DEFECTS AND COUNTERMEASURE

ON PLASTIC PARTS

Table of Content:
1.

Short Shot or Short Molded

2.

Flow Marks

3.

Silver Streaking

4.

Poor Weld Line

5.

Voids

6.

Sink marks

7.

Warping Contour

8.

Screw Engagement Failures

9.

Part Stuck on Mold

10. Burn marks

11. Flashing

1. Short shot or Short Molded

A. Description:
Molded product that is incomplete because the mold cavity was not filled completely.
B. Causes :
1. Insufficient injection-molding machine performance (shot capacity,
plasticizing capacity, etc.)
2. Poor material flow-ability (fluidity).
3. Gate cross-section surface area is too small. Molded product thickness is too
thin.
4. Poor gas venting.
C. Countermeasures :
1. Molding equipment :
a. Increase the amount of material feed. If material feed is still insufficient at
maximum material feed capacity, change to a larger capacity machine.
b. Install a screw with a back-flow check valve.
c. Increase injection pressure.
d. Raise the cylinder temperature setting. Raise the nozzle temperature, too.
e. Make sure there are no severed lines to the heater.
f. Make sure the nozzle is not clogged. If the nozzle clogs frequently, raise the
mold temperature or shorten the cycle time.
g. Increase injection speed.
2. Mold :
a. Raise the mold temperature.
b. Increase the mold gas release.
c. Increase gate cross section surface area.
d. Increase the molded product thickness.
e. Add ribs to the molded product design to improve flow-ability.
3. Materials :
a. Choose a low-viscosity high flow material type.
b. Apply surface lubricant. (Add 0.05-0.1% by weight).

2. Flow marks
A. Description:
Ring shaped miniature bands appear on the molded product surface around gates or
narrow sections.
B. Causes :
The molten polymer cools rapidly within the mold and becomes highly viscous. Once
that molten polymer starts to coagulate, it gets pushed by the molten polymer injected
afterward and forms miniature bands.
C. Countermeasures :
1. Molding equipment :
a. Increase the nozzle diameter. Increase the nozzle temperature.
b. Increase injection speed.
c. Increase injection pressure.
d. Raise the cylinder temperature.
e. Reduce the cushion. (Reduce the charging amount.)
2. Mold :
a. Increase the mold temperature.
b. Provide a cold slug well.
c. Increase the gate cross section surface area.
d. Create more distance between the gates and the location of the mold coolant.
3. Materials
Apply surface lubricant.

3. Silver Streaking
A. Description: Streaks of a silvery white color appear in the material flow direction.
B. Causes :
1. Material is absorbing water.
2. Material is contaminated with another type of material.
3. Aeration is occurring during molding.
4. Too much additive is present.
C. Countermeasures

1. Molding equipment.
a. Apply back pressure to generate a kneading effect.
b. Slow down injection speed.
c. Thoroughly clean molding machine cylinders.
2. Mold
a. Increase (or decrease) the size of the runners and gates.
b. Increase the mold temperature.
c. Change the gate locations.
3. Materials
a. Pre-dry thoroughly.
b. Install an ultra red light inside the hopper.
c. Investigate for potential contamination
.
4. Poor Weld Line
A. Description :
The material splits off and flows in two or more directions. When the divergent flow
fronts converge again, hair-like lines appear where they meet. This results in reduced
strength, as well as burn-mark and bubble defects.
B. Causes
a. Material splits and flows in separate directions, then converges again.
b. Polymer temperature is too low. Polymer is not fully melted.
c. Difficulties in venting gas and air.
C. Countermeasures
1. Molding equipment
a. Raise the resin temperature
b. Increase the injection pressure.
c. Increase the injection speed.

2. Mold
a. Provide a cold slug well where weld lines occur.
b. Provide a gas vent.
c. Change the gate locations. Or increase the number of gates.
d. Stop using mold parting agents.
e. Change the gate locations so that the weld-lines occur in locations less
susceptible to external forces if weld strength is an issue.
3. Materials
Choose a low-viscosity high flow type material.
5. Voids
A. Description
The presence of holes inside molded products.
B. Causes
a. Change in density as the material changes from a molten to a coagulated state.
b. The surface of the molded product loses heat rapidly through the mold wall and
the polymer hardens. As a result, the polymer is pulled outward, causing all
shrinkage to concentrate in the thickest parts of the product leaving holes within
the product. In molded products with a thickness greater than 6 mm, voids are
very difficult to avoid.
c. Air gets trapped within the molten polymer, leaving bubbles within the product.
C. Countermeasures
1. Molding equipment.
a. Increase the injection pressure. (Increase the secondary pressure, too).
b. Extend the injection time.
c. Lower the cylinder temperature setting.
2. Mold
a. Change the product design so that the thickness is no greater than 6 mm. To
enhance strength, add several thick, uniform reinforcement ribs to the product
design. Avoid thickness where possible.
b. Increase the size of the fates. Enable supplemental re-filling.
c. Make the runners shorter.

d. Lower the mold temperature. Make the mold temperature uniform.

e. Change the gate locations so as to prevent air intake.
3. Materials
a. Dry the material thoroughly
b. Choose a highly viscous grade.

6. Sink marks
A. Description :
The surface of the molded product collapses somewhat-something that is particularly
common in thicker products.
B. Causes
Same as what causes voids, but sink marks arise when the surface cools too slowly.
C. Countermeasures
1. Molding equipment
a. Increase the amount of material feed.
b. Increase the cavity internal pressure (secondary pressure).
c. Lower the cylinder temperature setting.
d. Increase the injection rate.
e. Increase the injection speed.
f. Lengthen the injection time.
2. Mold
a. Lower the mold temperature.
b. Make the mold temperature uniform.
c. Change the gate locations.
d. Make the gates larger.
e. Make the runners shorter.
3. Materials
Choose a highly viscous grade.

7. Warping Contour
A. Description
The molded product warps immediately following or at some time following
molding where the mold cavity should be straight.
B. Causes
Residual stress from the molding process is released, causing deformation.
C. Countermeasures
1. Molding equipment
a. Decrease the injection pressure.
b. Lower the cylinder temperature setting.
c. Lengthen the cooling time.
2. Mold
a. Make the thickness of the molded product uniform.
b. Eliminate undercuts.
c. Operate the knock out pins in a uniform fashion.
d. Provide multiple knock out pins.
e. Change the gate locations.
f. Lower the mold temperature.
8. Screw Engagement Failures
A. Description
When feeding material for measurement, the screw rotates but does not engage the
screw thread, or the screw does not turn at all.
B. Causes
Occurs when the coefficient of friction between one material and the screw or with
the other material. And the heating cylinder is unusually low or unusually high.
C. Countermeasures
3. Molding equipment.
a. Install a screw equipped with a back-flow check valve.
b. Choose a short compression type screw.

c. Change the cylinder temperature setting. Lower if the screw turns without
engaging, raise if the screw is not turning.
d. Check to make sure no lines to the cylinder heater have been severed.
e. Perform an empty shot at least five times.
4. Materials
a. Apply a surface lubricant.
b. Make the granularity of the material uniform.
9. Part Stuck on Mold
A. Description
Ordinarily a molded product is removed from the mold by having the product stick
to the moving side of the mold when the mold opens, after which the product is
ejected using ejector pins. Sticking occurs when the part fails to separate from the
stationary mold or from the moving mold. In the case of the latter, the problem could
result in broken ejector pins.
B. Causes
Possible causes include: the mold draft is too small; there is too much residual
pressure from the molding process; too much shrinkage occurred; or the mold finish
is perpendicular to the part release direction.
C. Countermeasures
1. Molding equipment
b. Decrease holding pressure.
c. Lower the cylinder temperature setting.
d. Lower (or raise, depend on situation) mold temperature.
e. Add cooling time longer.
f. Shorten holding time.
g. Decrease injection speed
2. Mold
a. Increase the mold draft.
b. Improve the mold finish (polishing).
c. Eliminate undercuts.

d. Use a more appropriate mold temperature. Be mindful of that fact that, in the
case of box-shaped parts, the part will likely stick to the stationary mold if
the stationary mold temperature is low.
e. Apply a mold parting agent.

10. Burn marks

A. Description
Discoloration/dark reddish brown streaks in the molded product.
B. Causes
Insufficient degassing/gas vent, or injection speed too high
C. Countermeasure
1. Molding equipment
a. Lower the cylinder temperature setting.
b. Shorten the intermediate time (dry cycle time).
c. The ram is recessed for too long of a time duration.
d. Slow down injection speed.
2. Mold
a. Provide a larger gas vent.
b. Increase the gate sizes.
11. Flashing
A. Description
Material flows over the product edge (small = burry)
B. Causes
1. Too high fluidity.
2. Slow crystallization speed
3. Small influence from shear rate to viscosity
C. Countermeasure
1. Molding equipment
h. Reduction of pressure which is the main cause of flash.
i.

Decrease injection pressure or holding pressure.

j. Set the V-P switching position to the rear side

k. Decrease injection speed

l. Lower cylinder temperature
m. Enlarge the sprue and runner
n.

Change to high flow grade

2. Mold
a. Improvement of mold precision and prevention of mold deformation
b. Check mating surface of mold
c. Check heat balance in heater etc.
d. Do not make mating surfaces in the place where no flash is required
3. Material
e. Lower mold temperature
f.

Lower cylinder temperature