Troubleshooting Appearance

Defects in Automotive Plastic

Injection Molding

Identifying, Analyzing, and

Correcting A-Surface Issues
Kurt Beyerchen
Nissan Technical
Center North
What is Quality?
Phillip Crosby’s Definition
 Quality means conformance to
requirements, not goodness.
 Quality is achieved by prevention, not
appraisal.
 Quality has a performance standard of
Zero Defects, not acceptable quality
levels.
 Quality is measured by the Price of
Nonconformance, not indexes.
What is a Defect?
 Ifquality is a conformance to
requirements, a defect is a deviation
from those requirements
 Requirements are created based on
customer expectations
 Therefore, a defect is a deviation from
customer expectations
A source of dissatisfaction
 A limiter of use
Customer Expectations
 High quality materials

 Planned execution

 Seamless integration
Customer Expectations
High quality materials
 Appropriate gloss
 Consistent surface finish, visual and tactile
 Good touch characteristics
 Character of texture
 Consistent color

A sense of value; getting more than is paid

for
Customer Expectations
Planned Execution
 Parts have an intended appearance; no
parts look like they’re from the reject bin
 The right material for the job
 No stress whitening or signals of
impending failure
 No warpage
Customer Expectations
Seamless Integration
 Solid surface – no appearance of cracks or splits
 Thought given to compatibility and harmony
 Uniform appearance of surface, no visible parting
lines or non-intended changes
Customer Expectation
Analysis
 Design Trends – Other Consumer
Goods, Competitor Products
 TGR / Wants
 TGW / Warranty
 Sales trends
 Ifthe cost of quality is defined as the price
of nonconformance, lost sales and/or
market share can be considered to be part
of that price
Communicating Customer
Expectations
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Material Selection
 Customer Specs
 Appearance Requirements
 Impact Resistance
 Chemical and UV Resistance
 Weight
 Cost
 Raw Material Per Pound
 Finished Part After Forming
 Incumbency
 Existing Equipment
 Familiarity
Material Selection
 Surface Appearance
 InherentGloss
 Match to Master / Surrounding Parts
 Color
 Gloss

 Grain

 Surface Aspect
 Sink / Read Through
 Paintability
Material Properties
 Inherent gloss  UV / Sunload Resistance
 Chemical Resistance  Chemical Resistance
 Dimensional Stability  Gas Resistance
 Impact Resistance  Paintability
 Flame Resistance / Flammability  Laser Markability
 Useful Temperature Range  Crystallinity
 Hardness  Cost / Price
 Abrasion Resistance  Availability
 Creep Resistance
 Recyclability
 Tensile Strength
 Fatigue Endurance
 Regrind
 Electrical Conduction / Resistance
 Post-Processing Machinability
 Compression Set  Melt Flow
 Resilience  Process Compatibility
 Dielectric Strength  Shrinkage
 Adhesive Compatibility  Viscosity
 Colorant Technology Compatibility  Melt Point / Processing Temperature
 Weight / Specific Gravity  Fillers
 Transparency  Lubricative Properties
 Weldability  Hygroscopic
 Antistatic  Reinforcement
 Fume Release (ex. Formaldehyde)
Material Properties Related to
Moldability
 Melt Flow Viscosity
 Melt Point / Processing Temperature
 Fillers
 Multiple-Shot Application Compatibility
 Regrind
 Colorant / Colorant Carrier
 Lubricative
 Hygroscopicity
 Crystallinity
 Use of fillers / reinforcements
Problem Solving Analysis
 Machine
 Barrel / nozzle temp, injection speed / pressure, shot size,
contamination, nozzle size, pack pressure, cushion
 Mold
 Cavity / core temp, venting, runners & gates, polishing, mold
cleanliness, surface finish, part thickness / geometry
 Material
 Moisture, contamination, regrind, processing temperature,
colorant
 Operator
 Cycle time, post-ejection handling, process consistency
Barrel Temperature Effects
 High barrel temps can cause degradation of
resin and colorant, causing the part to appear
discolored or have black streaks
 Low barrel temps may increase shearing due
to poor mixing, knitlines, jetting, flow lines

Injection Speed Effects

 High injection speeds can cause shearing,
burning, blush
 Low injection speeds can cause short shots,
knitlines
Identification And Correction
Of Defects

Some Common Injection Molding

Problems
 Gate Blush

What it is: Discolored area of the part, radiating

from the gate, resulting from shearing of
material at the gate. May also be indicated by
streaking.
Gate Blush Causes

 Machine
 Injection fill speed too fast

 Melt temperature too high

or too low
 Injection pressure too low

 Nozzle diameter too small

 Nozzle temp too low

 Burn Mark

What it is: Discoloration of material, usually

yellow/brown, brown or black depending on
severity. Usually located at edge of part, away
from the gate. Frequently also seen as short
shot in this area.
 Burn Mark Causes
 Machine
 Injection speed or pressure too high
 Screw speed too high
 Improper compression ratio of screw
 Excessive back pressure
 Nozzle too hot or nozzle diameter too
small
 Faulty temperature controller
 Barrel temperature too high
 Mold
 Insufficient venting size and
/ or location
 Vents plugged or shutoff
 Improper gating size and /
or location
 Material
 Excessive regrind use
 Excessive lubricant
 Operator
 Inconsistent cycles
 Discoloration

What it is: Deviation from the intended color.

May be local or throughout entire part
Discoloration Causes
 Machine
 Excessive residence time
 Barrel temp too high
 Nozzle temp too high
 Excessive cycle time
 Excessive shot size ratio
 Mold
 Improper mold temp
 Inefficient cooling
 Inadequate venting
 Grease, contaminated mold
components
 Material
 Contaminated material
 Incorrect regrind ratio
 Incorrect color blending
 Operator
 Inconsistent cycles
 Contamination

What it is: Foreign substances mixed or

embedded in the part
 Contamination Causes
 Machine
 Oil and grease leaks and drips
 Mold
 Excessive lubrication
 Grease, contaminated mold
components
 Material
 Contaminated material
 Incorrect regrind usage
 Excessive moisture
 Operator
 Poor housekeeping
 Short Shot

What it is: Missing plastic or features not fully

formed. Edges have smooth, rounded
appearance. May be accompanied by distinct
knitlines, sink, or burns in surrounding area.
Generally located away from gate at the last
Short Shot Causes

 Mold
 Insufficient venting
 Mold temp too low
 Machine
 Gates / runners too small
 Injection speed or pressure
 Cross-section too thin
too low
 Insufficient material feed  Sprue bushing too long

 Insufficient press capacity  Sprue diameter too small

 Inadequate back pressure  Material

 Nozzle too small  Improper flow rate

 Faulty check valve  Excessive regrind use

 Excessive feed cushion  Moisture in resin

 Non-uniform particle size
 Part Sink

What it is: Localized depression on the surface

of the part, usually adjacent or above ribs or
thicker areas of the part
Part Sink Causes

 Mold
 Mold temperature too high
opposite ribs
 Gates or runners too small
 Machine or improperly placed
 Barrel temp too high  Excessive rib thickness

 Insufficient injection (>50% of wall)

pressure or time  Excessive part thickness

 Inadequate cooling time  Gate land too long

 Insufficient cushion or  Unbalanced flow pattern

hold time  Material

 Faulty check valve  Improper flow rate
 Excessive regrind use
 Knitline

What it is: Location in part where melt fronts

meet. Incomplete adhesion occurs between the
fronts, causing poor appearance and structural
weakness
Knitline Causes

 Machine
 Barrel temp too low
 Back pressure, injection pressure, or speed too low
 Mold
 Mold temperature too low
 Gates or runners too small or incorrectly placed
 Gate land too long
 Material
 Improper flow rate
 Jetting

What it is: Serpentine discoloration in direction

of the gate.
Jetting Causes

Mold
 Machine Mold temperature too
 Excessive injection speed
low
 Barrel temp too high or too low
Gates or runners too
 Nozzle opening too small

 Nozzle temp too low

small or incorrectly placed
Gate land too long
Material

Improper flow rate

 Gloss Variation

What it is: Variation in gloss on the surface of

the part
 Gloss Variation Causes
Mold

Mold temperature too low

Gates or runners too small or
incorrectly placed
Inadequate venting
Machine
 Inadequate polishing of mold
 Inadequate injection pressure
 Inadequate residence time surfaces
 Barrel or nozzle temp too low
 Excessive feed cushion Contaminated mold surfaces
 Nozzle too small
 Inadequate cycle time from buildup of chemical
residue from outgassing or
Operator

 Inconsistent cycles
buildup of mold release
(plateout)
Material

Improper flow rate

Inadequate lubrication
Moisture in resin
 Bubble / Blister

What it is: Gas trapped within part

 Bubble / Blister Causes

Machine

Injection temp too high

Injection pressure too low
Insufficient material feed
Mold
Improper injection temp
Improper runners or gates
profile
Improper venting
Excessive injection speed
Section thickness too great
Mold temp too low
Operator
Material
Inconsistent cycles
Excessive moisture in resin
 Black Specks / Streaks

What it is: Black specks or streaks visible in the

part
 Black Specks / Streaks
Causes
 Machine
 Excessive residence time in barrel
 Hang up of material in barrel or runner
system
 Contamination of injection barrel
 Degradation of material due to
 Mold malfunctioning heater bands or
 Sprue bushing rough or not thermocouples
 Defective nozzle shutoff
seated
 Cracked injection cylinder or pitted
 Burned material caused by
screw
improper venting  Oil leaking into injection unit
 Contamination from grease
or lubricants  Operator
 Inconsistent cycles
 Mold too small for machine
size
 Material
 Contamination of raw
material
 Wrong material for mold
 Pin Push

What it is: Stress whitening on the a-surface of

the part, often accompanied by a bulge in the
surface. Occurs above ejector pins.
 Pin Push Causes
Mold

Inadequate polishing of mold

surfaces, especially vertical
mold surfaces or ribs
Wallstock too thin at ejector
pin area
Insufficient b-side draft
Machine Angled surface at ejector
High pack pressure pin / ejector pin sliding on
backside
Inadequate cycle time
Insufficient cooling
Insufficient ejection surface
Operator
Material
Inconsistent cycles
Excessive shrink rate
 Flow Line

What it is: Light or dark streaks running parallel

to the direction of flow
Flow Line Causes
 Machine
 Inadequate injection
pressure
 Inadequate residence time
 Barrel temp too low
 Nozzle temp too low
 Mold
 Improper gate location
 Material flow over ribs
 Operator
 Improper cycling
 Flash

What it is: Excess plastic squeezing out

perpendicular to the parting line, often felt as
sharp
Flash Causes

 Mold
 Insufficient venting
 Inadequate cooling
 Inadequate mold supports
 Poor match of shutoff area
 Machine
 Excessive injection
(poor spotting)
 Sprue bushing too long
pressure
 Improper stackup
 Excessive shot size ratio
 Insufficient press capacity
dimension
 Barrel temp too high
 Material
 Improper flow rate
 Excessive cycle time
 Excessive mold lubricant
 Excessive residence time
 Operator

Part and Tooling Parameters
Affecting Grain and Gloss
 Wall with greater than nominal thickness
will pull away from the textured mold
surface, resulting in poor grain and high
gloss
 Wall with less than nominal thickness will
tend to adhere to the textured surface,
resulting in a flat, chalky appearance
 Wall-stock variation can result in gloss
and grain definition variation
Relationship of Surface
Roughness to Gloss
 The texturing process and subsequent media blasting introduces surface roughness to the previously
smooth mold surface
 Gloss is closely related to surface roughness
 The distribution and scale of the roughness in the plane of the surface is critical
 Another issue to consider is the refractive index of the material, and crucially (and often ignored) the
_distribution_ and scale of the roughness in the plane of the surface - there is typically lots of
microstructure in a polymer at a similar scale to the wavelength of light.
 Fillers are often added to the material to ‘roughen’ the surface that are huge compared to this crucial
wavelength, so it is the coupling between the large and small scale roughness that is the key
 Leather seems to succeed by blending large- and small-scale roughness
Mold Temperature Effects on
Gloss
 High cavity temps can decrease gloss by
allowing material to flow easier, therefore
enhancing transfer of tool surface texture
 High cavity temps can increase gloss by
increasing material shrink, causing decreased
dwell time on tool surface and decreasing
transfer of surface texture

 How does mold temp affect gloss?

 It depends!
Molding Parameters Affecting
Color and Gloss
 Mold Temperature
 Barrel Temperature
The “Big
 Injection Speed Three”
 Pack Pressure
 Screw Speed
 Cycle Time
 Back Pressure
Molding Parameters Affecting
Color and Gloss
 Mold temperature has the greatest effect
 Can affect L*, a*, b*, Gloss
 Machine barrel temp has a large effect
 Can affect L*, a*, b*, Gloss
 Injection speed has a lesser effect
 Mainly affects L*, Gloss; slightly affects a*
 Pack pressure has a slight effect
 Slightly affects L*, Gloss; minor affect to a*
Molding Parameters Affecting
Color and Gloss
General rule*
 a*, b*, Gloss are positively correlated
 If measured a*, b* or Gloss increase or decrease,
the other two will follow suit
 L* is negatively correlated with a*, b*, Gloss
 If L* increases or decreases, measured a*, b*,
Gloss will react oppositely
 If a*, b*, or Gloss increase or decrease, L* will react
oppositely

* Rules are made to be

Color Master
Recommendations
 Since color is linked to process, develop masters in
materials that are the same as the materials that
will be used for parts, and set process parameters
within normal operating ranges
 If a master must be processed within a small
processing window, change to a combination of
machine+mold+material+operator that will yield
larger process parameters
 Develop a robust process early on in the mastering
process
Color Matching
Recommendations
 Sincecolor is linked to process, try some
minor changes to the process first

 Select
materials that are less sensitive to
process changes

 Developa robust process early on in the

matching process
Lessons
 Customers dictate specs
 Continued failure to meet the correct specs will
result in lost customers
 Injection molding involves balancing multiple
factors
 Problem solving analysis should be done one
variable at a time
 A consistent process yields predictable results
 Plan for success early
Credits
 GE Plastics
 Uniform Color Company
 Westlake Chemical
 Parallel Design
 Dr. H. Assender, Oxford University
 The Detroit Colour Council
 Nissan