FLAWS AND DEFECTS

Many flaws and defects can be avoided by using good part and tool design
techniques. As a part designer it is a very good Idea to be aware of your
options in tooling and to consider those while designing your part. For
example, have potential gate locations in mind. Try to guess where knitlines
will occur and how different gate locations will affect them. How easy will it be
to trim the gate? The more parts you study, the better you will get at predicting
flow. Be sure to communicate your intentions to the tool designer and get his
feedback to influence your future designs.

Avoiding thick sections can add up to huge savings over the lifetime of a tool.
Thick sections increase the cycletime of each shot, narrow the processing
window, require overpacking, and cause reject parts

the processing window, require overpacking, and cause reject parts.

BLUSH

DEFINITION: Dull discolored or whitish area

on the surface of the part, usually at the
gate.

CAUSE: Shear stress between polymer

molecules during injection. The gate may be
too small or injection speed too fast.

LOCATION: Usually at the gate. May also

occur where there is a sudden change in
part thickness.

CURE: Adjust injection speed and if

necessary adjust gate dimensions. An BLUSH
independent water circuit in the mold that
allows pinpoint temperature control at the
gate can also help.
BURN

DEFINITION: Discoloration usually black,

brown or dark yellow/brown depending upon
severity. Feels rough and crunchy.
Frequently accompanied by short shot in
burn area.

CAUSE: Usually indicates a need for more

venting or heat buildup in tool. When air is
trapped in the tool and cannot escape, the
extreme pressure causes the air to ignite,
burning the edge of the part.

LOCATION: Most often seen in deep, blind

ribs where a lot of air can be forced into a
small space.

CURE: Add more parting line vents near BURN

burn or vent pins in deep ribs. Vent pins are
just ejector pins that fit a little loose. They
may also have a flat ground down one side
to let the air escape.

COLD FLOW

DEFINITION: Wavy or streaked appearance

on part surface. Looks like a fingerprint or
small waves like you would see on the
surface of water.

CAUSE: Low melt temperature, low injection

speed or low injection pressure.

LOCATION: Hard to fill or last to fill areas.

COLD FLOW
COLD SLUG

DEFINITION: Cold piece of plastic that has

been forced into the part along with the melt.

CAUSE: 1.Plastic from last shot left in

nozzle solidifies between shots. The tool
designer usually is able to allow for a "cold
slug well" in the runner to catch this piece.
2.Cold slug effects can also occur at the end
of a long runner.

LOCATION: If allowed to enter the part it

can travel anywhere. COLD SLUG

CURE: Add a cold slug well at each

intersection in the runner. Addition of a
shortened ejector pin on the runner very
close to the gate may divert the cold slug.
For direct sprue gating try to make a feature
in the part to catch the slug or use a heated
nozzle.

CONTAMINATION

DEFINITION: Foreign particles embedded in

the part.

CAUSE: 1.Burned material in the press

barrel. 2.Contaminated regrind. 3.Grease or
particles that have not been cleaned from
the mold.

LOCATION: Anywhere.
CONTAMINATION

DELAMINATION

DEFINITION: Separation of plastic surface

layer giving a flaking or onion skin effect.

CAUSE: 1.Contaminated resin. May be

caused by incomplete machine purging,
unclean material handling equipment or
impure regrind.

LOCATION: Anywhere.
DELAMINATION or PEELING

DISCOLORATION

DEFINITION: Deviation from the original

intended color of the material as compared
to the manufacturers color chip.

CAUSE: 1.Contaminated resin.

2.Overheated resin. 3.Incorrect regrind ratio.
4.Incorrect color mixing or blending.

LOCATION: Entire part.

DISCOLORATION
 DRAG

DEFINITION: Fine, straight lines scraped in

the line of draw.

CAUSE: Depends upon location. 1.Cavity

side happens during mold opening and is
usually from insufficient draft for the texture
used or from overpacking. 2.Core side drag
happens during ejection and is usually from
inadequate draft, rough core, or
overpacking.

LOCATION: May be in opening direction or

side action direction. Cavity, core, slide, or
lifter. DRAG

CURE: Solve overpacking problem. Cavity

side drag, tone down the texture by stoning
then bead blast. Core side drag, polish core,
add draft.
FLASH

DEFINITION: Excess plastic squeezing out

perpendicular to the part at parting line.

CAUSE: 1.Plastic injection force exceeding

the clamping pressure of the press.
(Overpacking.) 2.May happen at first shots
while mold is being dialed in. 3.Poorly
constructed or worn out mold.

LOCATION: Along any parting line.

CURE: Run the mold in a bigger press.

Relieve areas of the parting surfaces that FLASH
are not immediately adjacent to the part.
Leave 0.500 in. of shutoff land around the
part.
 GLOSS

DEFINITION: Smooth shiny areas on the

part surface.

CAUSE: 1.Underpacking 2.See section on

plateout below.

LOCATION: Hard to fill areas.

GLOSS
JETTING

DEFINITION: Squiggly line in part pointing to

gate. Looks like a worm in the part.

CAUSE: 1.Incorrect gate placement or size.

The gate is positioned in such a manner as
to aim the plastic straight into an open area.
The plastic launches out into the open like a
piece of "silly string" and then stacks up in
squiggles.

LOCATION: Near gate.

CURE: Aim the gate at an obstacle that JETTING

interrupts the flow. Use different gate style or
larger gate.
KNITLINE

DEFINITION: A line where the molten

polymer flow fronts meet in the mold.
Incomplete adhesion occurs along the
knitline and causes a weak point in the
plastic part.

CAUSE: Cold fronts meeting in the tool

where molten plastic fronts meet.

LOCATION: Cold fronts meeting in the tool

where plastic flows around obstacles or over
raised areas in the metal. It is guaranteed
that you will have a knitline as the plastic
flows around any opening in the part.
Recessed text or Icons can also cause small
cosmetic knits.

CURE: Frequently it is possible to place the

gate in such a manner as to push the knit
lines into obscure areas. If this is not
possible use "flow directors" on the
noncosmetic side of the part to push the
knitline into a corner, crease, or shadow to
hide it. Flow directors are usually just
shallow raised areas in the plastic that are
cut into the tool with a large ball end mill. KNITLINE
Sometimes it is possible to add a "sump"
that the cold material flows out into. This
sump is then clipped off.
BAD GATE TRIM

DEFINITION: Either too much or too little

plastic where the gate has been trimmed off.

CAUSE: 1.location of the gate on a concave

or convex part surface can make it difficult to
accurately trim the gate. 2.Another cause
can be inadequately trained or
uncoordinated people doing the trimming.

LOCATION: Gate.

CURE: Place the gate on a straight edge if

possible. A good trim job takes good
eye/hand coordination. Use of a gate
trimming fixture can work well for high BAD GATE TRIM
volume gate trimming. Use self degating
techniques where possible such as tunnel
gates or banana gates. Of course gating to a
noncosmetic area is always preferred, but
not always feasible.
 MISMATCH

DEFINITION: The cavity side of the tool

does not fall in perfect registry with the core
side resulting in a step at parting line. It may
look like flash if it is slight. If it is smooth as
your finger runs across one way and feels
sharp the other way it is mismatch. If you
can feel it both ways it is flash.

CAUSE: 1.Uneven pressure in the mold

cavity can push the cavity one direction and
the core the other. This usually happens in
very asymmetrical parts or parts with a
parting surface that slopes only one way.
2.Moldmaker did not properly position the
cavity relative to the core. 3.In older tools
mismatch may occur as locking faces wear. MISMATCH

LOCATION: At parting lines.

CURE: Straight locks at parting line. The

best are those made by Progressive
Components.
PIN PUSH

DEFINITION: Circular or semicircular white

stress rings on the side of the part opposite
an ejector pin. May even be raised circular
bumps. In serious cases pins may push right
through the part!

CAUSE: 1.Overpacking. 2.Sticking on the

core. 3.Inadequate ejection.

LOCATION: On the cosmetic side of the part

opposite an ejector pin.
PIN PUSH
CURE: Solve overpacking problem. Polish
core or increase draft on core. Add more
ejector pins. More small pins are better than
a few big ones.
 PLATEOUT

DEFINITION: A change of mold texture over

time that is not due to wear.

CAUSE: 1.Buildup of chemical residue from

outgassing. 2.Buildup of mold release.

LOCATION: Anywhere

CURE: Have the mold cleaned.

PLATEOUT

PULLING

DEFINITION: Deformed, twisted and

smeared plastic in the part usually on, or
adjacent to steep vertical faces.

CAUSE: 1.Cavity side: A portion of the part

sticking to the cavity on tool opening. Listen
to the mold as it opens to see if you can
hear it pop free. 2. Core side: Uneven part
ejection is not pushing the part out straight.
The part gets skewed as it ejects, the
resulting damage is called pulling.

LOCATION: Anywhere in part.

CURE: Cavity side pulling, add undercuts or

texture on core side so part pulls cleanly
from the cavity. Core side pulling, add
ejection. More small pins are better than a
few big ones.
PULLING
 SHORT SHOT

DEFINITION: Missing plastic or features that

are not fully formed. Missing corners or
features have a smooth, rounded
appearance.

CAUSE: Underpacking, low injection

pressure, trapped gas.

LOCATION: Areas of the part farthest from

the gate, thin areas or delicate features.
Generally the last part of the mold to fill.
SHORT SHOT
CURE: Make sure the tool is adequately
vented and push more plastic in.
SINKS

DEFINITION: Depressions or dimples in the

part that are usually adjacent to thick areas.
In clear parts, bubbles can be seen in thick
areas. These bubbles can be the precursors
of shrink.

CAUSE: As the plastic cools it shrinks. If

there is an area that is proportionally thicker
than the rest of the part, then the plastic will
shrink more in the thick spot causing it to SINK
collapse inward.

LOCATION: 1. Wall perpendicular to ribs or

bosses that don't conform to the 66% rule. 2.
Inconsistent wall thickness. i.e. Thick areas
adjacent to thin areas.

CURE: Maintain constant wall thickness by

coring out. If you must have thick areas lead
gradually into them. Follow the 66% rule for
wall thickness. Keep it down to 60% or less
if you can.

Frequently the solution to sink is to pack the

part out tighter. Overpacking can then cause VOID or DEEP SINK
other problems. The best solution is to avoid
it in the first place with good part design.

Other problems that can be caused by sink

include part warpage, twisting, stress, and
part breakage.

For more info visit the ribs and

bosses section of this website.

BUBBLE

SPLAY

DEFINITION: Silver or whitish streaks

CAUSE: 1.Moisture in material.

2.Overheated material.

LOCATION: Anywhere. Most predominant

near gate.
SPLAY
WARP

DEFINITION: The failure to maintain flatness

of a plastic part that was intended to be flat.
Distortion from the intended shape of the
plastic part.

CAUSE: 1.The underlying cause of most

part warpage is the shape of the part itself.
The pattern, shape, and thickness of ribs on
the part as they undergo shrinkage have the
greatest effect upon warpage. These effects
can be controlled to some degree by
differential cooling of the mold (a different
temp on the cavity than on the core). 2.
Overpacking can induce warp.
WARP
LOCATION: Present to some degree in most
Injection molded parts but most easily
detected on large flat parts.
CURE: Alas there is no cure for this one,
only control. Differential mold cooling can
get you parts that are flatter. A cooling
fixture that the part is placed into
immediately after ejection can also
straighten the part. However these effects
are usually temporary and upon being
subjected to elevated temps or time parts
will return to their natural shape. Your best
bet is to follow the 66% rule and minimize rib
height. Flat parts are more susceptible to
warpage than curved parts.

Note: On long thin flat parts the gate is best

placed between 60-70% down the part
length to minimize warp.

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Injection Molding defect:molding flow line

Solving molding flow line problems

Definition
A flow mark or halo, is a surface defect in which circular ripples or wavelets appear near the gate.
Ripples, a similar defect, appear as small fingerprint-like waves near the edge or at the end of the flow.

Causes
Material freezing near the gate
Low melt and mold temperature and low ram speed can result in cold material entering the cavity. The
partly solidified material takes on the form of the flow pattern.

where:
a = normal fountain flow with no ripples
b = flow causing ripples(R)
Insufficient material compensation
Early gate freeze-off or low packing pressure may not pack the cavity properly. The material near the
gate then freezes while maintaining the form of the flow pattern.

Remedies
Optimize the cold well
Design the cold well in the runner system to trap the cold material during the filling phase. The proper
length of the cold well is usually equal to that of the runner diameter.
Optimize the runner system design
Restrictive runner system design can result in premature gate freeze-off. It can however, increase shear
heating for better melt flow.
Increase mold & melt temperature
Optimize packing pressure

Solving one problem can often introduce other problems to the injection molding process. Each option
hence requires consideration of all relevant aspects of the mold design specification.