increase melt temperature.
Increase mold temperature.
Insufficient Blending. Check melt homogeneity
and plasticizing performance

17.COLD SLUG

Cold slugs are formed when melt

solidifies in the gate or in the
nozzle before the cavity is filled.

The causes may be

Tip of the nozzle too cold
Nozzle too long or unsuitable heater band

Possible Solutions

Check nozzle design

Check nozzle temperature regulation
system
Increase nozzle temperature
Move injection unit backwards

18.FILAMENTATION

Due to insufficient cooling of the gate or sprue area, the part

does not break cleanly from the gate area. The shape may range
from a short pointed cone to a filament of several centimeters.
The premature retracting can crack the layer which is still in fluid
state in to a form of filament.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.

Provide sufficient cooling time during the cycle.

Excessive heat in the gate area. Check
thermocouple in the nozzle or decrease the
temperature of the hot runner manifold and
nozzle.
Increase cooling at the gate area. Ensure that you
have controllable turbulent flow in the gate area.
Reduce melt temperature.
Increase holding pressure time

19.DARK SPOTS

Dark spots are similar to burn marks or brown streaks but

generally not as dark or severe. It may cause the part to be a
darker shade than the virgin pellets and is often found nearest
the gate area, however it can also appear as dark streaks
throughout the part.

Causes
Tool Wear, thermal damage, dirt

Possible Solutions
Check hopper and feed zone for
contamination.
1. Decrease back pressure.
2. Decrease melt temperature.
3. Decrease nozzle temperature.
4. Move mold to smaller shot-size press.
5. Provide additional vents in mold.
6. Purge heating cylinder.
7. Shorten overall cycle.

20.PLATE OUT

Plate out is a surface defect on the mold surface e.g

on inserts which eventually causes production of
defective parts
It usually occurs in materials such as
POM,PP,PETABS,PC,PSU,PE . Materials with additives such as
flame retardants, lubricants and colorants are also subject to
plate out

Causes

Wrong or excessive use of lubricants

In compatibility of colorant ,lubricant and base material.
Drying times too long.
High material stress, such as excessive melt temperatures, shear stress, she

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Use suitable lubricant

Check metering of lubricant.
Use antifriction layers for moving mould elements.
Check compatibility of base material with
additives/colorants/lubricant.
Check mixing ratio.
Reduce temperature
Ensure sufficient venting.
Eliminate moisture

21.DEFECTS ON ELECTROPLATED
PARTS

Defects on electroplated parts (pimples,blisters,insufficiant layer

adherence)
Almost all defects on injection molded parts are also visible on
electroplated parts.These defects look more prominent than on
part without plating.

Possible Solutions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Reduce injection rate

Increase mould wall temperature when using amorphous material
Increase melt temperature.
Avoid wall thickness variations.
Avoid deformation during transportations
Avoid internal stresses.
Do not use releasing agent.

22.BROKEN/ RAGGED FILM HINGE

Film hinges are moving and permanent joints. Their function is

based on the elastic properties of the material.
The failure of film hinges is mainly caused by overly stressed
plastic. The film hinge may break partially or completely. Over
stressing can also result in whitening.

Possible Solutions

If the film not filled

1. Increase melt temperature.
2. Increase injection rate.
3. Increase mold wall temperature.
4. Increase wall thickness of film hinge.
5. Use easier flow material
6. Move position of gating away from
hinge.
If too much force required to operate
hinge.
1. Reduce mold wall thickness
2. Use material of low modulus of
elasticity.
3. Check hinge design
If breaks immediately or after few
uses.
1. Remove weld line from film hinge
area.
2. Reduce mold wall temperature.
3. Use material of higher viscosity

23.WARPAGE

Warpage is the deviation of the mould part from its required shape.
Warping, Part Distortion is shown up as parts being bowed, warped,
bent or twisted beyond the normal specification outlined on the
drawing

Causal Factors
Article ejected too hot.
Variation in section thickness or contours of the
screw.
Excessive area discharged or packed into the
area around the gate.
Non-uniform mould temperature due to improper
positioning if the cooling channels in the mould.
Excessive feed.
Injection pressure too high.
Insufficient cooling time.
Poorly designed or operated cooling system.
Unbalanced gates on articles with more than one
gate.
Holding time is more.

Possible Solutions
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Adjust melt Temperature (increase to relieve moldedin stress, decrease to avoid over packing). stress,
decrease to avoid over packing). stress, decrease to
avoid over packing).
Check gates for proper location and adequate size.
Check mold knockout mechanism for proper design
and operation.
Equalize/balance mold temperature of both halves.
Increase injection-hold.
Increase mold cooling time.
Relocate gates on or as near as possible to thick
sections.
Try increasing or decreasing injection pressure.

THANKS