Sprues, Runners and Gates of Plastic Mold

8/15/2019 Sprues,runners and gates of plastic mold
Home Plastic Molds Design Gallery Contact us
Sprues,runners and gates of plastic mold
Home » Blog » injection molding » Sprues,runners and gates of plastic mold
Sprues，runners and gates fulfill the function of conveying the plastics melt from the nozzle of
the injection unit to the individual cavities. While it is true that they may be reused in the form
of regrind, their presence nevertheless means a reduction in the performance of the injection
molding machine inasmuch as they must be plasticated in the barrel. With smaller parts，they What you will get
may account for 50 % or more of the actual shot weight.
Click for Quotation
An ISO certificated company
Categories
 Advantages and Disadvantages of …
 Flash Lines
 hotunner system
 injection mahcine
 Injection molded parts
 injection molding
 molding term
Sprue
 production design engineer
The sprue may be considered the continuation in the mold of the channel in the nozzle. Single-  Reinforced Plastics Molding
cavity molds where the sprue leads directly to the molded part are said to have direct sprue
gating.  systematic procedure design
 Uncategorized
Very often, the performance of a single-cavity injection mold is determined by the cooling time
of this sprue. In addition to providing adequate cooling of the sprue bushing, the diameter of
the smallest opening in the sprue bushing should be kept as small as possible and permitted
by proper filling of the cavity. No universally applicable rules can be given here，since filling of
the cavity depends on very many factors. Recent Posts
 Hot runner system for injection mold
 The Difference between insert moldi…

The sprue should have 1.5° of draft. Greater draft may simplify removal from the sprue
bushing, but function of the length of the runner，since it may be assumed that the pressure  PMMA injection molding
lost in a runner increases at least proportionally with the length. In all likelihood it will probably
increase more than proportionally，since the cross section is reduced by solidification of the  sink solution for thick wall injection …
melt along the walls，and the more so the greater the distance from the sprue.  cool of plastic mold
Because the sprue and runner system represent lost material and lost plasticating capacity, the
runners should be designed to be as short as possible and with the smallest possible cross
section. The length of the runners is determined by the number of cavities in the mold and the
geometrical arrangement of the individual cavities.
Shape of runner cross section

https://www.plasticmoulds.net/spruesrunners-and-gates-of-plastic-mold.html 1/13
The smallest surface area, and therefore the least amount of cooling in relation to the cross-
sectional area，is provided by a full round runner. It should be thus employed whenever
possible. The melt solidifies last in the center of a round runner. Accordingly，the plastics melt
will continue to flow the longest under holding pressure down the center of a full round runner.
Hence gates (the locations where the runners enter the cavities) should be so designed that
melt flows through them into the cavity via a circular or rectangular cross section fed from the
center of the runner.
Friction of the plastic melt at the smallest cross section of the runner provides for local heating
of the steel around the gate so that melt can be forced in under holding pressure a longer
period of time to compensate for shrinkage before the gate freezes.
Full round runners cannot be used when flat slide surfaces must move relative to the runners.
In such cases, a recessed half-round runner may be employed . The advantage of this shape
is that it has to be machined on only one side of the mold plate. However, a recessed half-
round runner with the same radius of curvature as a full round runner of identical diameter
contains 12.5 % more material.
Gate
The gate is a narrow intersection between the main runner and the mould cavity, and the
intersection is also the shortest part on the whole mold.
Its function is to make the molten plastic enter into the mould cavity quickly, which is beneficial
to the rapid filling of the cavity.
After filling, the gate is condensed first to block the cavity, prevent the melted plastic from
falling and avoid the pressure drop of the cavity too fast.
Insufficient backup pressure would produce shrinkage holes or dent parts on the workpiece.
00:00 01:09
Edge gate
The edge gate （side gate）represents the simplest of gate designs, it is very easy to make,
and usually milling cuter can finish this job.
Although it is easy to produce, the use of edge gate is severely restricted due to poor filling.
In this case, the overall strength of the plastic product obtained is poor, and the surface finish
is also not good, and the edge gate is usually used for plastic part quality requirements that are
not very high, or products without the appearance requirements. In addition, it needs to cut off
the gate later, which will lead to ugly scars.
Side gates are suitable for the most of injection molded products and many plastics (such as
rigid PVC, PE, PP, PC, PS, PA, POM, AS, ABS, PMMA, etc.), especially for molds with multiple
cavities.
It is important to note that small changes in the depth of the side gate can cause large changes
in the flow of the plastic melt. Therefore, the size of the side gate has a great influence on the
quality and production efficiency.
PROS:
1 easy to separate from the molded article;

2 shorter sun-runner;
3 easy processing, and easy trim.
CONS
1. The limited location, the longer distance from the gate to the cavity sometimes, and the
large pressure loss;
2. short shot for poorly fluid plastics (such as PC) molding;
3. flat or large-sized molded articles are easy to be found bubbles or flow marks om surface
due to the small size of the gate;
4. hard gate trim, and obvious traces.
PLASTIC WEIGHT GATE GATE GATE

PART /g HEIGHT/mm WIDTH/mm LENGHT/mm
TINY 0〜5 0. 25 〜0. 5 0. 75 〜1.5 0. 5 〜0. 8
SAMLL 5〜40 0. 5 〜0. 75 1.5〜2 0. 5〜0. 8
MEDIUM 40 〜200 0. 7S〜1 2〜3 0.8〜1
LARGE >200 1 〜1.2 3〜4 1〜2
Top
Fan gate
The shape of the fan gate is gradually enlarged from the sub-runner to the cavity, like a fan.
It is suitable for flat, shell or box products. The flow pattern and orientation stress can be
reduced. The angle is determined by the shape of the product.
The gate cross-section cannot be larger than the runner cross-section. This type of gate can
be used for many plastics such as PP, POM, and ABS.
PROS
1. Evenly filling to prevent warpage of the product.

2. Reduce internal stress and deformation.
3. A molded article with a good appearance, and almost no bad phenomenon.
CONS
1.Hard trim.
Design:thickness H = 0. 25~1.5 mm; Width =L/4,it should be greater than 8mm
In fact, the fan gate is an extended design of the side gate. It is used for the plastic part of a
large area.
The fan gate is designed to reduce the warping of the product, and improve the finish of the
product’s surface.In order to achieve a better surface,the contact area cannot exceed the
cross-section of the sub-runner.
Due to the large size of the gate, it is difficult to trim , and the trace left is not small.
Top
Diaphragm gate
The Diaphragm gate can be regarded as a special form of the annular gate, and is mainly used
in the case where the center of the product has a larger diameter than the main channel.
Suitable for PS, PA, AS, ABS injection molding.
PROS
1. prevent the flow marks.
2 runner machining effective.
3 same as the function of direct gate, less pressure loss.
CONS
1. Hard gate remove.

2. One time just one part.
3.The center of the hole of the product must align with the main runner.
Diaphragm or disc gating can be used for cylindrical or hollow components when concentricity
and weld strength are needed.
To balance mould filling，a minimum gate land length of 0.5 to 1.0mm is generally
recommended. The subsequent removal of the gate disc from the moulding tends to leave a
sharp jagged edge about the rim of the component.
The positioning of the gate inside the moulding serves to reduce post-mould finishing
operations.
Ring gate
Ring gates are commonly employed on cylindrical mouldings when internal dimensions are
more crucial than external.
A runner ‘gutter’ is machined about the mould cavity and subsequently mirrored about the
core，and a land is machined connecting the gutter to the cavity wall.
Gate land depth is usually determined as a result of mould trials; shallow lands detract from
the packing control of the moulding，whereas over-thick lands create degating problems and
can lead to increased costs.
Spoke gate
Spoke gates can be employed on mouldings which are often too large to diaphragm or ring
gate. They allow a larger volume of polymer to flow through them than either of the latter two
designs.
In this case, component accuracy and weld strength are reduced in favour of volumetric
throughput and packing control.
This design of gate is suitable for thicker section cylindrically shaped mouldings with high shot
weights. The large gate remains usually require a machining operation to remove them after
moulding.
Tunnel or submarine gate
Tunnel gating permits the automatic degating of the moulding from the feed system. The gate
is sheared off the component during the ejection cycle of the moulding process.
Tunnel gate diameters vary from 0.5-0.8 mm for unreinforced plastics to larger diameters of 2
mm plus for reinforced materials.
Due to the buried design of the gate, gas trapping and the resultant burning of the moulding
surface can prove a problem in use.
Bearing this in mind，adequate venting must be added to a mould which incorporates a tunnel
gating design.
A gate scar is left on the surface of the moulding, which subsequently increases in size as the
gate shear land wears.
Pinpoint gate
Pinpoint gates for three-plate moulds vary in size from diameters of 0.8 mm-2 mm for unloaded
materials to diameters of 2.5-3 mm for loaded grades.
This design of gate also permits the automatic degating of the mouldings during use. The gate
land is usually reduced in size to enable a ‘clean’ break to occur upon separation from the
moulded component.
Gate breakage is achieved through pulling the runner from behind，usually by sucker or puller
pins buried in the back of the runner.
As a result of reduced gate land thickness, pinpoint gates are easily damaged and tend to
suffer from wear if loaded materials arc processed regularly.
Tab gate
The side filling effect of the tab gate format reduces the likelihood of jetting or worming
occurring when the melt flow exits the gate.
Tab gates are frequently employed to gate large decorative mouldings such as housings or
instrument cases for aesthetic reasons.
The even fill pattern produced about the tab feature serves to reduce the effects of stress-
induced distortion or warpage once the moulding has solidified.
Tab features are expensive to remove from mouldings and should, therefore, be positioned in
locations where they can be left on the component or have a useful function, e.g., as holding
tabs for paint spraying or similar finishing purposes.
Flash or film gate
In essence, the flash gate is an extension of the fan gate .
They can all be used on flat or large-area parts. The warping of these parts is to be avoided as
much as possible.
But flash gate subsequent processing will be very troublesome. Be careful when using it.
Top
Gate Design Tips

(1) The gate position should be selected on the parting surface as much as possible for easy
removal and mold machining, so it is necessary to adopt the side gate, instead of pin point
gate.
(2) The distance to gate is as equal as possible from each cavity, and make the shortest flow
path, so that the melt can fill all the cavities at the same time in the shortest time.
(3) The position of the gate should be selected at the wide and thick-walled section of part,
which is convenient for melt feeding and shrinkage, and this gate location does not lead to
defects such as bubbles and shrinkage depressions.
When the melt enters the thick-walled section from the thin-walled section, re-injection occurs,
which will cause the melt speed and temperature to drop suddenly.
(4) Avoid the gate near the long and thin core to prevent the flow directly impacting the core to
cause deformation or bending.High temperature,high pressure and frequent impact on the
weak insert would make it bent or even broken.
The temperature of the melt is high, the pressure is high, and the frequency of impact on the
insert is large. If the insert is weak, it must be bent or even broken.
(5) if the injection molding requirements meet, the smaller the number of gates are, the better it
is.it would reduce the weld marks. If unavoidable, the weld marks should be designed on the
unimportant surface and non-weak parts of the product.
However, multi-gates are recommended for large or flat products to prevent warpage and short
shot.
(6) The gate should be beneficial to the mold venting. After the melt enters the cavity, the
venting groove (on the parting surface) cannot be blocked first.
Otherwise, the gas in the cavity cannot be discharged, which will affect the melt flow and
cause defects such as bubbles, weld lines or short shot. See Figure :If feeding from (a), the
melt will first block the parting surface, which will cause (b) to be trapped.
(7) The gate location does not affect the appearance and function of the product. As
mentioned earlier, any gate will leave traces on the surface of the product. In order not to affect
the appearance of the product, the gate should be placed in the concealed section of the
product.
However, due to the shape of the plastic parts, the gate must be externally set. To do this, the
gate should be made beautiful, and the situation should be told to the customer in advance.
(8) The gate should neither be too large nor too small. If it is too large, the melt temperature
will NOT rise when pass through the gate, and it will be difficult to prevent back-flow; If it is too
small, the resistance will be large, and defects such as jetting, cloudy spot, and short shot will
occur. The size of the gate is determined by the size ,geometry and the type of plastic product.
In the design, the small gate size should be taken first, and then correct according to the trial
result.
(9) In a multi-cavity mold with large filling bulk difference, the feeding balance can be achieved
by adjusting the gate width dimension ,instead of the depth.
(10) The cross-section of the gate is 3%~9% of the cross-section of the sub- runner, and the
cross-sectional shape of the gate is circular (point gate) or rectangular (side gate), and the
gate length is 0.5~2. 0 mm, the surface roughness is not less than 0.4 um
(11) In the side gate mold, gating on the shut-offs should be avoided because the melt de-
course sharply to cause loss of the temperature and pressure. When it is impossible to avoid, it
is necessary to make a slope at the feed position of the shut-off to reduce the melt flow
resistance.
(12)The number of gates: The number of gates depends on the ratio of melt flow L to the
thickness of the product’s wall thickness T. Generally, each gate should be controlled at L/T =
50~80.
In any case, the L/T value must not be over 100. In actual design , the number of gates must
be adjusted according to the shape of the product , the viscosity of the melting plastic and
other factors.
(13) The weld line caused by the position of the gate can be judged by experience or mold flow
analysis, whether it will affect the appearance and strength of the product. If it is, a cold slug
well can be added to solve the problem.
(14) A cold slug well should be set near the gate (especially the sub-gate), and the puller
should be set to facilitate the runner de-molding.
(15) The gate must be designed to have a rapid, uniform and unidirectional mold filling pattern.
(16)The position of the gate must be such that the air in the cavity can escape during injection
molding, otherwise it will cause short shots or burn marks.
(17)In the event that the gate location creates the weld lines, the lines should be designed to a
suitable position.
(18) The position and size of the gate should avoid the jet flow. To remove the jet flow, the gate
can be enlarged or the position can be changed to make the melt impact the mold wall.
(19)The condensing time of the gate is the maximum effective holding time of the cavity. If the
gate is properly designed, the backflow of the injected material can be avoided.
(20) The gate should be designed as short as possible to reduce the pressure drop across the
gate.
(21)The normal gate thickness is 50 to 80 percent of the finished wall thickness . The manual
removal gate thickness is sometimes the same as the finished part wall thickness. The
automatic removal gate thickness is generally less than 80% of the wall thickness to avoid
deformation when the gate is broken. Pin point gates and sub-gate ends diameter typically is
from 1 mm to 3 mm.
(22) Fiber-filled materials require larger gates to reduce fiber breakage as the material passes
through the gate. Smaller gates, such as sub-gates or pin point gates, may cause fiber
damage during filling.
(23) The gate should be designed a small size at the design beginning, so the size can be
enlarged later if necessary (because it is difficult to reduce the size of the gate).
← 5 Ejection Methods For Plastic Mold hot runner system of plastic mold →
Leave a Reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Name*
Email*
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Post Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Search.. Search
Injection Molds Cost

Whatsapp/Wechat: 008615968652523
Injection Molding Cost Calculator
Topworks
Blow Molding
Design  0086 159 6865 2523

 “Steven is a very detail-oriented project manager and
engineer, who can solve problems creatively, and also
Rapid Prototype  sales@plasticmoulds.net provides excellent service. It was a pleasure working
 Mold City West District with him.”
Plastic Material
Huangyan, Zhejiang 318020 -David
Safe Operation
 Steven Cheng
Gallery
“Our customer is very satisfied with your mold
products”
-client from Brazil
” Steven is an excellent professional with great

knowledge and technical practice.”
-Paulo
Copyright © 2016 TOPWORKS plastic mold , All Rights Reserved Blog

Sprues, Runners and Gates of Plastic Mold

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Sprues, Runners and Gates of Plastic Mold

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

8/15/2019 Sprues,runners and gates of plastic mold

Home Plastic Molds Design Gallery Contact us