In all phases of the molding process—first stage, second stage and cooling—the cavities must be treated the same. If not, you run the risk of several different injection molding defects. We can prevent these issues in advance by ensuring six key factors are as they...
When you see a non-uniform fanning out from the gate, which appears as a different color or gloss level to the surrounding plastic, you may be dealing with gate blush. What is Gate Blush? Also known simply as blush, or gate shear or halos, gate blush is a dull or...
Are you experiencing bubbles during your injection molding processes? Let’s go through the possible causes—and fixes—to get rid of bubbles. What are Bubbles in Injection Molding? Bubbles, sometimes known as gas traps or blisters, are cosmetic defects that detract from...
What Causes Plastic Delamination in Injection Molding? When you’re able to peel the surface of a molded part, layer by layer, you’re dealing with delamination, an injection-molding defect that is sometimes also known as lamination or layering. This is a bad...
Ejector pin marks, sometimes called pin push, are the glossy or white imprints caused by the ejector pins that show on the class-A surface of the part. These marks can easily crack during the use of the actual products, so you want to prevent ejector pin marks before...
There are three types of injection mold release coatings within our Nano Mold Coating family and two ways to apply them, depending on the type of coating you’re using. Our HC and HCF (the food-grade alternative to HC) coatings are applied in the tool room at...
One of the most important aspects of injection molding, or anything involving machining, is making sure machines are running at peak performance. Any downtime cuts into efficiency and, ultimately, the bottom line. Prolonged downtime can lead to serious problems with...
Welcome to our Plastic Injection Molding Defects series, where we will explain some common defects seen by injection molders and present ways to fix or prevent them. What is an Ejector in Injection Molding? The ejector is the part of the molding process that pushes...
Welcome to our Plastic Injection Molding Defects series, where we will explain some common defects seen by injection molders and present ways to fix or prevent them. What is Buildup? Sometimes called gas buildup or plate out, buildup in injection molding is easy to...
Welcome to our Plastic Injection Molding Defects series, where we will explain some common defects seen by injection molders and present ways to fix or prevent them. What are Burns? Sometimes known as gas traps or the dieseling effect, burns appear as black or brown...
In today’s ever-increasing competitive environment, the ability to produce parts profitably is harder and harder. One of the areas that many molders have looked towards to save time and costs is the concept of Rapid Injection Molding. One area that can make this idea...
Lean Manufacturing is often associated with a focus on cost reduction. However, through the implementation of lean manufacturing processes, many injection molders also realize reduced lead times, improved on-time delivery scores, and an increase in overall customer...
There is a direct correlation between having a well planned and managed mold maintenance and preventative maintenance program and realizing maximum value from your tooling investments. With the expectation that each and every part must be perfect, and that production...
Rapid Injection Molding, or RIM has really changed the plastic injection molding industry. By offering lower production quantities and quicker turnaround times, it has allowed many products to be molded versus other manufacturing methods. One of the benefits of RIM is...
Optimizing The Molding Process The use of Scientific Molding has had a dramatic impact on the efficiency of molding operations. The following 6 steps should be considered to help optimize the process robustness of your molding operation. Viscosity Curve The scientific...
Taking Injection Molding To The Next Level When an industrial science approach is applied to the molding process, it takes injection molding to a higher level of precision and more importantly, repeatability. It is especially relevant and applicable for complex and...
Material selection is one of the most crucial factors when developing an injection mold design. There are a lot of excellent material suppliers offering quality materials for the injection molding process. Many also offer different grades or blends of materials to...
How SMED and Mold Maintenance Work Together Time is money in the production business and the more you waste, the more you lose. The Single-Minute-Exchange of Die (SMED) methodology may allow you to successfully implement a lean production process in your injection...
Your mold maintenance strategy should include rust prevention. If you do not use the right methods to prevent your tooling and mold from rust, you may as well put paid to your manufacturing process. Once rust affects your molds and tooling, it will be quite expensive...
Why implement lean manufacturing? Here's a quick article that outlines the benefits of the manufacturing mindset that is changing the way manufacturing is being done. The implementation of lean manufacturing through trying to make value flow at the pull of the...