{"id":12737,"date":"2019-04-20T10:30:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-20T16:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cadcrowd.com\/blog\/?p=12737"},"modified":"2019-04-25T07:47:51","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T13:47:51","slug":"10-injection-molding-design-mistakes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cadcrowd.com\/blog\/10-injection-molding-design-mistakes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Injection Molding Design Mistakes to Avoid While Working with CAD Design Services & Engineering Firms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The injection molding design<\/a> process, much like all industrial design processes, deals primarily with the creation, look, and feel of a product. <\/p>

Unlike engineering services<\/a>, the overall industrial design process does not focus much on the product’s functionality, but instead on its appearance and the ease with which it can be manufactured.<\/p>

Excellent injection mold designs can mass-produce products\nwith minimal molds and very few defects.<\/p>

Subpar injection mold designs result in weak, defective\nproducts that are often unusable to boot. That’s why top-notch injection\nmolding design is imperative for new products. Great molds cut costs to a\nminimum and improve production quality to meet end-user expectations.<\/p>

Mold Components<\/h2>
\"injection<\/figure>

The Injection Mold<\/h3>

Injection molds are made for multiple uses, but their material makeup dictates just how many. Molds made from hardened steel provide long-lasting manufacturing potential for a higher price tag. <\/p>

However, longevity isn’t the only factor at play in predicting price. The integral elements of the mold in question along with its overall complexity contribute quite a bit to the total cost of its initial creation.<\/p>

Each of a mold’s major parts must be designed with care to\nensure it works at all, let alone for years to come.<\/p>

The Sprue<\/strong><\/p>

This piece serves as the entry point for molten material to\npass through and enter the cavity within the mold.<\/p>

Runners<\/strong><\/p>

These are individual channels connecting the sprue to the\nmold’s inner space.<\/p>

Cavities and Cores<\/strong><\/p>

The cavity of a mold is its concave plate. The mold’s core\nis its convex one. Together, they form the inner space that shapes raw material\ninto fully formed parts.<\/p>

Inserts<\/strong><\/p>

Inserts are used when molds call for more complicated shapes\nor variations of the same part to be created. They are interchangeable\nsubdivisions of cavities and cores.<\/p>

Gates<\/strong><\/p>

Gates slow incoming molten material, regulating its flow as\nit enters parts of the mold.<\/p>

Air Vents<\/strong><\/p>

These are often positioned around the mold’s parting line to\nease the exit of air as material fills the mold.<\/p>

The Ejector Mold<\/h3>
\"Mold<\/figure>

The ejector mold is typically tasked with safely removing\nthe completed piece from once it is finished. This is usually accomplished with\na single design technique\u2026<\/p>

Ejector Pins<\/strong><\/p>

Ejector pins provide a simple means of safely removing parts\nand pieces from their molds with a tap or press. Ideally, these are placed on\nrunners rather than the piece itself as they are bound to leave ‘witness marks’\nwhen removed, potentially marring the final part’s finish.<\/p>

If any of the above parts of a mold are designed improperly, many annoying and often costly defects can show up on products at some point. Although a few of the mistakes that are made most often with injection molds are entirely due to the tools involved in the actual injection process, many more occur due to flaws in the injection mold design itself. <\/p>

Knowing a few common issues that can arise may help you design significantly more effective and durable molds. <\/p>

Below are 10 injection molding design mistakes you’d do best to avoid making.<\/p>

10 Injection Molding Design Mistakes<\/h2>

Mistakes that Cause Color Defects<\/h3>
\"Injection<\/figure>

This first batch of potential injection molding design\nmistakes revolves around color issues caused by a variety of factors. With\npractical design principles in mind, each of these issues can easily be avoided\nbefore production ever begins.<\/p>

1. Poor (or a Lack of) Venting<\/strong><\/p>

When proper venting is omitted or implemented poorly in an injection mold, discoloration can occur on finished parts. <\/p>

The reason for this is the pooling and compressing of air in pockets, causing the air to ignite and burn the product as it is formed. For this reason, the defects caused by this mistake are often referred to as ‘air burns.’<\/p>

3. Small Gates, Sprue, or Runners<\/strong><\/p>

If the gates of an injection mold are too small, a circular\npattern can form on the parts nearest to them. This distortion of the final\nproduct is known as ‘gate blush’ or ‘halo’ and is often exacerbated by\ninjection speeds that are too high.<\/p>

4. Misuse of Gate Types<\/strong><\/p>

A variety of gate types exist, and the usage of gates<\/a> that are incompatible with the material to be injected or the product’s design can cause a variety of issues to arise.<\/p>