Setting Molding Conditions

This chapter explains each molding condition (injection, temperature, and ejector).

Molding conditions differ depending on each molding material. A good part is made only
with the proper setting of each condition.
Air-tightness is required of the mold to prevent development of flashes during the molding
process.
On the other hand, good venting is necessary in order to emit the air inside the mold cavity.
Setting conditions for injection molding is said to be difficult. It is often the case that there
are few defects if conditions are set based on experience. The following are general molding
conditions for your reference.

Injection Conditions

Injection pressure
The injection pressure required for molding differs considerably depending on
the molding material, shape, and preciseness of dimension.
There is primary injection pressure with which molding material is filled in the
mold cavity. There is also a secondary injection pressure (which is also called
holding pressure) applied to prevent sink mark after mold filling.
At the initial setting of conditions, only primary pressure is applied to satisfy
the filling condition, without considering secondary pressure. This method
helps specify the role of primary and secondary pressure. This method enables
us to recognize what is necessary for the ultimate molding condition.
The pressure inside the cavity changes depending on several conditions, such
as the type of molding material, the structure and dimension of the clamping
device, cavity shape and molding condition. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain
by calculation or measurement.
Injection pressure is said to decrease by 30 - 50% within the cavity due to loss
of pressure.
[Pressure inside cavity of plastics]
Resin Injection Pressure Inside
Resin Name Temperature Pressure [kgf/ the Cavity [kgf/
[ ] ] ]
Polyethylene
180-300 600-1400 230-320
(PE)
Polypropylene
200-300 600-1400 220-320
(PP)
Polyvinyl chloride
150-180 1000-1500 280-290
(PVC)
Polystyrene
180-315 700-1700 260-320
(PS)
 Polycarbonate
280-320 800-1500 270-300
(PC)
Acrylonitrile
butadienstylene 200-280 700-1500 330-440
(ABS)
Polyamide
230-300 800-1500 240-450
(PA)

Injection
Speed
The faster the injection speed, the better the molding condition. However,
excessive speed will result in the following inconveniences:

 During injection of the molding material into the mold cavity , molding
material may compress the air within the mold, and the resulting high
air pressure hinders further filling of the molding material.
 The temperature of the molding material rises to combustion
temperature and considerably deteriorates the quality of the molded
parts.
 The molten plastics is filled within the cavity before the air inside the
cavity is ejected. This will cause the molding material to mix with the
air, which deteriorates the surface of the part.

Accordingly, it is necessary to adjust the injection speed by checking the part

condition.
Generally, the thinner the part is, the higher the injection speed should be.

Temperature Condition
Resin Temperature

In the case of thermoplastics resin, the volume becomes larger as the

temperature of the molten plastics gets higher. Accordingly, the shrinkage
rate becomes higher.
However, as the temperature drops down below a certain level, the flow of the
molten plastics becomes less smooth, and the shrinkage rate becomes higher.

Mold Temperature
Effects of mold temperature differ among the types of molding material.
With a rise of the mold temperature, thermosetting plastics becomes harder,
and the shrinkage rate becomes lower.
Mold temperature has effects on the cooling speed of thermoplastics resin. The
higher the mold temperature, the larger the heat expansion and molding
shrinkage.
In general, the lower the mold temperature, the shorter the molding
cycle becomes. Therefore, it is advised to start with a lower temperature and
then adjust to the appropriate one by raising it gradually.
[Molding Temperature]
 Resin Mold
Resin Name
Temperature [ ] Temperature [ ]
Polyethylene
180-300 15-75
(PE)
Polypropylene
200-300 40-60
(PP)
Polyvinyl chloride
150-180 35-65
(PVC)
Polystyrene
180-315 20-60
(PS)
Polycarbonate
280-320 85-125
(PC)
Acrylonitrile butadienstylene
200-280 40-85
(ABS)
Polyamide
230-300 20-90
(PA)

Ejection Condition
There are two types of ejectors: mechanical ejector and hydraulic ejector. Currently,
the hydraulic ejector is popular.
In general, the higher the ejection speed, the easier to remove the part from the mold.
However, if the draft angle of the product is small, and mold-removing resistance is
higher, the part could be damaged or broken under high ejection speed. Therefore, in
such a case, ejection pressure needs to be raised by slowing the ejection speed.

Mold Cooling

You will learn about the effect of mold cooling, position of cooling channel, and
cooling method for each part.

The temperature of a mold has a great impact on molding.

For example, if the temperature of the mold is too low, molten plastics will not
flow smoothly through the runner or the gate, thus may not fill up in the cavity.
On the other hand, if the temperature is too high, it will take too long to cool down
and solidify the molten plastics, so the molding cycle will be longer.
Therefore, by controlling the temperature of the mold, the following effects can be
expected.
  Molding cycle can be shortened by reducing time for cooling and
solidification of molten plastics.
 The surface quality or measurement accuracy of parts can be improved by
better mold ability.
 Warpage or stress in a part can be avoided that is caused when mold
shrinkage varies due to different thickness, leading internal stress difference.

Effective mold cooling is done by pouring cold water into the mold through a
cooling channel.

Let's see the detailed explanations of a cooling channel.

Position of Cooling Channel

To effectively cool down a mold, decide on a position of the cooling
channel considering the following remarks.

1. Adjust the mold temperature by pouring a large amount of water

having a temperature close to the temperature required for molding.
2. Increase the number of the cooling channels rather than enlarge the
diameter of one cooling channel.
3. Make sure to cool a cores (insert) which are difficult to cool, such as
a thick core, a large size slide core, or a loose core.
4. Use mold material that has high heat conductivity to improve
effectiveness of cold water.

Cavity Cooling
Position a cooling channel as shown in the figure below for cavity cooling.
 Since the numbers shown are for a general case, it is necessary to consider
the position of a cooling channel according to molding material, molding
shape, or mold material type.
Also, the cold water should flow from where the temperature of molten
plastics is higher (closer to the gate) in the same direction as the molten
plastics flows.
Example of 2 dimensional cooling channel
Pour cold water over the top side of parts.

Example of 3 dimensional cooling channel

Pour cold water to wrap parts.

Core (Insert) Cooling

The cooling methods of core (insert) are listed below:
If the core is too small for a cooling If the core is large enough to go through
channel to go through: a cooling channel.
Cools down the core by inserting a Cools down by jet method in which cold
copper rod or heat pipe that is highly water is flushed through a pipe attached
efficient in heat conduction into the core to the channel.
and then cooling down the copper rod or
heat pipe.
Regular core cooling: If there is a large cooling channel in a
core:

Coolds down by inserting metal fittings in

Cools down by baffle method in which
the cooling channel and pouring cold
a dividing plate is attached in the cooling
water in a spiral stream.
channel on the core and cold water is
poured to cross over the plate.
If the core is too small for a cooling
channel or heat pipe to go through:
Make a core of beryllium copper and
cool it down.

Considering Mold Dimension

In this chapter, you will learn about items for consideration of mold dimension.

Mold Dimension
The dimension of a mold attached to the molding machine is determined by
the shape of the relevant part or the ejection method, whereas there is a
restriction by the tie bar distance or mold clamping stroke, which limits the
mold dimension within the range.

The tie bar distance is set in accordance with a molding machine; therefore,
vertical and horizontal dimensions of a mold are determined in
consideration of the tie bar distance.
For the example shown in the figure below, the vertical and horizontal
dimensions of the mold will be as follows.

o Vertical dimension of part should be less than vertical size of tie bar
and horizontal dimension of part should be less than horizontal size of
tie bar
o Vertical dimension of part should be less than vertical size of cavity
plate and core plate and horizontal dimension of part should be less
than horizontal size of tie bar
o Vertical dimension of part should be less than vertical size of tie bar
and horizontal dimension of part should be less than horizontal size of
cavity plate and core plate
 Straight Hydraulic Type
Since mold clamping stroke is predetermined for each molding machine, the
minimum and maximum thickness of a mold is determined in consideration
of the stroke.
For straight hydraulic method, as daylight (mold clamping stroke +
minimum mold thickness) is kept constant, the mold thickness determines
the mold clamping stroke.
o Set the minimum thickness of a mold higher than the minimum mold
thickness that is written in the manual of the molding machine.
Daylight = maximum mold clamping stroke + minimum mold
thickness
o Set the maximum thickness of a mold lower than the minimum mold
thickness + mold thickness adjustment value.
Daylight = minimum mold clamping stroke + maximum mold
thickness
 Toggle Type
Since mold clamping stroke is predetermined regardless of mold thickness,
the mold thickness is adjusted by a mold thickness adjusting device that is
installed into the mold clamping device.
For toggle type, the daylight is determined by the mold thickness.

More details
There are two types of mold clamping device: straight hydraulic type and toggle
type.
As straight hydraulic type utilizes hydraulic cylinder, mold clamping is available
anywhere within the stroke range.
On the other hand, since toggle type utilizes a mechanical device, mold clamping is
only available at the maximum mold clamping stroke. Therefore, the mold clamping
device has a mold pressure adjustment device.
 (Click a name in the figure to view the explanation.)

Tie bar distance is regulated by Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS).

[Tie Bar Distance]

1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9
Dimensio 10 11 12
0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 5 0 0 0
n 00 00 00
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vertical
/Horizont
1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 9
al 10 11 12
1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 6 1 2 2
Standard 20 20 20
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dimensio
n[mm]

Possibility of Part Removal

Confirm that a part can be removed from the mold without problems after considering
the mold dimension.
If the maximum depth of a part exceeds half the molding opening stroke, then
removal of the part is difficult. It is then necessary to consider the shape dimension of
the sprue or runner, the mold structure, or the removal method of the part.
Ejector rod Position
Check the position of the ejector rod of the molding machine and whether the mold
installation position is proper. (Check the position of the ejector rod on the molding
machine and the position of the clearance hole of the ejector rod on the core adaptor
plate.)
The position of the hole for the ejector rod is regulated by Japanese Industrial
Standard (JIS standard) as well as the hole diameter being  30 or  50.
Determining Material of Mold

You will learn how to determine the material of mold in this chapter.

The material of the mold is determined depending on usage.

Material Criteria
The criteria to determine the material of a mold includes the following:

 Abrasion Resistance
Consider how long a mold will last or if parts will accurately maintain their
dimensions depending on production quantity.
 Polishing
Consider how much a mold should be polished for the desired part finish.
 Machinability
Use a solid material that can process mold or parts good.
 Heat Treatability
Use a material that can be processed evenly by heat treatment.
 Durability
Use a material that is durable against pulling stress, compression stress, or
bend stress during the molding process.
 Heat Conductivity
Use a material whose temperature can be easily controlled while cooling the
mold.
 Delivery / Cost
Use a low cost material that is easy to get in the market as well as delivered
securely and immediately.

With these conditions considered, determine a material.

Types and Use of Material of Mold
The following steel materials are generally used for a mold.
The different components of a mold require different materials.
Furthermore, some components have special hardness requirements and
require the material to be heat treated.
Rolled Steel for General Structure (JIS symbol: SS400)
Low cost and easily obtained.
The disadvantages of this material is that it is soft and has many pinholes (air
bubble holes). It is used for parts that do not require strength or hardness
(ejector plate, spacer block, support pillar).

Carbon Steel for Machine Structure (JIS symbol: S25C - S55C)

Low cost and easily obtained. High in quality.
Used for normalizing, or with quenching, or tempering.

(A) S35C - S45C

Widely used for general attaching mold parts, support plate, locating
ring, or sprue bush.

(B) S55C
Used with quenching and tempering to HS28 - 35 hardness to improve
the quality. This is widely used as the most standard mold material.

Carbon Tool Steels (JIS symbol: SK3 - SK7)

Quenching hardness is high (HRC50 - 60). Excellent in abrasion resistance
and relatively low cost tool steel.
Used for sliding parts that require hardness and abrasion resistance such
as guide pin, guide bush, or return pin.

Alloy Tool Steels (JIS symbol: SKD, SKS)

(A) SKD11
Superior in quenching and abrasion resistance to SK material.
Generates little burn bending.
Used for cavity and core (insert), and hardness is HRC55 -
60. Sometimes other steels such as abrasion resistance uniform steel or
steel for hot-work are used.
(B) SKD61
Excels in heat resistance and toughness. Used for cavity and core
(insert) that require hardness and abrasion resistance.
When used for ejector pin, nitriding is performed to harden the surface.

(C) SKS2, SKS3

Steels improved in quenching and abrasion resistance by adding
chrome and tungsten to carbon tool steels and quenching.
Used for cavity and core (insert) that require hardness and abrasion
resistance. Hardness is HRC55 - 60.
 The chart below shows the steels that are used as a mold plate material.
As requirements for each mold vary depending on part material, finishing of
part, or reinforcement and filler such as glass fiber mixed in a molding
material , it is important to use material that meets each requirement.

Proper Steel for Major Resin (by manufacturer)

Proper Steel
Major Required
Major Resin Hitachi Daido
Products Feature
Steel Steel
Bumper
Polyacet
Radiator
al
grill
Polyprop
Tail lamp HPM2
yrene Machinabilit PX5
Inner HPM7
Polystyr y NAK55
General panel HPM1
ene Abrasion DH2F
Office FDAC
Polyami resistance PD613
machinery HPM31
de
General Vacuum
(Nylon)
Thermoplasti cleaner
ABS
cs/ Gears
Thermosetti
Panel
ng Resin
Texture ABS interior Texturing HPM50 NAK80
Top cover
Methacr Stereo
ylic resin dust cover
Transp (Acrylic Cassette Mirror HPM38 PP555
arent resin) tape case finishing HPM50 NAK80
Polystyr Cosmetic
ene case
Electric
Polycarb parts
onate Camera
HPM1,FD NAK55,D
polyami body
AC H2F
Thermo de Keyboard
Glass Fiber High + surface + surface
plastics (Nylon) Electric
Filled abrasion finishing finishing
ABS tool
Cured Resin resistance HPM31 PD613
Polystyr housing
ene VCR
cassette
Thermo Phenol Gears HPM31 PD613
setting Epoxy Breaker DAC DHA1
 Polyeste IC HAP10 DEX20
r Transister HAP40 DEX40
HAP72 DEX80

Heat Treatment of Material

The mold material is either processed without treatment or is used with heat
treatment or surface finishing to improve the quality of steel.
Heat treatment is performed to improve the quality of the entire steel.
Surface finishing is performed to improve only the quality of surface but
maintain the original material quality inside.

Heat Treatment of Steel Material

The heating or cooling treatment of metallic material to add required hardness,
abrasion resistance, or machinability is called heat treatment.
Heat treatment consists of four tasks - quenching, tempering, normalizing, and
annealing.

1) Quenching
Steel material is first heated to a high temperature, and then rapidly
cooled down by water or oil.
This procedure increases hardness of the steel material. However, if the
steel contains less than 0.3% or more than 0.6% of carbon, the
procedure is not effective.
2) Tempering
The quenched steel material is heated and cooled again.
This is done to add persistence to the steel material, but its hardness
will decrease a little from that of the quenched steel.

3) Normalizing
The steel material is heated to a certain temperature, and then air
cooled after being kept at that temperature for a certain period of time.
This procedure is done to refine crystal of cast steel (rough structure
and poor mechanical function) or forging steel, improve and normalize
the material quality.

4) Annealing
The steel material is heated to a certain temperature, and then cooled
gradually after being kept at that temperature for a certain period of
time.
This is done to remove deficiencies of the steel material that cause
undesirable conditions, such as structure distortion, oversized coarse
crystal, hardening by process.

Surface Hardening of Steel Material

 1) Cementation
Carbon is soaked in the surface of the material to create a steel layer.

2) Nitriding (Tufftriding)
After quenching and tempering, the steel is nitrided by being heated to
diffuse nitrogen.
This method makes a layer of iron nitride on the surface harder than
the cementation process.

3) Cyanide Process
First, cyanide is heated to a certain temperature in an iron container to
be molten. Then steel is soaked in the molten cyanide and cooled
rapidly by water or oil to increase hardness.

4) Induction Hardening
The method of quenching by the heat from eddy current which is
generated by high frequency current.
Working time is short, and quenching is made evenly.

Quality of Molded Parts

This chapter explains the molding process, which is closely related to the quality of
the molded products. It also describes the key aspects of quality improvement.

Quality of Molded Parts

Injection molding is a straight forward and economical molding method that allows
for mass-production of complex-shape moldings to high precision standards. The
quality of the molded parts is largely determined by the performance of the injection-
molding machine as well as by the precision and the function of the mold. It is also
influenced greatly by the molding material. Various combined factors involve
molding production; a high-quality molding will be achieved upon good condition of
all elements.
The following are the specific factors:
MATERIAL
Type, Price, physical properties
DESIGN
Dimensions, Dimension tolerances,
handling of the undercut parts
MOLD
Type of the mold, design of each
part, design of ejector, etc
ENVIRONMENT
Production capacity and facilities in
the manufacturing plant
 MOLDING MACHINE
Capabilities of the molding machine
(clamping force, injection
pressure , plasticizing ability of the
molding material, etc.
CONDITION
Molding condition or molding cycle

Molding Process
The quality of the molded products (appearance, dimension and function) is
related to various factors during the molding process. As the shape of
molded products becomes complex, the factors in molding process become
complicated. It is said that predicting any molding related phenomenon is
difficult even though it is possible to analyze such phenomenon. Therefore,
it is necessary to design the molding parts through comparison and
examination of many cases. The molding process is classified into the
following 5 processes. The quality of the molded parts is closely related to
these processes.
Injection Flow Process

This is a process in which plasticated molten plastics is injected into the

mold cavity.
The molten plastics injected initially makes the external part of the part and
that injected later makes the internal part of the part. The molten plastics
injected first influences the appearance of the part.

Injection Filling Process

This is the process in which molten plastics is injected into the mold cavity.
When the injection pressure is raised, plastics sink mark is reduced. However,
this would also encourage development of deformation around the gate. The
increase in injection pressure would require more force to take the part out of
the mold. This could lead to the development of deformations at the time of
removal from mold.

Gate Seal (Gate Closure) Process

This is the process from injection completion through gate sealing (gate
closure).
Holding pressure (secondary pressure) is applied during cooling
and solidification of the gate; it is designed to improve the filling of the molten
plastics by reducing molding shrinkage.

Cooling Process
The molten plastics within the cavity is cooled and solidified during
this process while the gate is sealed (closed). The difference in
cooling rate within the molten plastics would cause intense shrinkage
 at the thicker part of the part. This would result in a sink mark,
bubbles, or residual deformation of the part.
Mold Removal Process
This is the process in which the cooled and solidified plastics is ejected from
the cavity and removed from the mold. The part must be ejected evenly in
relation to ejector pin position; otherwise, defective conditions such
as warping, whitening, or cracking would occur.

How to Improve the Quality of the Parts...

Appearance
The appearance of the plastics part is important because it is often used for
home electric appliances, exterior parts of the house holding products, or
interior parts of automobiles.
Design of the part and the mold should be performed carefully in
consideration of the following advice:

Parting line
Plain or simple curving surfaces should have parting lines to prevent the
development of flashes.
Gate
It is a principle to set the gate position so that the flow of the molten plastics
is well balanced and consistent.
Ejection
Determine the ejecting position so that the part can be removed uniformly. It
is also recommended to make the ejection area as large as possible.
Undercut
It is preferable to design the part without any undercut, but when it is not
avoidable, use a method such as slide core.
Dimension

Plastics shrinkage is caused by several factors such as the physical condition

of the molding material, part dimension, molding condition, and the
environment in which it is used.

We have examined each condition and selected the appropriate material,

dimension and condition for molding.

Injection Resin Mold

Major Plastics products Resin pressure temperature temperature
[kgf/ ] [ ] [ ]
Polyethylene
Plastics bags, trash bag 600-1400 180-300 15-75
(PE)
Interior or exterior parts Polypropylene
600-1400 200-300 40-60
of automobile (PP)
Polyvinyl
Water pipe, sewage 1000-
chloride 150-180 35-65
pipe, electric pipe 1500
(PVC)
Polystyrene
Food container (Clear) 700-1700 180-315 20-60
(PS)
Optical disk such as CD, Polycarbonate
800-1500 280-320 85-125
DVD (PC)
Acrylonitrile
PC, Printer, etc. butadienstylene 700-1500 200-280 40-85
(ABS)
Moving parts of Polyamide
800-1500 230-300 20-90
machines (bearing, etc.) (PA)

Dimension of Parts

This chapter explains the molding (part) shrinkage rate, draft angle and flow path
ratio that need to be considered when determining part dimensions.

Part Shrinkage Rate

Molding (part) shrinkage develops due to heat and pressure during molding. The
shrinkage rate varies among each molding material depending on the size or condition
of the parts.
crystalline plastics has a higher and varied shrinkage rate than amorphous plastics.
The higher crystalline plastics rate is due to the higher internal contraction; it is
caused by the considerable volume decrease on change from liquid phase into solid
phase.
A material containing filler such as glass fiber has a lower shrinkage rate and a
smaller range of variation, so it is appropriate for applications requiring precise
dimensions.
 Assuming the molding shrinkage
is , and the manufacturing
dimensions of the mold
are L0 and T0, the amount of the
contraction is obtained as follows:

L =  * L0
T =  * T0
Each material has its own fixed
value of 
The chart below shows the molding shrinkage for each material:
[Molding shrinkage rate]
Molding
Resin Name Shrinkage
(%)
Polyethylene
1.5-6.0
(PE)
Polypropylene
1.0-3.0
(PP)
Polyvinyl chloride
0.1-0.5
(PVC)
Polystyrene
0.2-0.6
(PS)
Polycarbonate
0.5-0.8
(PC)
Acrylonitrile butadienstylene
0.3-0.8
(ABS)
Polyamide
0.6-2.0
(PA)

Daft Angle
The draft angle is the angle necessary for removing the parts from the mold.
It is usually 1-2 , but is determined by the material, the dimension of the parts, and
texture treatment (making the surface of the part rougher).
Generally, the angle at the cavity side is set as small as possible, and the angle at
the core set larger.
crystalline plastics has a higher molding shrinkage rate. Therefore, at the cavity side,
it is easy to remove from the mold since it shrinks toward inside of the mold. On the
other hand, at core side, the part is hard to remove as it tends to adhere to the mold.
Setting the draft angle should be done carefully so that the part will not stick to the
core.
Amorphous plastics has a lower molding shrinkage rate and it does not shrink inward
 the mold. Therefore, the draft angle at the cavity side should be set as large as the core
side angle.

After cooling and solidifying, the molding

Molten plastics is filled up in the shrinkage occurs. Because the part shrinks
cavity. inward and adhere to the core, it is difficult to
remove the part.

Flow Path Ratio

Flow path ratio is the ratio between L (the distance between the gate and the farthest
point in the molding dimension) and T (the thickness of the part) .

Flow Path Ratio=L /T

When molding large or thin parts, the flow path ratio is calculated to determine if
molten plastics can fill the mold cavity.
Each molding material has its own flow path ratio, but the ratio varies to a large
extent depending on conditions such as composition, temperature of the molten
plastics, injection pressure, gate type, length of runner, and so on.
The table below indicates the target value for each material. A flow path ratio
multiplied by the part thickness (T ) becomes the distance of molten plastics flow (L).

[L/T (Flow path ratio) target]

Resin Name Flow Path %
Polyethylene
L/T = 280-100
(PE)
Polypropylene
L/T = 280-150
(PP)
Polyvinyl chloride
L/T = 280-70
(PVC)
Polystyrene
L/T = 300-220
(PS)
 Polycarbonate
L/T = 160-90
(PC)
Acrylonitrile butadienstylene
L/T = 280-120
(ABS)
Polyamide
L/T = 320-200
(PA)