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Design Tips
for Rapid Injection Molding
Volume 4
NOBODYS FASTER IN THE SHORT RUN.
Protomold 5540 Pioneer Creek Drive, Maple Plain, MN 55359 (763) 479-3680
TaBlE Of cONTENTS
Fun with cams Sizing: an in-depth examination Living in the material world The orphan fillet What you dont C cant hurt you When you really need to dodge the draft Night of the living hinge Good vibrations ultrasonic welds Resist that sinking feeling The inside scoop on outside threads Sliding shutoffs (again) When things get rough ...
material selection
Design guidelines
Quality assurance
3 5 6 8 9 11 13 14 15 17 19 20
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DESign mATRix
In a previous design tip, we used the example of a house-shaped box with a mousehole doorway (See Figure 1). The outside of the house was formed by the A-side of a simple straight-pull mold; the inside was formed by the B-side of the mold. A shutoff, a raised pad on the surface of the B-side mold, formed the doorway. In this tip were going to complicate the process by turning the door shown in Figure 1 into a window (See Figure ). By adding material below the bottom of the feature, weve created an undercut feature that cannot be produced in a two-part mold.
moves perpendicular to the direction of mold opening (or parallel to the plane of the molds parting line). This side-action cam fills the space that will become the window. When a side action is used, mold opening drives the cam out sideways as the two primary halves of the mold open, after which the part is ejected. Sometimes Protomold will add other faces to the cam to eliminate parting lines on a critical face. We have done this with the whole front of the house to prevent parting lines below the door/window. You can discuss this with your Protomold customer service engineer. While a wide variety of parts can be produced in straight pull molds, side actions literally open up whole new dimensions in part design. One of the most common applications is the production of through-holes, of which the window mentioned above is an example. Producing a through-hole in the process of molding saves the time and cost of a separate operation after the part has been
molded. In a straight pull mold, through-holes can be made in the direction of pull. They can also be made in other directions using sliding shutoffs, which work well for some applications, such as the dormer window in the house. See our tip at: Creating Through-Holes. When sliding shutoffs arent appropriate, side-action cams can create holes and other features other directions as long as the direction of cam travel is perpendicular to the direction of mold opening and the feature is on the outside of the part. Figure 3 shows a part with several features that could only be made using side actions. The tan circular hole is similar to the house window in Figure . The purple rectangular indentation can be thought of as a hole that doesnt go all the way through the wall. But like a hole, it would be an unmoldable undercut in a straight-pull, two part mold. The side-action cam, however, is well out of the way before the part is ejected.
Whereas the shutoff that created the doorway in Figure 1 can exit the doorway through the open bottom of the feature when the mold opens, a mold feature used to form the window in Figure would be trapped when we try to open the mold. The solution is to create a third mold part that
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
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Side actions can be used to produce features on the outside of a part but not (yet) on the inside. Like primary mold sections, side actions may require drafting. This was discussed in the June 006 design tip. If you have any questions regarding the application of side actions to your parts, feel free to contact us. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
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resin that our largest press can currently inject into a mold in a single shot. The next issue is maximum part outline. Imagine that you sat your part on a flat surface running parallel to the parts parting line. The shadow of the part projected downward onto the surface is the part outline or projected area. (Light shining through holes in your part doesnt count toward the projected area.) For parts up to two inches in depth in each mold half, the part outline must fit within a rectangle measuring 7.5 x 14 inches. For parts up to three inches in depth in each mold half, the part outline must fit a rectangle measuring 6 x 8 inches. The reason for this limitation is the size of the raw mold stock we use for molds of different depths. The final issue is total mold area. This is the actual area of the opening where the two mold halves meet, and it cannot exceed 75 square inches. This limitation is based on the maximum closing force our molding presses can exert. That force must exceed the injection pressure, typically measured in psi, of the resin multiplied
by the total mold area or the press will be unable to hold the mold closed during injection. To summarize the data:
Maximum depth per mold half Maximum part outline Maximum projected part area Maximum part volume 7.5 x 14 75 in
15.75 in3
Figure 1
Until recently, our production was limited to parts cut no more than two inches deep into each mold half. In other words, the depth of a carefully designed part could be a full four inches, but only if the depth of the part were divided equally between the two mold halves. (See Figure 1) With the addition of new technology, we can now produce parts with a total depth of six inches as long as neither mold half is cut more than three inches deep. (See Figure )
Finally, there is the issue of draft. A good rule of thumb is that parts should be drafted one degree for each inch of depth cut into the mold half. In other words, one inch of depth requires one degree of draft; two inches requires two degrees; three inches of depth gets three degrees. Parts of one half inch or less require a minimum of one half degree of draft. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
Figure 2
Regardless of the depth of the part, its total volume cannot exceed .1 cubic inches. The reason is simple: that is the volume of
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ABS
Polycarbonate does have some shortcomings, including a tendency to sink. If a polycarbonate part is not properly designed, the surface of overly thick area can sink significantly during cooling. In some instances, shrinkage may not show on the surface, but internal shrinkage may cause a void inside the part, seriously weakening the finished piece. Proper design and avoiding thick/thin geometries will help prevent such problems. Also, polycarbonate is susceptible to petroleum-based solvents. In some applications, polycarbonate can
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be blended with other resins, like ABS, to achieve a compromise on both properties and cost. Glass-filled nylon is the strongest of the three resins addressed here. Common glass-filled nylons are medium-cost resins, though some specialized versions of the material can be very costly. The material resists many solvents and hydrocarbons, but is attacked by some acids and
bases. (You should research your application and environment before finalizing your resin choice). And with the addition of glass fiber, nylon is very heat resistant. With up to three times the strength of polycarbonate, this material is used for protective or structural parts that need to withstand a great deal of stress. On the other hand, glass filled nylon is the most shrink-prone of the three resins being discussed. Nylon itself is very subject to shrinkage as it
cools, and the addition of fiberglass can cause differential shrinkage relative to the direction of resin flow during mold filling and contributing to warp. For this reason, if the strength, heat resistance, and chemical compatibility of this material are needed, good design is critical in preventing distortion of the finished parts. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
glass-filled nylon
When youre an injection molded part, however, what youre made of literally determines a great deal of what you can do or withstand.
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If this fillet were created by the B-side of the mold, it would have to taper in the same direction as the adjoining blue face, that is, toward the top of the part. The problem is that the adjoining green face, which is part of the A-side, is tapering in the opposite direction, toward the bottom on the part. The result would be a misalignment a step along the line where the fillet (red) meets the A-side face (green). If, on the other hand, this fillet were created by the A-side of the mold, there would be a problem in the area that appears, in Figure 1, as a small red triangle on the foot of the part at the base of the vertical tower. The part of the A-side of the mold that created the fillet would trap the plastic part under it at that triangle when the mold opens. (Figure shows the A-side mold itself and in red the projecting feature that would trap the part.) In Figure 1, Protomolds analysis software has attempted, unsuccessfully, to resolve the conflict by dividing the fillet between the two mold halves. The red half has been assigned to the A-side, the blue half assigned to the B-side. The bright blue lines indicate the undercut area. Unfortunately, the problem of mold entrapment remains, as can be seen in both Figure 1 and Figure . Figure also shows a secondary problem. The area of the mold that is supposed to create part of the fillet comes to a razor edge. Such an edge would be subject to extreme wear and, as a result, allow the formation of undesirable flash.
Figure 2
There are three possible solutions to the problem of the orphan fillet:
1 The designer could redesign the part so that
everything was drafted toward the top. In that case, the entire part, fillets included, could be molded in the B-side mold, with the A-side just forming the base of the part.
2 The designer could avoid vertical fillets that
connect A-side and B-side drafted faces. This would prevent the problem in the first place.
3 This part could be manufactured as
designed with the addition of a sideaction cam. Protomold can include up to four such cams in a mold, but this would increase the cost of the mold. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
Figure 1
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Figure 2
As far as shapes are concerned, the problem with C is actually a problem with its two right angleL corners.
As far as shapes are concerned, the problem with C is actually a problem with its two right angle L corners.
Figure is a close-up view of the angle of one of the Ls. You can see that the distance along the inside of the angle (from A to B) is shorter than the distance around the outside of the angle (from C to D). As a result, the surface on the outside of the angle is larger than that on the inside. More area means faster radiation of heat. As a result, the C-D side of the angle hardens before the A-B side. As A-B continues to cool, it also continues
Figure 1
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Figure 3
Figure 4
to shrink, pulling what was designed to be a right angle to something less than 90 degrees. The solution? If you radius the corner on the inside and outside as shown in Figure 3 (using the formula shown maintains constant wall thickness), you will minimize the warping effect. Using a larger radius (but maintaining constant thickness) will reduce warp more as it reduces the difference in mold metal to cool the inside and outside of the wall.
shrink-resistant resins. These would include: ABS, Polycarbonate, PC/ABS, PETG Polyester, Polystyrene, and K-resin Polystyrene butadiene. And, of course, where shrinkage could distort your part it is particularly important to pay close attention to geometry and avoid filled resins. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
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For a specific requirement, like this one, Protomold can incorporate cam-driven side actions into a mold. These are typically used to create undercuts that could not be molded in a simple two-part mold. But, because cams move perpendicular to the direction of primary mold opening they can also be used to produce surfaces that are undrafted in relation to the A- and B-side mold halves. Imagine a part with a surface parallel to the direction of mold opening. Lets assume that we cannot draft the problem surface and must find some other way to protect it during ejection (see Figure 1). Protomold would normally require draft on this face as shown in Figure . If the surface cannot be drafted, so as to move away from the mold as the part is ejected, an alternate solution is to have the mold move away from the surface. This is achieved using a side-action cam (brown face in Figure 3).
Drafting is still the key to simplicity of design, ease of molding, and cost control.
As weve said in previous Design Tips, when a surface is parallel to the direction of mold opening, it should be slightly tapered toward the mold; otherwise the mold surface will drag across the surface as the mold opens, damaging the surface. Drafting causes the part face to move away from the mold face as the part is ejected, preventing
Figure 1
Figure 2
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Figure 3
In essence, a side action works like the moving wall in the Death Star trash compactor in Star Wars. As the A- and B-side mold halves open or close along the X-axis, the cam (or cams) move along the Y/Z axes. Before ejection, the cam will withdraw leaving no mold wall next to the problem face to cause problems as the part is ejected. Aside from undrafted faces and the obvious undercut features, there are several other applications for side actions. Raised lettering on a face parallel
Figure 4
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First, only certain resins are flexible enough to support the degree and frequency of bending required of a hinge. The best resins for parts with living hinges are polyethylene and polypropylene. When a hinge bends, tensile forces are transmitted to the material along the outside of the bend. The thicker the hinge, the greater the stress in the outside surface, so the hinge should not be too thick or it may crack when it is bent. On the other hand, if the hinge is too thin it will not be strong enough to withstand any tearing forces, especially at the ends. The following geometry (from efunda.com) works well for hinges made of either of the two resins mentioned above.
injection. Success depends on proper gate placement. A single gate that forces resin through the hinge area in a mold increases the strength of the hinge; however, this approach can lead to sink in areas downstream from the hinge.
Figure 2
On the other hand, multiple gates may eliminate the problem of sink, but if resin flows meet at the hinge (which they will tend to do), they will usually cause cracking. When you order a mold, Protomold will propose gate location(s) to optimize filling of the part including any living hinges. If this all seems like a lot of trouble, keep in mind that experts suggest that a well designed living hinge can be flexed millions of times. Thats more times than most of us will walk through doors in a lifetime. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
Figure 1
Also, be careful that, when the hinge is bent fully, there wont be interference from thick edges along the hinge. Finally, a thin spot in a part (which is what a hinge is) can be challenging to fill during resin
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The Shear Joint is a very strong, self-aligning joint that is particularly useful for creating hermetic seals and right-angle joints. It is ideal for crystaline materials such as Nylon, PPS, and PPO, and can also be used with larger parts made of amorphous materials. Note that this joint can leave flash when parts are joined.
The Step Joint is a stronger, self-aligning joint that provides an excellent appearance. It is suitable for use with amorphous materials.
The Tongue and groove Joint eliminates flash caused by the welding process as the weld occurs between two walls and is an excellent choice for hermetic seals. Not recommended for thin walled parts.
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Fortunately there are ways to address all of these issues and eliminate or reduce distortion of the finished part.
1 Know the shrink characteristics
With a few notable exceptions (H2o for one) most materials shrink as they cool and solidify.
Some resins shrink most in the direction of resin flow within the mold, while others shrink least in that direction. And, depending on the shape of the part, shrinkage of latercooling areas of the part can pull against areas that have already solidified, causing sink or warping. To the extent that these problems can be anticipated, they can be minimized.
of your chosen resin These can be found at www.ides.com. As a very general rule, shrink under 0.010 inches/inch (or mm/mm) is more forgiving, higher shrink demands a well designed part. If the material is too shrink-prone for the application, consider another material.
2 Put thick parts on a diet
Unnecessarily thick parts can sometimes be put on a diet to prevent sink. If the function of the part requires the larger shape, coring out the thick section can produce a hollow shape with thin walls, which will serve the same function (see Figure 1).
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If placement of a feature, such as a boss, results in excess localized thickness, consider redesigning or relocating the feature (see Figure ).
Un-radiused inside corners can overheat and stress the resin flow, causing distortion of the angles between walls. A radius in the corner is always good practice (see Figure 4).
Figure 4
unsupported geometry Transitions from thick to thin can be ramped to reduce stress and eliminate warp. Whenever possible, gussets or some other 3D structure bracing such corners can prevent warping (see Figure 3).
Gate placement can help control warp when using resins characterized by differential shrink in the direction of resin flow. The disk shown here resulted from a gate in the center of the disk. Placing gates at the edge of the disk reduced the warp (see Figure 5).
Depending on the shape of the part, shrinkage of latercooling areas of the part can pull against areas that have already solidified, causing sink or warping.
Figure 5
Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
Figure 3
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Figure 1
have reverse draft (shown by the dark blue faces). When we design a mold for this thread and machine it, we will leave a little extra metal at the undercuts. When we mold parts, there will be a little plastic missing in these areas. The threads will be a little thinner than the CAD model in those areas, but in most cases you cant tell the difference without a close examination.
Most threads have undercut areas. Its just a fact of the geometry
Most threads have undercut areas. Its just a fact of the geometry as the surfaces of the screw wrap around, regardless of the
Figure 2
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If the first approach doesnt work, perhaps with an acme thread or on a large screw, a second method would be to modify your design to eliminate the undercut areas from your thread. We call this a half-thread design. It involves cutting the threads off the sides of your screw (see Figure 3). The disadvantages of this are additional design, less thread strength and intermittent threads which might be difficult to screw in.
Lastly, if you need the full thread, the way to go might be to use cams. With a cam (side action) on each side of the part, the undercuts can be pulled and you get the full strength of the thread. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate this approach. Disadvantages of this method include four parting lines instead of two on your thread and the additional cost for the mold.
Can we do outside threads? You bet! We have a whole toolbox of methods for creating external threads on your plastic part. To learn more, submit a 3D CAD model for a quote or call Protomold at 763-479-3680. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
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Done right, they can give you a lot of design flexibility; done wrong, they can easily destroy a mold.
In this D diagram, red indicates sliding contact between metal surfaces from the two mold halves. (In the actual mold, there would be three flat faces of the extension from the A-side mold half making sliding contact with the
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surface parallel to mold opening, but even more critical as the degree of texture increases. Here are some guidelines for drafting textured surfaces: A 1-inch high rib with a smooth finish requires 1 of draft. The same rib with a PM-T1 finish requires 3 of draft. The same rib with a PM-T finish requires 5 of draft. These requirements can impact other aspects of your design as well. Take, for example, the scoop shown in Figures 1 and . In Figure 1, the sides of the scoop are ribs formed in grooves cut into the B-side mold half. The two walls of the groove must be drafted in opposite directions to allow the part to be ejected. As a result, the side walls get thicker toward the back wall of the scoop. In Figure , the side walls of the same scoop are formed between a cavity in the A-side mold half and a core in the B-side. In this case, the two mold surfaces that form the side walls of the scoop are drafted in the same direction, resulting in side walls that are of even thickness from end to end. Both versions of the part have the same side-wall draft, but the one shown in Figure is the better design since it maintains even wall thickness.
There are several other points to remember when designing textured surfaces: Because texture is typically created by processes like bead blasting the mold faces, it may be impossible to texture ribs formed in deep, narrow grooves in a mold. This is one more reason to use the core/cavity approach rather than a deepgroove rib approach for forming walls. Very thick walls may shrink significantly as they cool, pulling the surface away from the mold face before it has fully cooled, thus failing to properly texture the surface. If your part has mixed thick and thin areas there may be ugly variations in texture. This is a function of part design and cant be processed out. Very thin, textured walls may adhere too aggressively to the mold face and be damaged during ejection. Note that the design guidelines pertaining to textured surfaces are similar to those for any part, except that, when you add texture, you must increase draft and pay more attention to wall thickness. Visit the Protomold Design guide for other helpful Rapid Injection Molding design information.
rough
Figure 1
Texture on a plastic part serves a variety of purposes from purely esthetic to purely practical. Whatever the goal, there are a few things to remember to ensure that you get the texture you want and that Protomold can effectively produce what you specify. On a surface lying perpendicular to the direction of mold opening, texture is relatively simple. (For features created by a sideaction, the same is true for a surface perpendicular to the direction of side-action opening.) Surfaces parallel to the direction of mold opening are more challenging. Consider what happens when you drag your knuckles across the surface of a brick. Thats pretty much what happens to a plastic part when its surface is dragged across the textured surface of an opening mold. The solution, of course, is to draft the surface so the mold surface moves away from the part surface as the mold opens. Thats true of any
Figure 2
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