Design of Plastic Parts

Session objective:
To understand the plastic product
design considerations related to :-

Ribs
Bosses
Wall thickness
Holes
Undercuts
Letterings
Cable guides

Draft
Radii
Surface finish
Parting line
Tolerances
Insert molding
Weld line
2

Product Design Sequence

1. Defining end-use
requirements

2. Create preliminary
concept sketch
3. Initial materials
selection
4. Design part in
accordance with
material properties

6. Modify design for

manufacturing
(Check for DFMA)

7. Prototyping
8. Tooling
9. Production

5. Final materials
selection
3

Importance of plastics

Plastic materials are commonly used in

material replacement applications
4

Continuous improvement at a faster cycle

The plastic hose nozzle on the right has been

developed with little influence from the metal
product.(Can we identify the improvements?)
5

It facilitates Redesign parts to suit production

Original design

Redesign the part shown

6

Surface Texture
Disguise Sinks

Original
Design

Modified
Design

Draft Angles &

Corner Radii

The part design must be modified for primary

and secondary manufacturing concerns
(shrinkage, draft angles, flow leaders, etc.) The
effect of these changes on the end-use
performance of the part should be evaluated
7

Textured

Draft Angles
&
Corner Radii
9

10

Basic considerations of
Plastic Part design

11

Comment on these Design

12

#.Provide uniform Wall thickness

Golden
rule

How?

By providing corings
13

Why?
It can cause
problems

1. Hesitation effect
leading to :-Air traps,
Short Shots
and Burn marks

14

It causes
2.Sink marks

15

Redesign with corings

16

Use optimum Wall Thickness

Generally, thinner walls are more feasible
with small parts rather than with large ones

The limiting factor in wall thickness is the

tendency for the plastic material in thin walls to
cool and solidify before the mold is filled
The shorter the material flow, the thinner the
wall can be
17

Transition on wall Thickness

When changes in wall thickness are
unavoidable, the transition should be gradual,
not abrupt.

Various possibilities

18

#Use recommended and optimum wall

thicknessTHICKNESS (mm)
RECOMMENDED
SHORT
SECTION
S

SMALL
SECTION
S

AVERAGE
SECTION
S

LARGE
SECTION
S

LDPE

0.9

1.3

1.6

2.4-3.2

HDPE

0.9

1.3

1.9

3.2-4.7

PP

0.6

0.9

1.9

3.2-4.7

PS

0.8

1.3

1.6

3.2-6.3

PVC
(FLEXIBLE)

0.6

1.3

1.9

3.2-4.7

PVC
(RIGID)

0.9

1.6

2.4

3.2-4.7

MATERIAL

19

RECOMMENDED THICKNESS (mm)

SHORT
SECTION
S

SMALL
SECTION
S

AVERAGE
SECTION
S

LARGE
SECTION
S

ACETAL

0.6

0.9

1.9

3.2-4.7

ACRYLIC

0.6

0.9

2.3

3.2-6.3

ABS

0.9

1.3

1.9

3.2-4.7

0.6

1.3

1.9

3.2-4.7

0.3

0.6

1.5

2.4-3.2

0.4

0.8

1.8

2.4-3.2

MATERIAL

Cellulose
Acetate
NYLON
PC

20

Wall Thickness - Summary

21

Comment on these Designs

22

# Avoid sharp corners

Process problems

Ideal
23

Comment on these Designs

Too thin

Too
thick

Optimum

24

#Provide flow leaders and flow restrictors

Flow restrictors

Flow leaders

Flow leaders

Flow restrictors
25

To summarize on Radii

26

Ribs
# Avoid thick / too close and too long ribs

27

28

29

30

Ribs
Sink marks caused by ribs can be disguised or
hidden by grooves or surface texture opposite the
rib.
Methods of disguising sink mark
TEXTURED

OR

OR

31

32

Sink mark

Ribs

Solution ?

Offset ribs

Multiple
ribs

33

DESIGN GUIDE LINES FOR RIBS

Maintain proper ratios

34

Ribs

35

DESIGN GUIDE LINES FOR RIBS

Thickness of Rib 0.5 T to 0.7 T

36

DESIGN GUIDE LINES FOR RIBS

37

DESIGN GUIDE LINES FOR RIBS

38

Recommended Thickness to Rib ratio for various

Thermo plastics

39

If not followed the thickness to rib ratio what

can be the impact ?

Can you
defect ?

identify

the

Warpage
40

Support Rib
(gusset)
Flow
direction

Venting and Ejection Concerns

Which is better; Addition or Deletion of
Reinforcement Ribs?
41

Ribs

42

# . Provide gussets to avoid deflection

Gussets are strengthening ribs

43

Guidelines on gusset

44

Recommended ratio of height

45

Design Guidelines:
Gussets should have a generous draft of
0.5deg to 1.5 deg per side
There should be a radius at the base of 25%
to 40% of t

46

Bosses

Too Tall
Too Thick
Too Thin
47

Bosses
Thin

Too
Tall

Sharp

Thick

Screw
Lead In

Radius
Gussets

#.Avoid too thick and too tall boss design

48

Design Guidelines Bosses:

Bosses are used in assembly or for location

during assembling.
If large bosses are needed, they should be
hollow for uniformity of wall thickness.

49

Boss sink recess

Connecting bosses to
walls

A recess around the boss reduces Sink

mark
50

An Open boss ensure even wall thickness

51

# Provide optimum Core depth and Radius on boss

Core too short

Radius too big

Core too long

Optimum

52

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Long-Core Alternatives?

53

Options to reduce length of excessively long core pins

Correct?

54

Matching of bosses

#. Long bosses can be replaced by

two shorter boss design
55

Boss design guidelines

56

Boss design guidelines

57

Boss design guidelines

58

Boss design guidelines

Provide Ribs to help material Flow

Rib

Boss

59

Bosses

60

Bosses for screws

61

Bosses

62

Comment on this Snap Fit Part Design

63

Snap Fit
Avoid Sharp
Edges

Radius

Under cut
Vs. Matl.
& Length

Prefer Radii,
&Taper
Radius

Taper

Shallow
Lead
Angle

# Check for rigid snap fit

64

Stress concentration

65

Types of snap fits

66

67

Comment on this Design

68

Thread
Forming
Avoid for
PC & PC
blends
Thread
Cutting

1. Avoid Countersunk features for screws

69

Thread
Forming
Screws

Thread Cutting
Screws

70

Comment on this Design

71

#Avoid sharp / square molded threads

External Thread

Internal Thread

72

Hex Screw thread design???

73

External Thread

Sharp
Rounded

ROLL THREAD
74

External Thread
X

75

External Thread
Make the threads a few, shallow, and of
rounded form so that the part can be stripped
from the mold without unscrewing.
A coarse thread with a somewhat rounded
form is preferred for all screw threads because
of ease of filling and avoidance of
featheredges even if it is removed by
unscrewing.

76

Internal Thread
X

NOT THIS

THIS

SCREW THREADS SHOULD NOT EXTEND TO ENDS OF

THREADED ELEMENT

Feather Edge
77

PIPE THREADS
NOT RECOMMENDED

Bulge

78

Recommended
Recommended

Plastic Pipe NPT

Metal Fitting

79

RECOMMENDED

Plastic Pipe Straight

Thread

OSeal

Plastic Fitting

(Compression)

80

Ways of molding threads:

External threads can be molded if P/L is designed

as shown. Flash may happen

81

Ways of molding threads:

Unscrew mechanism or loose cores
Metal inserts
Internal threads can be tapped in all
thermoplastics, and if the thread diameter is
small [5 mm or less], tapping is usually more
economical than molding
Self-tapping screws are preferable to tapped
or molded threads and a conventional screw
82

#Avoid zero draft

What is draft ?

83

Draft

It is highly desirable to incorporate some

draft, in the side walls of injection molded
parts to facilitate removal of the part from
the mold.

Drafts as low as 1/4deg are often adequate.

84

Draft

85

Draft

86

Draft
Usually, deep parts may require more draft angle
than shallow parts - but we cannot provide due to
dimensional variations.
For shallow parts draft should average 1/2deg or
more
For deep parts minimum 1/4 deg may often be
given
Textured surfaces require greater draft.
87

Minimum Drafts for some common Materials

Polystyrene --------- 0
Poly acetal --------- 0
Polyethylene ------- 0
Acrylic

--------- 0

Nylon

--------- 0

88

Problems due to no draft

Ejector pin mark (Stress mark)

Ejector pin breakage
Warpage
Scratches on core and cavity
Ejector system bend
89

Parting Lines

P/ L

Comment on this positioning of parting line?

# Design to facilitate minimum no.of parting lines
90

Parting Lines
Not this

P/L

P/L
This

# Provide parting line on the outer edge if possible

Two reasons?

Shape
matching
91

Parting Lines

Parting lines should be straight if possible;

If not , place the parting line at the edge

of the part, cleaning parting line flash is
facilitated by having a bead or other
raised surface at the parting line

92

Parting Lines
How does we improve if no other
way ?

P/L

93

Parting Lines

P/L

A bead at the P/L will improve moulding defect

94

Parting Lines

Deliberately offset cavities are

helpful in avoiding appearance
defects, which may occur if the
two mold halves do not line up
properly

95

Parting Lines
Not this

This

Comment on the design of parting line,

where the two mold-halves do not lineup
properly?

Deliberately offset
mismatch at P/L

side

walls

to

counter
96

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Through hole is preferred to blind hole
(Why?)

97

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Through hole preferred to blind hole
Core pin that produces hole can be
supported at both ends
Resulting in better dimensional
location of
hole & avoiding bent or broken pin
Prefer
Through hole to
blind hole
98

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Holes in bottom of part preferable to
those in side because latter require
retractable core pins

99

D
Design Guidelines for Holes:

Blind holes

100

Design Guidelines for Holes:

101

Design Guidelines for Holes:

NOT THIS

102

Design Guidelines for Holes:

To increase depth of deep blind hole, use steps
enabling stiffer core pin

NOT THIS

THIS

103

Design Guidelines for Holes:

NOT THIS

Extra long Hole?

104

Design Guidelines for Holes:

NOT THIS

THIS

For through holes, cutout sections in part can

shorten length of a small-diameter pin, improving
rigidity of core pin
105

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Minimum spacing between two holes or between a
hole and side-wall should be one diameter.
D

NOT THIS

THIS
106

Design Guidelines for Holes:

Use overlapping and offset mold-cavity projections
instead of core pins to produce
holes parallel to the mold-parting line (perpendicular
to the mold-movement direction).

PARTING

Part
Molded
107

Design Guidelines for Holes:

X
Core slides can be avoided by using this Hole design

108

# Avoid undercuts through alternative

designs
Shallow undercuts often may be strippable from the
mold without the need for core pulls.

109

How to avoid undercuts?

Design alternatives

110

Design alternatives
Wire guides

Vent slots

111

Design alternatives

112

Louvers on slopping wall

113

Average Maximum Strippable Undercuts in mm

with different Polymers
Plastic Material

Max. Strippable U Cut

(mm)

Acrylic

1.5

Acrylo Nitryl Butadiene Styrene

1.8

Nylon

1.5

Poly Carbonate

1.0

Poly Ethylene

2.0

Poly Propylene

1.5

Poly Styrene

1.0

Poly Sulphone

1.0

Poly Vinyl Chloride (Flexible)

2.5
114

Insert moulding:
Inserts are useful and practical to provide
reinforcement where stresses exceed the strength of the
plastic material
Sharp comers should be avoided on the portion of the
insert that is immersed in the thermoplastic.
Knurls on machined inserts should be relatively coarse
to permit the material to flow into the recesses
There should be a smooth surface where the insert
exits from the plastic
115

Design of Inserts:

Insert
Smooth

Rough

116

The surface exiting from plastic

should be smooth
117

Design of Inserts:

118

Design of Inserts:
Split Cavities

Scr. Driver Bit

Parting Line

Irregularly shaped inserts are placed on the

parting line of the mould
119

Lettering:
The lettering on the part can be raised
if possible
It is easier to engrave lettering in a mold
cavity than it is to machine away the
background and leave raised letters.

120

Lettering:
Sometimes it is desired to have
depressed letters on the part and to fill
them with paint that contrasts with the
color of the plastic material

Cavities for filled lettering should be

sharp-edged and 0.13 to 0.8 mm wide
They should be one-half as deep as wide
and should have a rounded bottom.
121

Dimensional rules for depressed

lettering in the mold

122

Recommendations on lettering

123

Defects due to improper design

Deep
and
sharp
letterings can lead to
Teardropeffects during
moulding

Improved with rounded

and shallow lettering 124

Surface Finish:

Textures
Plating, Hot stamping, or Painting,
Metalizing
High-gloss

125

Price index for various Surface Finishing classes

126

Consider easy assembly techniques

Sharp

Boss
alignment

127

#Consider easy manufacturability

128

Considerstrain factor

Provide Energy directors

for welding

129

# Include Orientation Features / Mistake proofing

130

# Consider Recycling possibilities

131

SPI identification codes

132

Thank you

133