calculate the exact gate and runner during mold design

How to calculate the exact gate and runner during mold design?

Gates and runners

An injection feeding model of injection molding china consists of various parts including the sprue which connects to the runner. The runner connects to the gate which is the smallest part in the radius, and then the gate finally joins the cavity of the mold. The proper gate and runner calculation of these parts are very important to keep the friction where the shear rate low. Balancing the pressure and temperature for proper flow of the plastic or resin is also essential.

calculate the exact gate and runner during mold design
calculate the exact gate and runner during mold design

Calculating the runner size

The runner is part of the injection molding unit of a plastic mold manufacturers factory which connects the sprue and the gate. It is a cavity-like portion which holds the liquid plastic before it passes through the gate and fills the mold in the right way. Therefore, the size of the runner must be calibrated and optimized by all means. This is because a proper sized runner will keep the balance of the flow properly and the pressure will be optimized. The pressure plays a very important role to fill the mold and the runner. To keep a balance of the pressure among the two cavities, the runner pressure should be 25 percent or less of the total pressure to fill the mold. A good runner from injection mold maker china will also make sure that the fluid is heated to reduce the excessive pressure push.

Calculating and determining the right size of a runner is very crucial for plastic tooling china industry. Because it will determine whether the mold is filled properly or not. There are two major points to keep in mind. These are the thickness of the runner and morphology of the material to be passed. For Semi-crystalline materials, smaller runners are workable in injection molding tooling china. But there is a need for larger runners to facilitate temperature rise and reduction of pressure for the amorphous materials.

Calculating the gate size

Gate size is important for filling the part cavity properly since it is the section between the cavity and the runner. Proper pressure is important, which will determine whether the cavity will be filled uniformly or not. The two important things in injection mold tooling china about choosing the right gate size are to minimize the pressure drop and to have balanced control over the packing stage of the gate. There is a different type of gates that can be found in the double color mold parts like a ring, edge, pinpoint, disk and submarine. You have to keep in mind their sizes as well.

Larger gates corresponds to lower pressure increase. Packing stage is longer in this case and vice versa for the smaller gates. The gate is the place where the molten plastic goes through the shearing and has the most shear rate due to smaller cross-section area. Shear rate is influenced by the cross-sectional radius and flow of the material. It is crucial in china mold-building services to keep the shear lower while filling the gate to cause smaller injection damage. This is the reason why shear sensitive materials like heavily filled resins, fiber-reinforced resins, amorphous resins and gates should be larger according to the injection mold makers in china. This will keep the lower the rise in pressure and temperature.

When you choose the china fundamental of plastic mold design or the oem/odm medical injection mold factory, you should keep in mind the size factor. This will make sure that you end up with a high precision plastic making mould china that can be effective in the prototype production.

Resource box: This article is originally posted in https://www.injectionmouldchina.com.

injection mold gate design

How to design injection mold gate?

An injection mold gate is a small hole that allows the molted stuff into another mold chamber. For a successful design, designers have to consider a lot of factors, such as mold pate types, materials, location, dimensions, gate type, and many economic factors, just to name a few. Let’s find out how an injection mold gate is designed by a Chinese injection mold making factory.

injection mold gate design
injection mold gate design

Gate design carries a lot of importance if you want to get high-quality mold parts. Given below are a few factors that should be considered when designing the injection mold gate with injection mold design services in China. Read on.

Material

First off, choosing the right material is really important for the design process. Use the wrong material and be ready to suffer a loss. Based on the type of machine, the right material should be used.

Keep in mind that castings are strong enough to withstand the stress. For stronger parts, the cast material should be machined first. If you need to work on sharp corners, know that it can create difficulties during the molding process.

Size

The size of the gate also depends upon the resin and the part that you are going to mold. It’s important to note that small gates offer a better look but they take higher pressure or longer mold time for proper fill.

Also, high pressures in the cavity cause more stress, which can result in a structural failure.

On the other hand, bigger gates allow smoother resin flow and reduced mold time. Now, if the size of the gate is not right, it may restrict the molten resin. As a result, the material won’t be able to reach the next cavity. In another scenario, this restriction may slow down the filling rate, which may reduce the process efficiency significantly.

In the worst case scenario, if the size is not right, you may end up with gate defects, such as black streaks and mold warpage, just to name a few. So, the size of the gate is of great importance.

Location

Just like size, the location of the gate can have an impact on different factors. And these factors are extremely important for the whole process. Given below are some of those factors.

  • Aesthetics (flow lines, voids, sink marks, gate marks)
  • Operational considerations
  • Wrong flatness or roundness
  • Mold warpage
  • Part shrinkage
  • Wrong structure or strength of the part
  • Molecule orientation

At times, multiple gates are required in order to enjoy the best results. However, for using multiple gates, designers may want to take into account the meeting area of the flows, as this can cause many issues related to aesthetic and component weakness.

Defects

Now, let’s talk about the defects. Know that whether it’s the wrong position or size, any defect may cost a great deal of time and money. To correct the issues, the location of the gate may need to be changed. In some cases, the entire mold has to be re-configured.

So, these are a few things that can help you find out how you can design an injection mold gate by an injection mold maker in China.

Resource box: This article is originally posted in https://www.injectionmouldchina.com.

hot runner injection mold in China

What Are The Purposes Of Hot Runner In Making Plastic Injection Molds?

Basically, the injection molding process has been used the traditional way, which is known as the cold runner system. Nowadays, another method is getting popular. It’s known as the hot runner system. In this process, liquid substrate is put into the mold via a nozzle. So, the runner is kind of a passage through which the material travels. During the process, the substrate doesn’t cool down or get hard. Let’s find out why most people go for the hot runner for their plastic injection molds.

hot runner injection mold in China
hot runner injection mold in China

During a hot runner process, the mold is heated up and then cooled down once all of the cavity is full. Remember: the hot runner process may use many ways to heat up the injection mold, such as hot oil, hot water, induction/steam heating for quick heating. Unlike the cold runner system, this system cause fewer issues.

Now, let’s discuss why people go for the hot runner system in the injection molding process.

Less waste: This is an important point. In the hot runner system, the substance that passes through the chambers remains hot even when it reaches the last stage. In the cold molding, on the other hand, the runner is either discarded (waste) or recycled/reground. This is a disadvantage.

Quick cycle: As said earlier, the runner process requires time and may cause a loss of resource if enough time is not given. By fixing these problems, the hot runner system can boost the cycle times.

Keep in mind that the cooling and heating mold takes more time. Often, the time is offset through the savings from the elimination of the runner. However, it’s better to discuss the topic with your service provider.

Quality output: the removal of runners from the cold molded components requires a mechanical process. The product may get rejected if it is not up to the mark. In other words, the look and function of the product should be acceptable.

On the other hand, the hot molding can help resolve many issues, such as surface irregularities and burn marks, just to name a few.

Lower costs: cost is an importance consideration when opting for a cold or hot molding for a long-term. The initial cost of cold molding is less but the hot the hot runner system is a cost effective option as far as the long-term use is concerned.

Range of material: Actually, the inherent chemical composition of most of injection molding substance makes them a bit too “allergic” to temperature changes. The impact is stronger in extreme temperatures. So, for lower temperatures, the hot runner system is the way to go.

Colorant options: The hot runner system allows you to benefit from colorant mixtures in the process. So, this is another reason people opt for the hot runner process.

Long story short, these are the reasons the hot runner is an ideal choice for the majority of plastic injection mold projects. If you are looking to increase production in an efficient manner, we suggest that you give a go to this process. Hope this helps.

When it comes to hot runner injection mold, china plastic injection molding is the best choice.

Resource box: This article is originally posted in https://www.injectionmouldchina.com.