CENTRAL INSTITUTE OF PLASTICS ENGINEERING

AND TECHNOLOGY

INJECTION MOULD DESIGN

S.Lakshmanan
Technical officer(Design)
 PLASTIC PRODUCT
The Factors to be considered for the Design of a Plastic Product are:

 Properties of the Plastic Material.

 Proposed function of the Product
 Method of Manufacture

Factors to decide the type of Moulding operation are:

 Type of Plastic Material

 Shape and Size of the Product

The Moulding Processes are classified as:

Operation involves :

Physical changes only Chemical changes only

Injection Moulding Casting of Monomers
Blow Moulding
Both Physical and Chemical changes
Compression or
Transfer Moulding
 The Quality of the Product
depends on ( in Injection Moulding)

• Moulding Temperature
• Pressure
• Speed of Injection
• Method of Cooling
• Flow behaviour of the Polymer
• Design of Mould
• Quality of the Mould
• Performance of the Moulding Machine
 Product, Product drawing &
Production specification

 Production Volume (requirement in time)

 Estimated Moulding Cycle (Cycle time)
 Is the Drawing clear ?
 Projection
 1st angle, 3rd angle
 Tolerances
 Notes on Drawing – Draft angle, etc.
 End use requirement
 Moulding Material
 Shrinkage
Factors to be considered during Design
of Injection Moulds for Plastics
1. Optimum production requirements/time
2. Number of Cavities and Layout of Cavities
3. Selection of Moulding Machine
4. Layout of Cavities
5. Type of Mould
6. Design of Feed system
7. Temperature control (Cooling system)
8. Design of Ejection
9. Venting System
10. Shrinkage of the Plastics Material
11. Mould Material
FLOW CHART FOR METHODICAL DESIGNING OF INJECTION MOULDS
Part design, Material Selection, Requirements,
Quantity ordered, No. of Pieces/Time

Number of cavities Selection of Injection Moulding M/c Types of ejection

Types of mould Pin Blade Stripper Stripper Air Sleeve Valve

Ring plate
Cold runner Hot runner
Types of venting
Layout of cavities

Parting line Core insert Ejector pin Porous metal pin

Star arrangement Symmetrical arrangement In-line arrangement
Mould Material
Selection of Parting Line
Mold base Cores & Cavity Inserts/ Plates
Plain Stepped Angled Profiled Complex Edge
Types of gating Mild Steel Mild Steel Pre-Hardened Steel Hot Die Steel

Anticipated Shrinkage
Sprue Pin Edge Tunnel Fan Film Tab Spoke Diaphragm Ring

Temperature control system

Part Design Gating Processing Condition

Plates Cores,Cavities Type of ejection DESIGN

Oil Water Oil Water
 2. CLASSIFICATION OF INJECTION MOULD
According to Production Method

Hand Mould Semi Automatic Mould Fully Automatic Mould

FURTHER CLASSIFIED

According to Feed System, Ejection System, No. of Opening & Product Configuration

Single Day-Light Multi Day -Light Split Hot Runner Auto Unscrewing Stack
Mould Mould Mould Mould Mould Mould

OR
Two Plate Core Split Cavity Split
Mould

Three Plate Four Plate Stripper Plate

Mould Mould Mould
 3. Number of Cavities in a Mould

Factors that controls the Number of Cavities

in a Mould are:
a. On the Machine Side:
Shot capacity
Plasticising capacity
Clamping force
Injection Pressure
Size of the Platens

b. On the Component Side:

Projected area of the Moulding (Clamping force)
Configuration of the Moulding (Injection pressure)
Wall thickness of the Moulding (Pressure)
Height of the moulding (pressure)
Size of the Moulding (Mould size, Platen size & Flow length)
C On the Material Side
• Injection Pressure
• Injection Temperature
• Mould Temperature
• Density of the Material
Shot Capacity
• Bulk Factor of the Material
• Percentage Volume expansion of the Material at the
Moulding Temperature
(Crystalline and Amorphous Materials)
• Total thermal heat content of the Material at the Plasticising
Moulding Temperature Capacity
• Specific heat of the Material
• Latent heat of fusion of the Material
• Temperature difference between the Moulding
Temperature and Room Temperature.
i) Shot Capacity:
Maximum weight of the material that may be injected per shot.
• For Plunger Machine
Shot Capacity Shot capacity Density of B Bulk factor of B
with material B = with material A X -------------- x -----------------
Density of A Bulk factor of A
• For Screw Type Machine
Shot Capacity = Swept Volume (cm3) x Density of plastic at
Moulding temperature and pressure.
= Swept Volume (cm3) x d x c
Where:
d = Density of plastic at normal temperature
c = Correction for percent volume expansion of the plastic at
moulding temperature.
Value of c
0.85 for Crystalline materials
0.93 for Amorphous materials
ii) Plasticising Rate:
Maximum material that the machine can bring per hour to the moulding
temperature.
Plasticising rate Plasticising rate QA (Cal/gm)
With material B = with material A x ----------------
QB (Cal/gm)

Where Q = total thermal capacity of the material at moulding

temperature

Q = (Specific heat x Temperature rise) + Latent heat of fusion.

iii) Clamping Force:

Force available on the machine platen to prevent the mould from
opening during injection.

Clamping force controls the maximum projected area of the moulding.

Clamping force Projected area of 1/3 to 1/2 of the injection

Required (kgf) = the moulding(cm2) X pressure (kgf/cm2)
IV. INJECTION PRESSURE

Injection pressure inside the mould

will depends on:
The flow characteristics of the
material
Thickness of the moulding
Cavity depth
Projected area of the moulding
Flow length
Type, size and finishing of the feed
system.
4. SELECTION OF INJECTION MOULDING MACHINE
BASED ON NUMBER OF CAVITIES
OR

DETERMINATION OF NUMBER OF CAVITIES BASED

ON ACTUAL MACHINE CAPACITY
Based on :
(a) Shot Capacity of the Machine

0.85 Ms – Rw
Ns = -----------------
Cw
Where:
Ns = Number of Impressions
Ms = Shot Capacity of the Machine (gm)
Cw = Weight of the Product (gm)
Rw = Weight of Feed system (gm)
(b) Plasticising capacity of the machine
(0.85 Mp x Tc) – Rw
Np = ------------------------
Cw
Where:

Np = Number of cavities
Mp = Plasticising capacity of the machine (gm/hr)
Tc = Overall cycle time (hr)

(c) Clamping Force

Mc – RA Ip
Nc = ---------------
CA x Ip
Where:

Nc = Number of Cavities
Mc = Machine clamping force (tons)
RA = Projected area of feed system (cm2)
CA = Projected area of the moulding (cm2)
Ip = Injection pressure (Design) (ton/cm2)
CYCLE TIME OPTIMISATION

Total time taken to complete one cycle of

operation of the mould in seconds

The sequence are :

1. Mould closing time (a)
2. Injection time (b)
3. Mould cooling ( Hold-on time) ( c )
4. Mold opening & Ejection time (d)

Total cycle time T = a + b + c + d

INJECTION TIME
When machine is limited by plasticizing capacity

m X 3600
Tc =
pXk

Where,
Tc = Minimum injection time attainable ( sec )
m = Shot weight ( gms )
p = Plasticizing capacity of the M/c with particular
polymer being molded ( Kg/hr )
k = Constant = 1000 ( with metric units )
COOLING TIME

Minimum cooling time for a molding may be estimated from

a following formulae:

-t² ( Tx – Tm )
S= log e
2 4 ( Tc – Tm )

Where,
S = Minimum cooling time (s)
t = Thickness of molding (cm)
 = Thermal diffusivity of material ( cm ² / sec )
Tx = Ejection temperature of molding ( C)
Tm = Mold temperature ( C)
Tc = Cylinder temperature ( C)
 5.Layout of Cavities:
For efficient and Economical Layout the following points to be
considered during Layout of the Cavities.
Optimum disposition of Cavities
Minimum Runner length
Balanced Layout

Optimum disposition of Cavities

 Reduce the Mould size
 Reduce the Mould cost.
Minimum Runner length
 Reduce the pressure drop
 Fill all the cavities with required pressure and
temperature.
Balanced Layout
 Attain uniform clamping
 Prevent local flashing of the mould.
 LAYOUT OF CAVITIES
Mould size comparison
Area of Plate A = (a√2 + 2b ) 2
Area of Plate B = ( a + 2b ) 2
A> B = (a√2 + 2b ) 2 ─ ( a + 2b ) 2
= a2 + 1.656ab
 6. Design of Feed system

Feed system connects

The flow of the material from nozzle to the cavity

Feed system contains

Sprue alone (Direct sprue gate) or
Sprue, runner and gate in multi-impression moulds

Feed system is not proper

Difficult to get the product with optimum quality
MULTIPLE CAVITY
WITH EDGE GATE

SINGLE CAVITY
DIRECT SPRUE GATE
(a) Runner Design
The designer should keep in mind the following points during
design of runner.
Shape and Cross section of the runner
Size of the runner
Layout of the runner
Shape and Cross section:
Various shapes and cross sections are:
Circular
Semi- circular
Trapezoidal
Modified Trapezoidal
Hexagonal
Square
Rectangular
 Runner Efficiency
Depends on:
 Cross Sectional area
 Periphery of the runner

Cross Sectional Area

Runner Efficiency = -------------------------
Periphery of the runner

Choice of Runner
For simple two plate tool with flat parting surface
Fully round or Hexagonal runner
(Increased mould cost is relatively small)
For moulds with complex parting surfaces
semi-circular runner
For multi-plate mould
Trapezoidal or Modified Trapezoidal runner
EFFICIENCY OF VARIOUS RUNNER PROFILES

RUNNER PROFILES
a) Round
b) Trapezoidal
c) Modified Trapezoidal
d) Hexagonal
Runner size
The Runner size will be decided based on:
 The Wall section and Volume of the moulding
 The overall length of the runner
 Runner cooling consideration
 Standard cutter size
 The plastic material to be used

√W x 4 √L
Runner diameter D = ------------
3.7
Where:

D = runner diameter (mm)

W = Moulding weight (gm)
L = runner length (mm)
The empherical formula is used when
 The weight of moulding is up to 200 gms.
 The wall thickness of the moulding is less than 3 mm.

Other Points to be Considered for deciding the runner size.

 For rigid PVC and Acrylics, increase the calculated
value by 25%
 The runner size should not be below 2 mm dia, nor above
10 mm or 13 mm dia.
 The calculated value should be increased to the next
cutter size.
 The cross sectional area of the main runner should be
equal to the area of the branch runners.
Layout of the Runner depends on:

Number of Impression
Type of Mould
Type of Gate
Layout of the Cavities

Points to be kept in mind when designing runner layout:

Minimum Runner length
Balanced Layout
Radial arrangement of Runners with Multiple –Cavity Moulds
Radial arrangement of Runners with Multiple –Cavity Moulds
(b) GATE DESIGN
Gate is a small channel that connects the cavity with
the runner.
A small gate is desired so that :
 The gate freezes soon after the cavity filled
 The injection plunger can be withdrawn immediately
without forming voids due to suck-back.
 It is easy for degating
 Small witness mark remains on the product
 Better filling of cavities in multi-impression mould.
 More packing of material due to shrinkage effect is
minimised.
 Gate Location
The location of the gate is decided based on:
 Appearance
 Function of the part (end use)

The area near the gate is highly stressed due to:

 Frictional heat generated at the gate
 The high velocity of the melt.
Gate location affects the molecular orientation of the resin
during injection process which produces:
 Directional variation in structural properties
Gate area should be away from the load bearing surfaces.
GATE SIZE
The size of the Gate should be designed to permit optimum
flow of material.
Optimum Size depends on:
The flow characteristics of the material
The wall section of the moulding
The volume or weight of the moulding
The moulding temperature
The mould temperature
 Gate Area = h x w
Where: h = depth of gate
w = width of gate
n . √A
Gate width W = ------------
30
Where : n = material constant (o.6-0.9)
A = surface area of cavity (mm2)

Depth of gate h = n . t
Where: n = material constant ;
t = wall thickness of the moulding (mm)

Land length L = 0.5 – 1.5 mm.

Types of gate
Direct sprue gate
Pin point gate
Rectangular Edge gate
Fan gate
Film gate
Tab gate
Spoke gate
Diaphragm gate
Ring gate
Sub-surface or submarine
or Tunnel gate.
 GATE BALANCING IN MULTI-IMPRESSION MOULD
(COMPOSITE MOULD)
For Round Gate:
d2 = d1(w2/w1)1/4
Where
d1 = The gate diameter of the first cavity (cm)
d2 = The gate diameter of the second cavity (cm)
w1 = The weight of the first cavity component (gm)
w2 = The weight of the second cavity component (cm)

For Rectangular Gate:

t2 = t1 (w2/w1) 1/3
Where
t1 = depth of gate in first cavity (cm)
t2 = depth of gate in second cavity (cm)
 7. Temperature Control (Cooling System)
Cooling system is necessary :

• To solidify the hot plastic material injected inside the cavity

Efficient cooling in necessary:
• For efficient production ( Less Cycle time )
• For quality moulding
• To prevent moulded in-stresses, strains, blisters,warpage,
sink mark, poor surface appearance, varying part dimensions
etc. on the finished product.
In-efficient cooling can cause quality problems in the product
such as:
 Axial and Radial Eccentricity
 Angular deviation
 Warpage
 Surface defects & Flow lines
Cooling efficiency:
 Ability of the cooling medium to carry the heat away
from hot plastics
Cooling efficiency will depends on:
 Temperature difference between plastic and coolant
 Heat travel distance from hot plastic inside the cavity to
cooling channel
 Heat conductivity of mould material
 Dirt in coolant
 Rust and Mineral deposits in cooling channels
 Specific heat of coolant
 Mould temperature and Coolant temperature
 Layout of cooling channels
 Size of cooling channels
 Methods of cooling systems (Direct, In-direct &
embedded copper tubes )
Types of cooling system will depends on:
• Size and shape of the product
• Design of the mould

Cooling systems layout in a mould depends on:

 Part geometry
 Number of cavities
 Ejector and Cam systems
 Part quality
 Dimensional accuracy
 Part surface appearance
 Polymer etc.
Size of the cooling channels dependent on :
 Rate of cooling
 Temperature control needed for quality production

Size of the cooling channels

( Based on Mould size )

Size of the Size of cooling Distance between the

mould channel channels
9/16” (14 mm)
Small and Pipe thread:3/8” 2 ½” (65 mm)
Medium BSP

11/16” (17.5 mm)

Larger Pipe thread: ½” BSP 4” (100 mm)
 Cooling channel size should be more for thicker wall section

Wall thickness Channel size

(mm) (dia) (mm)
Up to 2 8 - 10
Up to 4 10 - 12
Up to 6 10 - 16

Other points to be considered

• The mould temperature can affect the flow of the material
• Mould temperature will vary from 750- 1350 F and it depends on:
- Plastic material & size and shape of the product
• Cooling water to be circulated with the temperature of 40 - 60 C
and pressure about 4 - 5 kg/cm2
• The difference in inlet and outlet water temperatures
< 2 to 50 C - normal condition
=0.5 to 10 C - for precision moulding
For effective cooling:
m[Cp(T1-T2) + L] mxa
m2 = ------------------------ or m2 = -----------
K(T3-T4) K(T3-T4)

Where:
m = Weight of plastics material injected per hr. (g)
m2 = Weight of water passed through mould (gm/hr)
a = Total heat content of plasticised polymer (cal/g)
T1 = Injection temperature of polymer (oC)
T2 = Mould temperature (oC)
T3 = Outlet temperature of water ( oC)
T4 = Inlet temperature of water (oC)
Cp = Specific heat capacity of polymer (cal/g oC)
L = Specific latent heat of fusion of polymer (cal/g)
K = Constant
k = 0.64 for direct cooling
= 0.5 for indirect cooling
= 0.1 for embedded copper tubes
 Types of Cooling Systems

Figure shows
diverting plugs and
pipe plugs in cooling
channels
Channeling of plates
 Flow pattern used on a deep cavity
block with the channels running
length wise

Cavity block with three Circular flow at various levels

level cooling channels around a deep cavity
 Baffle
Cooling

Use of Baffles
and O - Rings on
a cavity having
long side walls
 Channeling of
round flat cores
and shallow
cavities

Baffle
cooling
for long
cores
Use of Bubbler arrangements in Cooling system

O – Ring
fitting details
for sealing a
curved surface
8. Ejection System
The ejection system in a mould should be:
• Positive in action
• No ejection mark will be seen on the product
• No defects on the product (I.e distortion, flash, witness mark)
Type of ejection for a particular product will depends on:
• The configuration of the product
Types of ejection :
• Pin ejection ( Round Pin, D-Pin )
• Blade ejection
• Stripper ejection ( Stripper plate, Stripper Ring )
• Sleeve ejection
• Air ejection ( Valve ejection )
Types of Ejection Systems
The force required to eject the moulding
will depends on:
• The area of contact between the plastics and
steel material
• Co-efficient of friction between the plastics
and steel material
• Elastic modulus of steel material
• Poisson’s ratio of the plastic material
• The thermal contraction of the plastic
material.
9. Venting in Injection Moulds
If venting is not provided, the following defects may
occur in the moulding:
- Discoloration
- Sink mark
- Incomplete filling
Position of the Vent:
- At the point where flow paths are likely to meet
- At the bottom of the projection
- At the point of further most from the gate on
symmetrical moulding.
Size of the Vent:
- 0.05 deep x 3 mm wide
 VENTING OF PARTING
SURFACE

VENTING OF
RUNNER
 10. Shrinkage
The shrinkage factor will depends on:
 Plastics material
 Processing condition
 Product design
 Mould design
• Shrinkage value is higher for Crystalline material than
Amorphous material.
• Shrinkage is very complex in injection moulding and
influenced by:
Hold-on pressure Melt temperature
Mould temperature Injection rate
Hold-on time Wall thickness of the moulding
Distance from the gate Kind and amount of fillers in polymer
Degree of crystallanity
MATERIALS, MOULD AND PROCESS CONDITIONS
INFLUENCE SHRINKAGE

SHRINKAGE
SHRINKAGE INCREASES with
DECREASES with

AMORPHOUS CRYSTALINE
MATERIALS
REINFORCED HIGHER WALL THICKNESS

LONG FLOW PATH

HIGH THERMAL SMALL GATE AREA
MOULD
CONDUCTIVITY INSUFFICIENT COOLING
INSUFFICIENT CLAMPING FORCE

HIGH CAVITY HIGH MOULD TEMPERATURE

PROCESS PRESSURE INSUFFICIENT GATE FREEZE-OFF
CONDITION TIME
HIGH INJECTION RATE HIGH MELT TEMPERATURE
11. Mould material
Without proper steel material proper mould cannot be
achieved
Different mould materials are:
• Mild steel
• Alloy Steel etc.
Essential requirements of steel for moulds:
• Excellent machinability
• Excellent heat treatability
• Good polishability
• Good Compressive strength
• High wear resistance
• Surface corrosion resistance
The selection of steel for a particular mould
depends on the requirements from:
• Product Designer
• Mould Designer
• Mould Maker
• Moulder

Steel requirements
Product Designer Mould Designer
Surface Finish Economy
Photo etching Standard
Effect of moulding materials
Tolerances
Production quantity
Mould Maker
Free from defects
Easy to machine and polish
Stable in heat treatment
Suitable for EDM/etching
Moulder
Wear resistance
Compressive strength
Corrosion resistance
Thermal conductivity

12. Efficiency of mould

Depends on :
Design
Mould material selection
Estimated Injection temperature
Estimated Mould temperature
Estimated ejection temperature of the product
Coolant temperature and pressure
Estimated ambient temperature of mould plant
THANK YOU