BDD 40903

INJECTION MOLD
DESIGN
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

CHAPTER 2
2. Plastic Part Design(2 hours)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)

Product design
Design requirement
Rib design
Boss design
Corner design
Draft
Undercuts
Surface finish and textures

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Product design
To insure a quality final product, it is necessary to start out
with quality components. Injection molded parts can be
molded to a high quality standard by focusing on these areas
of plastic technology:
1) Correct Part Design
2) Accurate Selection of Material
3) Processing Plastic Processing
Only by drawing on expertise from these three areas of plastic
technology can a product designer create quality molded parts
that maximize performance and are cost effective. The
purpose of this design guide deals with the first of these three
issues - part design.
http://injectionmoldingva.com/Plastic-Part-Design.php
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Design requirement
Correct Part Design Guidelines
If there was only one rule for the injection molding process it would have to be to maintain uniform wall
thickness. Here are some examples of problems associated with part designs that feature a non-uniform wall
thickness.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Design requirement (2)

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Rib design
Many times the stiffness of a part must increase because of the load applied to the part design. One of the
easiest ways to cure this problem is change the part geometry by adding ribs. The use of ribs is a practical
way and economical means of increasing the structural strength of a part. But there are guidelines that govern
adding ribs without causing sink marks or surface blemishes to the molded parts.
1) Rib thickness should be less than wall thickness. A rib
thickness of 60% to 80% of nominal wall thickness is
recommended.
2) To increase stiffness increase the number of ribs or
'gusset plates', another feature designed to strengthen
the plastic part.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Rib design (2)

3) For a given stiffness, it is better to increase the
number of ribs, not the height
4) For thick ribs 'core out' the rib from the back. This
creates a hollow space underneath the part and
maintains a uniform wall thickness.
Height: Maximum height of three time nominal wall
thickness of part.
Spacing: Minimum of two times nominal wall
thickness of part between ribs

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Rib design (3)

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Boss design
Bosses are used for locating, mounting, and assembly purposes. There are boss design guidelines that must
be followed to insure the highest quality in molded parts. Again, one of the main points to consider is
nominal wall thickness. Too many times bosses are designed with thick wall sections that can affect the
appearance of the plastic part and the final product.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

Boss design (2)

Rule of thumb: the wall thickness around a boss design feature (t)
should be 60% of the nominal part thickness (T) if that thickness
is less than 1/8". If the nominal part thickness is greater than 1/8"
the boss wall thickness should be 40% of the nominal wall.

Boss diameter, wall thickness, and height design parameters.

While boss heights vary by design, the following guidelines will
help avoid surface imperfections like sink marks and voids: the
height of the boss should be no more than 2 1/2 times the
diameter of the hole in the boss.
Please observe the "60/40" rule (see above) for the wall thickness
at the bottom of the boss.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Corner design
Radius All Corners
For any plastic part featuring corners, strong part design is heavily dependent upon radius. Sharp corners create
high stress areas; when a plastic part breaks, the break often occurs at or near a sharp corner. The radius of a
corner generally should be designed as large as possible without inadvertently creating a thick wall section.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Draft
Plastic parts are always designed with a taper or draft in
the direction of mold movement to allow part ejection or
removal from the mold. Since plastics shrink when
cooled, it is common for parts to shrink (or grip tightly)
to cores.
A good definition for draft would be the degree of taper
of a side wall or rib needed to allow the molded plastic
part to be removed from the metal mold.
Without proper draft, plastic parts may be difficult to
remove from the mold. A draft angle of 1/2 degrees is
regarded as minimum for most applications. Draft angles
of 1 1/2 to 2 degrees per side are considered normal for
plastic injection molding.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Undercuts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

8.

Any indentation or protrusion that prohibits an ejection of a part from a one-piece mold.
Reducing the number of undercuts often helps to reduce the initial cost of tooling.
If possible utilize other mold design features that can offer similar operation without the need of moving
slides.
Most commonly categorized by either an internal undercut or external undercut and requires an extra
component of the mold to capture the detail.
Undercuts are features that prevent a straight ejection at the parting line of mold.
Undercuts typically lead to increased mold complexity and can lead to higher mold construction costs.
A simple re-design or modification can often eliminate or reduce the number of undercuts a part has and
can potentially save in tooling costs, leading to better designed plastic parts and a more efficient molding
process.
When an undercut feature simply cannot be removed from the part design, the tooling will most likely
require internal mold mechanisms to help facilitate the ejection.

http://www.xcentricmold.com/resource/injection-mold-undercuts.php
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Undercuts (2)

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures

1.
2.
3.
4.

5.

During the part design consider the relationship

between cost, lead time and surface finish.
Typically higher finishes will increase the tooling
cost.
Surface finishes play a critical role in both
functionality as well as the cosmetic look and feel.
Parts that are hidden may not require a surface finish
at all, where exposed components might need to be
visually appealing.
If the parts will not be visible in the end product, a
lower finish option is typically selected.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures (2)

6.
7.

8.

9.

Manufacturer may offers a wide range of

materials with multiple surface finish options.
Most resins are available in many colors and
manufacturers also capable of creating custom
colors to match customer requirements.
If the customer are working on a project that
may require painting as a final process,
considering molded-in color can often be
achieved for a much lower price than
traditional painting labor and material costs.
If the customer must paint their plastic parts ,
select a resin that paints easily and preferably
one that does not require surface etching and/or
primer.

BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures(3)

http://www.protolabs.com/injection-molding/fundamentals-ofmolding/molding-surface-finishes
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures (4)

1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.

Texturing is a process used to apply patterns to a mold

surface.
This process allows flexibility in creating the final
appearance of your parts.
Texturing is an integral piece in overall product
development and should be considered during the design
process to achieve the desired results.
Texture can be a functional component of design as well.
Imperfect parts can be camouflaged by the right texture.
Is the part designed for frequent handling?
Texture can be used to hide finger prints and improve the
grip for the end user. Texture can also be used to reduce
part wear from friction.

http://www.quickparts.com/LearningCenter/BasicsofInjectionMoldingDesign.aspx
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures (5)

A wide variety of textures are available for injection
molded parts such as:
1. Natural/Exotic
2. Matte Finishes
3. Multi-Gloss Patterns
4. Fusions
5. Graphics
6. Leather Grains/Hides
7. Wood grain, Slate & Cobblestone
8. Geometric & Linens
9. Layered Textures to Create New Looks
10.Images or Logos Incorporated into the Pattern

http://www.quickparts.com/LearningCenter/BasicsofInjectionMoldingDesign.aspx
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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Surface finish and textures (6)

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

When applying a texture to a part, the CAD drawing must

be adjusted to accommodate for this surface variance.
If the texture is on a surface that is perpendicular or
angled away from the mold opening then no draft changes
are necessary.
If the texture is on a parallel surface with the mold
opening, however, increased draft is necessary to prevent
scraping and drag marks that could occur during part
ejection.
Different textures have different impacts on the molded
part.
The rule-of-thumb when designing for texture is to have
1.5 degrees of draft for each 0.001 of texture finish
depth.

http://www.quickparts.com/LearningCenter/BasicsofInjectionMoldingDesign.aspx
BDD 40903 Prepared by : Mohd Hilmi Othman

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