3518 LAKESHORE ROAD
PLASTICS ENGINEERING COMPANY POST OFFICE BOX 758
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN 53082-0758 U.S.A PHONE 920 - 458 - 2121
F A X 920 - 458 - 1923
Basic Thermoset Part Design Suggestions
The decision on which thermoset molding method should be used to produce a given part is
normally made by the end-user and the molder. It is also advisable that while the part is still in
the design stage, the proposed design be discuss with the material supplier. Items for discussion
should include but not be limited to: method of molding, gate location, ejector pin location,
tolerances, parting line location and part finish. Most PLENCO thermoset molding compounds
can be formulated for use in any of the thermoset molding processes. Regardless of which
thermoset molding method is to be used, certain basic design fundamentals are suggested.
Product design engineers should consider these fundamentals in their design to help achieve a
quality part at an economical cost, both in terms of the price of the material and the mold itself.
Parting Line
When designing a part, consideration should be given to the location of the parting line. To
mold parts with a minimum of flash at the parting line, it is important to be sure that the force
and the cavity fit together and seal properly. If possible, stepped or contour parting lines
should be avoided, as telescoping mold sections add to the mold cost, increase mold
maintenance, and can add to the finishing costs of the parts.
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If the parting line is located on a sidewall of the part, it is nearly impossible to construct a mold
without a slight mismatch between the force and the cavity. This is easier to accomplish on
circular parts but difficult to accomplish on rectangular or odd shaped parts. If it is necessary to
locate the parting line on a sidewall, a definite mismatch of 0.010" - 0.015" (0.25 mm - 0.38
mm) between the force and the cavity may be incorporated into the part design.
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Another approach is to add a 0.010" (0.25mm) bead around the part at the parting line.
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If chipping or breakage at the parting line is a potential problem, designing with a 0.015" -
0.030” (0.4mm - 0.8mm) radius at the parting line can be helpful in eliminating or reducing this
problem.
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Parts with vertical decorations or flutes should stop short of the parting line by about 0.080" (2
mm) to permit ease of flash removal.
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Side Cores
When designing a part, the designer needs to keep in mind that any mold action that obstructs or
blocks the ejection of the part from the cavity is referred to as an undercut and will require
special mold construction to permit the molding of the part. Therefore, a part should be designed
without undercuts whenever possible. If it is necessary to have an external undercut, the mold
can be designed using external side cores that can be activated by hydraulic cylinders or cam
slides. Another method of molding in an undercut is through the use of removable mold
sections. Because of the cost and the greatly reduced production rates achieved when using
loose cores, this method is rarely used today. It should be noted that adding side cores to a mold,
increases the initial cost of the mold and will also increase the mold maintenance costs. Side
cores can also limit the number of cavities a mold will be able to contain. Piece part costs may
increase due to reduced production rates, higher mold maintenance cost and the need for
additional finishing because of the flash created where the side cores meet the force.
Internal undercuts are much more complicated and usually require the use of removable mold
sections, loss cores, split cores or side cores that are activated by cam slides or hydraulic
cylinders. In some cases it is necessary to machine the undercut in a secondary finishing
operation.
If it is necessary to have a through side hole, the mold can be designed to permit the hole to be
produced without needing to have side cores. This may require altering the part design, which
would require the approval of all involved parties.
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Corners
Sharp internal corners are to be avoided whenever possible. These can be the source of cracks,
part weakness and can also affect how the part fills. Generally, the larger the radius on an
internal corner the better, up to a radius of about 0.125” (3.2 mm). The minimum radius for an
internal corner should be 0.030" (0.76 mm"). However, if a radius of 0.030" (0.76 mm") is not
possible, a radius of 0.010" (0.25 mm) is better than no radius.
It is also a good idea to radius the external corners of the parts, since it reduces the likelihood of
the parts getting chipped or broken during handling. The guidelines for a radius on an external
corner are the same as those listed in the previous paragraph for internal corners. Here too the
larger the radius, the better.
Wall Thickness
It is a good practice to avoid designing a part with very thin cross-sectional areas. Thin cross
sections are prone to cracking and breaking during handling and are likely to have molded-in
stresses which can cause warpage and weak parts. These areas will also restrict material flow
and tend to be the last places to fill. As a result, air and volatiles are trapped in these areas which
may cause staining on the mold surface.
We typically suggest a minimum wall thickness of 0.080" (2.0) mm for all of our thermoset
materials. However, there are many thermoset applications that have been successfully designed
with even thinner walls. A couple of reasons for this are the overall part design and the stresses
the walls will have imposed on them during use. Therefore, each application needs to be
reviewed to determine an acceptable minimum wall thickness.
Thick cross-sectional areas should also be avoided because they will become the limiting factor
in the curing of the part. They also can cause part warpage due to their having a different shrink
rate than the remainder of the part.
Designers should endeavor to design all parts with uniform wall sections to avoid the problems
of cracking, breakage and warpage mentioned above. In addition, a uniform wall section is
desirable from the standpoint of cycle times. A part with a uniform wall thickness of 0.090" (2.3
mm) is going to cure faster than the same part with walls that are 0.100" (2.5) mm in some places
and 0.080" (2.0) mm in other areas.
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Draft
Draft should be provided on all walls parallel to the line of draw. If the part is to remain on the
force, the draft on the cavity should be larger than that on the force (i.e. the draft on the cavity is
1 ½° while the draft on the force is ¼°). If the part is to remain in the cavity, the draft will be
the opposite. It is suggested that the draft angle for most parts be 1° to 2°. In cases where
dimensions need to be held to a very tight tolerance or when using glass filled or other low
shrinkage phenolic molding compounds, a lesser draft angle can be used. Parts molded with
thermoset polyester molding compounds need more draft because of their easily scratched softer
surface. More draft means less drag on the surface of the parts and therefore less chance for the
parts to be scratched or marred.
Matte or grain finishes should be avoided whenever possible on sidewalls which are in the
direction of the removal of the part. The reason for this is texturing on these sidewalls can create
an undercut and lock the parts into the mold. If a textured side wall is required, the texture will
need to be very shallow and the part will need a generous draft. It is suggested that a draft angle
of 2 per each (0.001") 0.025 mm depth of texture, be used for textured sidewalls.
Ribs
Ribs are usually added for strength reasons, but they are also added to help decrease warpage or
to act as internal runners to improve material flow to areas that might be difficult to fill. Ribs
should be less than half the thickness of the wall to which they are attached. There should also
be a generous radius at the junction between the wall and the rib. This is done to help prevent
the appearance of “shadow marks” on the part surface opposite the ribs. As a rule, the rib height
should not exceed 3 times the wall thickness to which it is attached and be designed with
generous draft on both sides.
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Bosses
Bosses are protruding studs or pads used for reinforcement of holes or in the part assembly. The
height of the boss should be no more than twice the diameter. The boss should be designed with
a generous draft and also a generous radius at its base.
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If it is absolutely necessary to have a boss with more height, three or four ribs can be added to
the outside diameter for strength. The ribs should also aid in part removal and in flowing
material flow material up into the end of the boss. There should also be a generous radius at the
base of the boss.
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If a boss is designed with a hole in the middle, the diameter of the boss should equal 3 times the
diameter of the hole. This applies to bosses with holes up to 0.500” (12.7 mm) in diameter.
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Holes
Through holes or blind pockets should be formed by mold inserts that can be easily replaced if
they are damaged or worn. Because the pins forming the holes are subject to pressures that may
cause them to bend or break, we suggest that pins for cored holes or blind pockets be limited in
length to 2 times the diameter of the pin. If the core pin is piloted into the stationary half of the
mold, longer through holes can be achieved. Piloting the core pins into the other half of the mold
will change the direction of the flash so it does not affect the diameter of the hole.
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Very long cored holes can be made by having core pins on both halves of the mold that butt
together in the middle. When using “butt pins”, it is necessary for one of the pins to be larger in
diameter that the other pin. This will eliminate the mismatch of the two pins. We normally
suggest that the larger pin be at least 0.010" (0.025) mm bigger than its counterpart.
It is important to keep in mind that when the material is forced to divide and flow around a core
pin or any obstruction, a weld or knit line may develop on the opposite side of the obstruction as
the two fronts of material join. Knit lines are typically much weaker than the main body of the
part and it is a good idea to try to direct knit lines so they don’t affect the overall strength of the
part. This is generally accomplished by changing the location of the gate which forces the knit
line to form in an area that will be subjected to lower stresses.
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Threaded Holes
Many thermoset parts are assembled with screws. Threads can be formed in parts in a number of
ways. The threads can be molded into the part with threaded cores, they can be added in a post-
mold tapping operation or molded in metal inserts can be used. In some cases, self-tapping
screws are used in the assembly.
A common method used to produce threaded holes is to mold removable inserts into the parts.
When these inserts are removed they leave a tapped hole in the part. Shrinkage of the material
must be considered in all three directions when designing the removable mold insert.
If tapping in a post-mold operation is decided as the best way to obtain a threaded hole, we
suggest that carbide taps be used instead of high speed steel or nitrated taps since phenolic
molding materials can be abrasive.
If the part is to be molded in a polyester material, the best method of obtaining a tapped hole is
with the use of molded in metal inserts. Also, molded in metal inserts should be used in cases
where the part will be assembled and disassembled many times. It is important to remember that
the wall thickness around the threaded hole or around the insert should be equal that of the insert
or the thread diameter, otherwise you may experience some cracking when the parts shrink.
In materials that have a hard surface like phenolics and melamine-phenolics, it is possible to use
self-tapping screws for assembling parts that do not need to be frequently assembled and
disassembled. Wire type self tapping screws work very well in thermoset materials. The design
information put out by the screw manufacturer will specify the diameter and depth of the hole
required their screws. It is important to remember that when a boss contains a cored hole for a
self-tapping screw, the O.D. of the boss needs to be 3 times the diameter of the cored hole.
Cooling Fixtures
Absolutely flat surfaces or straight sidewalls are very difficult to mold due to the shrinkage of the
materials. Warpage is roughly proportional to the amount of shrinkage of the material. That is
why an injection flow material will usually have more warpage problems than a transfer flow of
the same product. Flatness tolerances should allow for some warpage due to material shrinkage.
To hold a part flat it will be necessary to use “cooling” or “clamping fixtures”. These are
devices that mechanically hold a part fresh out of the press in a prescribed position until it has
cooled enough to stay in that position. When using cooling fixtures, it is important to load the
part into the fixture as fast as possible. Taking longer than 10 – 15 seconds to load the cooling
fixture may result in parts that the fixture can’t keep within the flatness tolerance.
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Summary
Each part design will present its own unique challenges when it comes to designing a mold to
produce the part. The design suggestions that have been presented address some of the more
common problems that molders and end users face when designing a part that is to be molded
from thermoset materials. Before starting to build a mold to produce a new part, the proposed
part and mold design should be fully discussed by the end user, the molder, the mold maker and
the material supplier. This type of discussion can reveal possible problems so they can be dealt
with before the mold is built. Remember, it’s much easier to change the part design or the mold
design before starting to build the mold, than after it is in the press and ready to mold the first
samples.
Date Printed: November 11, 2015
Date Revised: October 6, 2015
Supersedes Revision Dated: February 6, 2001
This information is suggested as a guide to those interested in processing Plenco Thermoset molding materials. The
information presented is for your evaluation and may or may not be compatible for all mold designs, runner systems,
press configurations, and material rheology. Please feel free to call Plenco with any questions about PLENCO
materials or processing and a Technical Service Representative will assist you.
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