Plastic Molding Defects

Injection Molding

Saad Bin Nazarudeen

Major defects

Vacuum Surface
Flow Lines Shrinkage Sink Marks
Voids Delamination

Weld Line Short Shots Cracking Warping Burn Marks

Jetting Flash Discoloration Blister Silver Streak

 Flow Lines

• Description: Flow lines are lines, streaks, or patterns that show up on the
prototype, caused by the molten plastic passing through the mold or gate.
They are commonly off-toned in color.
• Causes: These defects are caused by the varying speeds of the molten
plastic as it changes direction through the contours and bends in the mold.
It also occurs when the plastic flows through sections with varying wall
thickness. In addition, flow lines occur when the injection speed is too low
and the molten plastic is solidifying and more viscous while in the mold.
• Remedies:
• - Injection speeds and pressure should be increased to the optimal level,
which will ensure the proper filling of cavities while not allowing the
molten plastic time to start cooling. The temperature of the molten plastic
or the mold itself can be elevated to ensure the plastic does not cool down
sufficiently to cause the defect.
• - Corners and locations where the wall thickness changes should be
rounded to avoid sudden changes in direction and flow rate.
• - Locating the gate at a location with thin walls can also help against the
defect.
Shrinkage
• Barrel temperature too high.
• Mold temperature too high.
• Improper flow rate.
• Early gate opening.
• Solution: Decrease the mold temperature until the material maintains
the proper flow and fills the cavity without shorting. This should be done
in 5 °C increments, and once the desired level is reached, a single
increase of 5 °C should be added to compensate for fluctuation in the
temperature control units.
• Solution: Raise the melt index by 2 or 3 points; the increase may be
enough to allow full packing of the cavity and minimize excessive
shrinkage.
• Solution: Instruct the operator that cycles that are too fast may cause
defects in the molded product that are not even visible.
Sink Marks
• Description: Sink marks are small craters or depressions that
develop in thicker areas of the injection molded prototype when
shrinkage occurs in the inner portions of the finished product. The
effect is somewhat similar to sinkholes in topography but caused by
shrinkage rather than erosion.
• Causes: Sink marks are often caused when the cooling time or
cooling mechanism is not adequate for the plastic to fully cool and
cure while in the mold. It can also be caused by inadequate pressure
in the cavity or by an excessive temperature at the gate.
• Remedies:
• - Mold temperatures should be lowered, holding pressure increased,
and holding time prolonged to allow for more adequate cooling and
curing.
• - Reducing the thickness in the thickest wall sections will also ensure
faster cooling.
 Vacuum Voids / air
pockets
• Description: Vacuum voids are pockets of air trapped within or
close to the surface of an injection molded prototype.
• Causes: These are often caused by uneven solidification between
the surface and the inner sections of the prototype. This can be
aggravated when the holding pressure is insufficient to condense
the molten plastic in the mold and force out air pockets. Voids also
develop when a part that is cast from two halves of a mold is not
aligned correctly.
• Remedies:
• - The gate location should be at the thickest part of the molding.
• - Switching to a less viscous plastic will ensure that less gas is
trapped.
• - Holding pressure as well as holding time should be increased.
• - Mold parts need to be perfectly aligned.
 Surface Delamination
• Description: Surface delamination is when thin surface layers appear
on the part due to a contaminant material. These layers appear like
coatings and can usually be peeled off.
• Causes: Foreign materials that find their way into the molten plastic
separate from the finished product because the contaminant and the
plastic cannot bond. The fact that they can’t bond not only has an
affect on the appearance of the prototype but also on its strength. The
contaminant becomes like localized faults trapped within the plastic.
An over-dependence on mold release agents can also cause
delamination.
• Remedies:
• - Pre-dry the plastic properly before molding and increase the mold
temperature.
• - Smooth out the corners and sharp turns in the mold design to avoid
sudden changes in melt flow.
• - Focus more on the ejection mechanism in the mold design to reduce
or eliminate the dependence on mold release agents.
Weld Line
• Description: The weld line is actually more like a plane that appears in a
part where molten plastics meet each other as they flow from two
different parts of the mold.
• Causes: It is caused by the inadequate bonding of two or more flow
fronts when there is partial solidification of the molten plastic.
• Remedies:
• - Raise the temperature of the mold or molten plastic.
• - Increase the injection speed.
• - Adjust the design for the flow pattern to be a single source flow.
• - Switch to a less viscous plastic or one with a lower melting
temperature.
 Short Shot
• Description: As the term implies, short shots can be described as a
situation where a molding shot falls short. This means that the molten
plastic for some reason does not fully occupy the mold cavity or
cavities, resulting in a portion where there is no plastic. The finished
product becomes deficient because it is incomplete.
• Causes: Short shots can be caused by a number of things. Incorrect
calibration of the shot or plasticizing capacities can result in the plastic
material being inadequate to fill the cavities. If the plastic is too
viscous, it may solidify before fully occupying all the cavities and result
in a short shot. Inadequate degassing or gas venting techniques can
also result in short shots because air is trapped and has no way to
escape; plastic material cannot occupy the space that air or gas is
already occupying.
• Remedies:
• Select a less viscous plastic with higher flowability. This plastic will fill
the hardest-to-reach cavities.
• Increase mold or melt temperature so as to increase flowability.
• Account for gas generation by designing the mold so that gas is not
trapped within the mold and is properly vented.
• Increase the material feed in the molding machine or switch to a
machine that has a higher material feed in the event that the
maximum material feed has been reached.
Cracking / Crazing (Finer cracks)
• Molded-in stresses.
• Insufficient draft or polish.
• Excessive moisture.
• Inconsistent cycles.
• Solution: Reduce the injection pressure and speed to the lowest numbers that will successfully mold the part. This
reduces the tendency to mold in stress.
• Solution: Make sure cavity surfaces have a high polish when the mold is built and that they are re-polished as the
need arises.
• Solution: ensure proper drying of the material prior to molding to minimize the tendency to crack due to moisture
content.
• Solution: Inform and show operators that inconsistent cycles will cause defects such as cracking and encourage
them to use automatic cycling whenever possible to eliminate the Influence of operator inconsistencies.
Warping
• Description: Warping (or warpage) is the deformation that
occurs when there is uneven shrinkage in the different parts
of the molded component. The result is a twisted, uneven,
or bent shape where one was not intended.
• Causes: Warping is usually caused by non-uniform cooling of
the mold material. Different cooling rates in different parts
of the mold cause the plastic to cool differently and thus
create internal stresses. These stresses, when released, lead
to warping.
• Remedies:
• Ensure that the cooling time is sufficiently long and that it is
slow enough to avoid the development of residual stresses
being locked into the part.
• Design the mold with uniform wall thickness and so that the
plastic flows in a single direction.
• Select plastic materials that are less likely to shrink and
deform. Semi-crystalline materials are generally more prone
to warping.
 Burn Marks
• Description: Burn marks are discolorations, usually rust colored, that
appear on the surface of the injection molded prototypes.
• Causes: Burn marks are caused either by the degradation of the plastic
material due to excessive heating or by injection speeds that are too
fast. Burn marks can also be caused by the overheating of trapped air,
which etches the surface of the molded part.
• Remedies:
• Reduce injection speeds.
• Optimize gas venting and degassing.
• Reduce mold and melt temperatures.
• Enlarge gas vents and gates
• Shorten the mold cycle time
 Jetting
• Jetting refers to a kind of deformation in a molded component that can
occur when there’s an initial “jet” of molten material injected into the
mold cavity that starts to solidify before the cavity is filled. Jetting often
appears as a squiggly line in the surface of the finished component,
typically leading from the initial gate of injection. This visible flow pattern
can result in part weakness.
• Causes and remedies of jetting in molded parts
• The chief cause for jetting is excessive injection pressure. When
molten polymer or other material is injected through a small gate at high
pressure it often squirts rapidly through the gate, rather than filling the
mold cavity gradually. As this initial line of material cools against the mold
walls and starts to harden, the remaining mold material pushes it, leaving
impressions in the surface of the finished part. Avoid jetting in molded
parts by:
• Reducing injection pressure to prevent rapid squirting of the material
into the mold cavity
• Increasing material and mold temperature to keep the initial jet of
material from solidifying early
• Designing the mold with the injection gate located such that
the material is directed across the mold, rather than lengthwise
 Flash
• Description: Flash is a molding defect that occurs when some molten
plastic escapes from the mold cavity. Typical routes for escape are through
the parting line or ejector pin locations. This extrusion cools and remains
attached to the finished product.
• Causes: Flash can occur when the mold is not clamped together with
enough force (a force strong enough to withstand the opposing forces
generated by the molten plastic flowing through the mold), which allows
the plastic to seep through. The use of molds that have exceeded their
lifespan will be worn out and contribute to the possibility of flash.
Additionally, excessive injection pressure may force the plastic out through
the route of least resistance.
• Remedies:
• Increase the clamp pressure to ensure that the mold parts remain shut
during shots.
• Ensure that the mold is properly maintained and cleaned (or replaced
when it has reached the end of its useful lifespan).
• Adopt optimal molding conditions like injection speed, injection pressure,
mold temperature, and proper gas venting.
 Discoloration
• Discoloration, or “color streaking”, occurs when a molded part is
a different color than intended. Often the discoloration is limited
to a localized area or a few streaks of abnormal color on a
molded part. This defect typically affects the appearance of the
part without reducing its strength.
• A common cause of discoloration is leftover pellets in the hopper
or residual resin in the nozzle or mold from a previous production
run. Poor thermal stability of the coloring agent or improper
mixing of the masterbatch are other potential causes. Take the
following precautions to limit the risk of discoloration in your
injection-molded products:
• Ensure that workers properly clean the hopper, nozzle
and mold between production runs to eliminate any residual
pellets or base material
• Consider using a purging compound to remove excess color from
the machine
• Ensure you or your supplier is using a color agent with adequate
thermal stability
• Ensure that the masterbatch is evenly mixed for consistent color
output
 Blister
• A blister is a raised area on the plastic surface, very similar to the
medical condition of the same name. It is generally the product of too
much heat on the tool or by inadequate cooling or venting. Depending
on the type of tool, you can also find areas where full coverage is not
working. For instance, if the injector has a flow pattern issue, it might
not inject all the resin at once, allowing air bubbles to enter the molten
resin. A hot runner tool might also suck air into the die because of area
constriction, slowing the passage of the resin.
Splay (Silver Streak)
• Barrel temperature too high.
• Gates too small.
• Excessive moisture.
• Inconsistent cycle
• Solution: Decrease the barrel temperature to allow the plastic to stay molten
without degrading and charring. The particles will bond together as designed and
splay will be eliminated.
• Solution: Examine the gates to make sure there are no burrs. Enlarge the gates so
the depth is 50 percent of the wall thickness the gate is entering. The width can
be increased until it is as much as 10 times the depth without affecting cycle
times.
• Solution: Make sure that all materials are properly dried. Even materials that are
not hygroscopic (such as nylon) must have surface moisture removed before
molding. Drying conditions are critical, and material suppliers have documented
conditions for specific materials and grades.
• Solution: Instruct the operator on the importance of maintaining consistent
cycles.Demonstrate by showing defective parts created by inconsistent cycles.