Design of plastic components

Injection molding has been one of the most popular ways for fabricating plastic parts for a very long time. They are used in automotive interior parts, electronic housings, housewares, medical equipment, compact discs, and even doghouses. Below are certain rule based standard guidelines which can be referred to while designing parts for injection molding considering manufacturability in mind.

A small Injection molding machine

Typical components in an injection molding machine

Geometric Considerations

The most common guidelines refer to the specification of various relationships between geometric parameters which result in easier or better manufacturability. Some of these are as follows:

Mold Wall Thickness

Non-uniform wall sections can contribute to warpage and stresses in molded parts. Sections which are too thin have a higher chance of breakage in handling, may restrict the flow of material and may trap air causing a defective part. Too heavy a wall thickness, on the other hand, will slow the curing cycle and add to material cost and increase cycle time.

Generally, thinner walls are more feasible with small parts rather than with large ones. The limiting factor in wall thinness is the tendency for the plastic material in thin walls to cool and solidify before the mold is filled. The shorter the material flow, the thinner the wall can be. Walls also should be as uniform in thickness as possible to avoid warpage from uneven shrinkage. When changes in wall thickness are unavoidable, the transition should be gradual and not abrupt.

Some plastics are more sensitive to wall thickness than others 鈥� where acetal and ABS plastics max out at around 0.12 in. thick (3 mm), acrylic can go to 0.5 in. (12 mm), polyurethane to 0.75 in. (18 mm), and certain fiber-reinforced plastics to 1 in. (25 mm) or more. Even so, designers should recognize that very thick cross sections can increase the likelihood of cosmetic defects like sink.

Draft angles

Draft angle design is an important factor when designing plastic parts. Because of shrinkage of plastic material, injection molded parts have a tendency to shrink onto a core. This creates higher contact pressure on the core surface and increases friction between the core and the part, thus making ejection of the part from the mold difficult. Hence, draft angles should be designed properly to assist in part ejection. This also reduces cycle time and improves productivity. Draft angles should be used on interior and exterior walls of the part along the pulling direction.

The minimum allowable draft angle is harder to quantify. Plastic material suppliers and molders are the authority on what is the lowest acceptable draft. In most instances, 1掳 per side will be sufficient, but between 2掳 and 5掳 per side would be preferable. If the design is not compatible with 1掳, then allow for 0.5掳 on each side. Even a small draft angle, such as 0.25掳, is preferable to none at all.

Radius at corners

Generously rounded corners provide a number of advantages. There is less stress concentration on the part and on the tool. Because of sharp corners, material flow is not smooth and tends to be difficult to fill, reduces tooling strength and causes stress concentration. Parts with radii and fillets are more economical and easier to produce, reduce chipping, simplify mold construction and add strength to molded part with good appearance.

Sharp Corners guidelines in injection moldingGeneral design guideline suggests that corner radii should be at least one-half the wall thickness. It is recommended to avoid sharp corners and use generous fillets and radii whenever required. During injection molding, the molten plastic has to navigate turns or corners. Rounded corners will ease plastic flow, so engineers should generously radius the corners of all parts. In contrast, sharp inside corners result in molded-in stress鈥攑articularly during the cooling process when the top of the part tries to shrink and the material pulls against the corners. Moreover, the first rule of plastic design鈥攗niform wall thickness鈥攚ill be obeyed. As the plastic goes around a well-proportioned corner, it will not be subjected to area increases and abrupt changes in direction. Cavity packing pressure stays consistent. This leads to a strong, dimensionally stable corner that will resist post-mold warpage.

Hole depth to diameter ratio

Core pins are used to produce holes in plastic parts. Through holes are easier to produce than blind holes which don鈥檛 go through the entire part. Blind holes are created by pins that are supported at only one end; hence such pins should not be long. Longer pins will deflect more and be pushed by the pressure of the molten plastic material during molding. It is recommended that hole depth-to-diameter ratio should not be more than 2.

Feature Based Rules

Ribs

Rib features help in strengthening the molded part without adding to wall thickness. In some cases, they can also act as decorative features. Ribs also provide alignment in mating parts or provide stopping surfaces for assemblies. However, projections like ribs can create cavity filling, venting, and ejection problems. These problems become more troublesome for taller ribs. Ribs need to be designed in correct proportion to avoid defects such as short shots and provide the required strength. Thick and deep ribs can cause sink marks and filling problems respectively. Deep ribs can also lead to ejection problems. If ribs are too long or too wide, supporting ribs may be required. It is better to use a number of smaller ribs instead of one large rib.

• Recommended values for parameters: Generally, the rib height is recommended to be not more than 2.5 to 3 times the nominal wall thickness. Similarly, rib thickness at its base should be around 0.4 to 0.6 times the nominal wall thickness.
• Minimum base radius for ribs: A fillet of a certain minimum radius value should be provided at the base of a rib to reduce stress. However, the radius should not be so large that it results in thick sections. The radius eliminates a sharp corner and stress concentration. Flow and cooling are also improved. Fillet radius at the base of ribs should be between 0.25 to 0.4 times the nominal wall thicknesses of the part.
• Draft angle for ribs: Draft angle design is an important factor when designing plastic parts. Such parts may have a greater tendency to shrink onto a core. This creates higher contact pressure on the core surface and increases friction between the core and the part, thus making ejection of the part from the mold difficult. Hence, draft angles should be designed properly to assist in part ejection. This also reduces cycle time and improves productivity. Draft angles should be used on interior or exterior walls of the part along the pulling direction. It is recommended that draft angle for rib should be around 1 to 1.5 deg. Minimum draft should be 0.5 per side.
• Spacing between two parallel ribs: Mold wall thickness gets affected due to spacing between various features in the plastic model. If features like ribs are placed close to each other or the walls of the parts, thin areas are created which can be hard to cool and can affect quality. If the mold wall is too thin, it is also difficult to manufacture and can also result in a lower life for the mold due to problems like hot blade creation and differential cooling. It is recommended that spacing between ribs should be at least 2 times the nominal wall.

Boss

Boss, a basic design element in plastics, is typically cylindrical and used as a mounting fixture, location point, reinforcement feature or spacer. Under service conditions, bosses are often subjected to loadings not encountered in other sections of a component.

• Minimum radius at base of boss: Provide a generous radius at the base of the boss for strength and ample draft for easy part removal from the mold. A fillet of a certain minimum radius value should be provided at the base of boss to reduce stress. The intersection of the base of the boss with the nominal wall is typically stressed and stress concentrati