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Design Guide · Molding

Injection molding.
DFM rules.
Mold-friendly design.

Injection molding design fundamentals. Wall thickness, draft, fillets, ribs, gating, ejection. Designed-for-molding parts cost 50% less than poorly-designed.

01 · Key principles

Key principles.

Wall thickness

Uniform

Uniform walls prevent sink marks, warping. 1-3.5 mm typical.

Draft angle

1-2° standard

Draft for mold release. 1-2° smooth, 3-5° textured.

Fillets

Generous

All inside corners filleted. Prevents stress concentration.

Ribs

60% wall thick

Ribs 60% of base wall. Prevents sink marks.

Gating

Material flow

Gate placement affects flow patterns, weld lines, sink marks.

Ejection

Pin placement

Plan ejector pin locations on non-cosmetic surfaces.

FAQ

Wall thickness range?

1-3.5 mm typical. Thinner: warps. Thicker: sink marks. Uniform critical.

Draft angle minimum?

1° absolute minimum smooth surfaces. 2-5° for textured.

Fillet sizes?

Internal: 1/3 wall thickness. External: 1.5× wall thickness. No sharp corners.

Mold flow analysis?

For complex parts, mold flow simulation predicts issues before tooling. Premium service.

Material selection?

ABS workhorse. PP cheap. PC high-strength. Nylon engineering. Per cost/performance.

Tooling cost?

$10K-200K depending on cavities, complexity. Aluminum bridge $10-30K, steel production $50-200K.

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