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PLASTIC PART DESIGN GUIDELINES

. SPECIFIC FOR AUTOMOTIVE
COMPONENTS
Plastic Part Design Guidelines Specific for
Automotive Injection Molding Components
Introduction Basic Considerations

• Nominal Wall
• Ribs
• Undercuts
• Holes
• Bosses
• Flanges
• Parting Line
• Gating
• Living Hinge
• Weld/Meld/Knit Lines
• Graining
• Thick/Thin Transitions
• Basic Tooling Considerations
• Design/Tooling Aides

Basic Considerations

When designing plastic components for the automotive, there are

many things that need to be considered to ensure a part that is both
functional and manufacturable. The following is a basic guideline
that can be utilized, but some rules can be cheated if needed. All
the guidelines are effected by the following three general areas

Part application, Process, and Material

Part application, for automotive, can be broken into two primary

categories - non-structural (decorative trim) and structural (there
may be overlap between the two). The non-structural applications
need to be more concerned on the aesthetics of the class 'A'
surface. Examples of these parts are side shields, seat
backs(exposed), door trim, A/B/C pillar trim, and I/P (instrument
panels) covers to name a few. Anything that is visible to the
consumer. The structural parts are generally covered or out of view
of the consumer, and the strength or performance of the parts are
desired over the appearance. Examples of these are seat backs
(covered), I/P substrate, structural bolsters, and flipper panels
(covered) to name some. These parts are able to cheat on a many
of the guidelines that relate to surface appearance.
Process of how the parts are made will also contain some limitations
or concerns that need to be considered when designing parts. The
two main processes that Johnson Control use to make auto parts are
injection and blow molding. Blow molding is limited to actions in the
tool that would be used to create side holes or undercut features
that can be done in injection molding. Injection molding is generally
restrictive (not including special processes) in the cross-sectional
size of the part, while blow molding allows for channels in the part
that increases strength. This guideline will concentrate on injection
molded parts.

Material used will also affect the guidelines and consultation with
the material supplier is very useful. Highly filled materials will allow
variations in some rules as will unfilled in others. Generally, when a
material is chosen for an application, cost and properties are the
two major factors that will be used to decide.

1 Nominal Wall

1.1 Importance

Nominal wall is the term used to describe the 'main' body of the
part. The consistency of the nominal wall is very important in the
processing and function of the part. Throughout this design guide,
the nominal wall will be referenced frequently to define proper
ratios when adding attachments. Below is a general cross section of
a side shield showing the nominal wall and some features added to
it.
1.2 Flow/Filling

A consistent nominal wall in injection molding will aide in processing

the part better. Melted plastic flows in 'path of least resistance' and
if there are varied thicknesses of the nominal wall, flow of plastic
will be through the thicker sections first. This may cause surface
defects, trapped gas, voids, or pressure drop variations that make
processing difficult. Average nominal wall thickness for decorative
trim components is 2.5 mm, while structural components are 3.0
mm. Filled materials are limited to how thin the nominal wall can go
and consultation with the material supplier is suggested. Below are
examples of nominal wall designs.

1.3 Strength

Proper 'packing' of the part is more difficult if the nominal wall is

varying. This could leave voids or higher stresses in sections of the
part that could affect the performance.

1.4 Warpage

Different nominal wall thickness will have different cooling rates and
different degrees of orientation of polymer chains. This can cause
excessive warpage when part comes out of the tool.
1.5 Processing

Processing of plastic components are based on cooling time in the

mold. The thicker the wall the longer it takes to cool to a point
where the part can be ejected or taken out of the mold. If a part has
varying wall thickness, the cycle time will be based on the thicker
section. A consistent nominal wall is better for controlling the cycle
time and costs of the parts.

1.6 Exceptions

There are always exceptions to the rules and this is not different for
nominal wall applications. Sometimes the design requires thicker
sections (i.e. a heavy boss is required and the nominal wall needs to
be thicker to prevent a sink), but you do not want to make the
whole part thicker and waste material or time. Transition from a
thicker to thin section should be utilized. If the thicker section is
really excessive, a re-evaluation of the design is warranted.

2 Ribs

2.1 Uses

Ribs are used to provide

1) Stiffness to a part
2) Strength to a part
3) Stability to a part (warpage)
4) Method of attachment
5) Method of positioning part in assembly

There are many uses for ribs, but they must be thought out carefully
when designing to ensure a quality product in both appearance and
functionality. Improper design of ribs could cause warpage due to
non-uniform shrinkage. It must also be remembered that Ribs are
difficult to

• Fill
• Vent
• Eject

2.2 Nominal wall ratio

When designing ribs into a part, you have to be careful about sink
marks caused by too large a rib. General rule of thumb is that the
nominal wall to rib ratio, (class 'A' surfaces) should be designed at
50%. This is material dependent some materials may allow a
greater or lesser ratio. Filled materials tend to allow for larger ribs,
than unfilled. If the part is structural and hidden, the wall to rib ratio
can be more.
2.3 Directional

Be careful when determining rib direction in the part. If ribs are 90

degrees to material flow, part may exhibit a blush or highlight over
top of ribs. To diminish chance of rib readout, ribs should be
designed near edges of part where possible.

2.4 Draft and Depth

Ribs should have draft angles of 1 - 1.5 degrees average. You should
not have any draft less than 0.5 degrees. This would make it very
difficult to mold the part.

The deeper the rib, the thinner it will be at the end and the harder it
will be to fill the rib during processing. This could result in
incomplete fill of ribs and may defeat purpose. Average rib length is
generally 2.5 - 3.0 x wall thickness, but part may dictate other.

2.5 Join Radius

To help avoid stress cracks, a radius should be applied to the join

area of the rib base and nominal wall. The larger the better,
however, keep in mind that the join radius will add material and
increase the wall to rib ratio. Generally a 0.25 mm join radius should
be enough, you just want to break the sharp edges.
2.6 Tooling Considerations

Ribs are usually burned into the tool. This leaves a rough finish that
needs to be benched or smoothed out. The deeper the ribs, the
more difficult it is for the tooler to bench the part. You also have to
be aware of placement of rib in part is it in die direction (direction
tool opens and closes) or along an edge. In die direction, ribs are
easier to tool (no special tooling). If the ribs are not in die direction,
they will require a slide or lifter added to the tool. This will add cost
and timing to a tool.

2.7 Design Examples

3 Undercuts

3.0 Uses

Undercuts are used frequently in designing parts for automotive

component. The more common types are snap fit designs or
attachment features.

Injection Molding - Types of Undercuts

3.1 Tooling Considerations

Undercuts will always require some type of a lifter or slide built into
the tool. This will add cost and time. The other design impact is
distance around the undercut. When ejecting the part from a tool,
the part has to be clear of the metal. For example if you have a I
inch undercut, the lifter must be able to 'move' back I inch. You also
need to leave @ 5/8 inch for the lifter rod. This means that for a I
inch undercut, you need at least 1 5/8 inch area in front of the
undercut, free of any obstruction or change in contour, for the lifter.

3.2 Design Examples

4 Holes

4.1 Uses

Holes are used when clearance is needed. Holes are predominantly

useful when a mechanical fastener is used to attach the part to
another. Below is a front side shield with several holes.

4.2 Location/Tooling concerns

If the holes are in line of draw (direction tool opens and closes), then
they are relatively simple to put into the part. When the holes are
on a side flange or 90 degrees to line of draw, then a slide or lifter is
required. Below is an example of a side shield and how holes were
made.

5 Bosses

5.1 Uses
The main use for bosses on a part is for attachment of another part.
The boss supplies a place for a screw, press fit or snap fit to be put.
Bosses should be treated as round connected ribs when thinking of
draft, nominal wall ratio, join radius, and depth. The same rules
apply to bosses. Bosses, however, need to be correctly designed to
take the attachment method and stresses associated.

5.2 Designing

When designing bosses, there are two opposing considerations. You

need to make the boss thin enough so that the part surface will not
have a sink mark, yet you also need to make the boss thick enough
to take the stresses associated with screwing a mechanical fastener
or press fitting another part into it. The walls also have to be thick
enough to allow the screw flights to grab and not pull out to easily.
6 Flanges

6.1 Uses

Flanges are another name for side walls on a part. They are
considered part of the nominal wall and should be designed at the
same thickness. Knowing about flanges is important so that any no
build conditions can be avoided. Flanges are typically 90 degrees to
die draw of tool. For this reason, draft is very important when
designing them. Flanges are also used to provide some feature
along the side of the part ( i.e. attachment hole, rib, etc..).
6.2 Draft Angle

As mentioned previously, typical draft on ribs is 1 to 1 1/2 degrees.

Tool builders generally like to have a minimum of 3-5 degrees on
flanges. For decorative trim, parts are typically grained. When
flanges are grained, the allowable draft has to be increased. The
general rule is 1 - 1 1 /2 degree of draft per 0.001" depth of grain
(i.e. for a grain depth of 0.004, the draft angle on a flange should be
@ 7 degrees min.).

6.3 Beaded

On some decorative parts, the OEM like to have a beaded or

rounded edge to, eliminate any sharp edges. Most of the time the
parts parting line will be at the tangent point where the bead radius
meets the wall (see example below). This prevents any undercuts
from being formed, thus making tooling more difficult.
7 Parting Line

7.1 Location

A parting line is a visible line on the part that is caused by the two
halves of a mold meeting up. The line will generally follow the
bottom of any side flanges (walls). Every part will be different and if
there is a concern, discussion with the tooter or molder should take
place.

7.2 Natural

The natural parting line is created by only the two halves of the
mold.
7.3 Secondary Actions

When a part design has features that require a secondary action

(holes, undercuts, etc.) an unnatural parting line will be created. If
they are on the 'B' surface, they will be hidden from view. If the
action is along the side walls, the parting line will be visible. Some
examples below show various parting line conditions.

7.4 Beaded
As mentioned in the flange, when a part is beaded, the parting line
will be between the wall and the tangent of the radius.

8 Gating

8.1 Types

There are three main classifications of gating used for parts. They
are

1) Edge-gate
2) Sub-gate
3) Hot drop

8.1.1 Edge-gate

An edge-gate is just as it name suggests, the material is pushed

through a gate attached to the edge of the nominal wall. Below is an
example of how an edge gate would look. An edge gate is the
simplest to make. It is simply a rectangular section cut into the
mold. An edge gate does have to be trimmed off. This usually
requires a degating fixture or to be done by hand. When the gate is
trimmed off, a witness mark or blemish may be visible.
8.1.2 Sub-gate

A sub-gate, as shown below, injects the material into the part

through a tunnel shaped gate. This type of gate requires a little
more tool work, but the part is self de-gating as it ejects from the
tool. This means that the gate breaks off from the part during the
actual molding cycle and eliminates any extra operation or fixtures.
This type of gate will also leave a witness mark at location of gate.

Geometry of Submarine Gate

8.1.3 Hot drop

A hot drops manifold gates directly into the part, usually on the
underside or 'B' surface. This process eliminates any degating
operations. This type of gating also allows for a more controlled
filling of the part. Drops can be put where needed, especially in the
center of the part to reduce flow length and improve part properties.
This type of gating is very expensive and requires extensive tooling
additions. Hot drops will also usually leave a blemish on the
opposite side of the part.
8.2 Location

The location of the gate can, technically, be anywhere on the part,

but certain considerations need to be taken.

The ability to fill the part - flow length of material

The ability to pack out part - warpage of part

Aesthetics of part - will gate mark be visible and objectionable

The first two concerns will depend upon the shape and thickness of
the part as well as the type of material being injected. The answers
to this can be determined with help from the mold source and/or
computer aided help (mold flow, discussed later).

8.3 Gate size

Gate size is very important for the following

• Processing
• Dimensional stability
• Part performance

All three are greatly affected by the size of the gate. If the gate is
too small, the part may not fill or require higher pressures that
cause extreme stresses in the part and will potentially warp the part
and/or diminish the performance. If the gate is too big, the molding
time may be increased (increasing cost).
9 Living Hinge

9.1 Uses

Hinges are very useful when a part is needed to enclose another

part such as a mechanism. The part can be designed with a hinge
that bends and some snaps to clip the part closed. See example
below.
9.2 Material Considerations

Not all materials can be used for a hinge application. They are
generally restricted to the olefinic materials (PP, PE, TPO, etc.). If
you are using a specific material and need to know if a hinge can be
utilized, it is best to consult the material supplier.

9.3 Tooling Considerations

Having a very thin section or channel along the line you want to
bend creates a hinge. The section is generally 0.25-0.5 mm thick
and 0.25 mm wide. The section can be wider, but filling the part
needs to be considered also.

The gate should be positioned so that the material flows evenly over
the hinge area. If more than one gate is used, the material SHOULD
NOT meet in the hinge area. This would result in a weakened hinge
with a high potential to break.
10 Weld/Meld/Knit Lines

10.1 What are they?

Weld/Meld/Knit lines are all terms describing the effect of two or

more flow fronts of material joining or meeting together in the part.
The example below shows a part and depicts where knit lines would
be.

10.2 Causes

Knit lines are caused by two or more gates or by material flowing

around holes in the part. These conditions generate two material
flow fronts and the knit lines are the fronts meeting together. The
material is still solid enough that the fronts don't fully blend back
together.
Flow paths arc determined by part shape and gate location. Flow
fronts that meet head on will weld together, forming a weld line.
Parallel fronts tend to blend, however, producing a less distinct weld
line but a stronger bond.

10.3 Effects

Knit lines are weaker than the rest of the part. This needs to be
considered carefully when designing parts. If you know that knit
lines are going to be present, the part needs to be designed to
minimize this weaker area. Try to keep them from load bearing
areas.

10.4 Controlling Knit Lines

Knit lines, although unavoidable, can be controlled and minimized.

The easiest way to control was the knit line would go is by the gate
location and direction of material flow. The knit line will always form
(when flow is evenly distributed) on the opposite side of the
obstruction. In the case of two or more gates, the knit line will form
at the half way mark between the two gates.

Processing is important in controlling the strength of the knit lines.

The hotter the material fronts are at time of meeting, the stronger
the bond will be. Control of the process is very important in
maintaining strength in the part.

11 Graining

There are many types of grain that can be put on the surface of
parts. The general rule is that for every 0.001" of grain depth, you
should add at least I degree of draft. An example is for a grain depth
of 0.005". The minimum draft angle required would be 1 degree + 5
* 1 degree for grain = 6 degrees.

11.2 Flanges

The areas on any part that this grain depth/draft relationship is most
prevalent are on the flanges. Everybody likes these to be
perpendicular to the front surface, but the flanges need to be at an
angle to allow for removal from the tool. The longer the flange, the
more noticeable the angle is and the less people like it. This is one
area that cannot be compromised. If it is, greater problems could
occur in molding the part such as trouble ejecting, wiping or
smearing off the grain surface, etc...

11.3 Parting lines

Parting lines are very tricky when trying to grain parts. In general,
grain is kept 0.005-0.010" from a parting line (some grains can be
put to the edge). Graining a parting tine creates non even surfaces
that meet. This can make the parting line more visible and may
effect the wear of the parting line over the life of the tool.

11.4 Holes/Bosses

Holes are treated like parting lines and for most grains a 0.005-0-
010" ungrained patch will be left around the hole opening. Bosses
can be grained on the inside, but if it can be avoided it should.
Graining the inside makes it harder to eject and if the boss is too
long, it is difficult to get grain into it. Most designs have the grain
stopping on the inside tangent of the boss.
12 Thick/Thin Transitions

12.1 Uses

Thick/thin transitions are generally used to locally thicken an area of

a part to eliminate a sink mark or add strength. The transition
should be very gradual.

12.2 Design Concerns

There are many concerns with this type of situation. Major ones are
sinks and warpage. Although these transitions are sometimes used
to hide existing sinks, if it is too large or too severe, the sink may
actually increase. Also with transitions in material thickness, there is
different shrinkage and orientation of the material and this can
cause voids or warpage in the part.

12.3 Process Considerations

For the reason of potential sinks and warpage, transitions in a part

can be a nightmare for processing. It may require a tighter process
'window' (set of parameters that create an acceptable part). Gating
location is also more critical with this scenario. If the transition area
is near the end of fill, it will be very difficult to pack out and thus
create warpage or sinks.
13 Basic Tooling Considerations

When designing automotive components, it is good to keep 'n mind

that process of how the parts will be made. This will generally limit
what features can be made in the tool and ultimately molded in
production. If this is kept in mind and resources such as the tool
builder and manufacturer are utilized, parts will be better designed
for all facets - customer performance and appearance requirements,
tool simplicity, and moldability of a quality product. It is also wise to
draw from the expertise of these resources for they generally have
knowledge of easier ways to incorporate features into parts.

14 Design/Tooling Aides

Common aides available to assist in designing parts are mold flow

and FEA. Mold flow is the analysis of how plastic will flow through
parts during fill. This is mainly for injection molded parts. There are
several companies that have their own type of software. The two
major ones are Mold flow and C-Flow. The typical data obtained are
ability to inject, pressures, flow path, stresses, shrinkage, warpage,
and cooling. FEA is a system that can predict the performance of the
part under specific load or stress conditions. The part design can be
tested and refined before any actual parts have been made. This
will cut down on the costs of the old 'trial and redesign mentality. It
can also cut down on development time.