Part Design Guidelines for

Injection Molded Thermoplastics

Recommended by our Computer-Aided
Engineering Support Services
 Connecting Rib
T/2 to T/3
Rib

Strengthening
Designing Your Plastic Part Gusset

T/2
When designing parts for injection molding,
the manufacturing process is an important
Nominal
consideration. Injection molding is a process 4T Wall
T
in which solid thermoplastic resin pellets are >2T R=T/2
2T
melted, injected into a mold, and then cooled
back to a solid state in a new form. During Boss

both the injection and cooling stages of the >2T

R=T/4
manufacturing process, there are several factors (0.015” min)

that may affect the quality of the final product and > 2T Hole R=1.5*T

the repeatability of the manufacturing process. Although

it is not always possible to follow all recommendations, outlined
on the following pages are some of the most fundamental
guidelines when designing parts for injection molding.

Typical Metal Design: Design Recommendations:

Thick Section

Wall Thickness

• Maintain a wall thickness of less than 5mm

because thick walls can lead to long cycle times
and poor mechanical properties.
Prefered Plastic Design: • Avoid large variations in wall thicknesses in order
Core Out
Thick section
to simplify flow pattern and minimize variations in
shrinkage that can lead to warpage.
• Avoid abrupt changes in wall thickness, as this can
create stress concentration areas that may reduce
a part’s impact strength. Wall thickness changes
should have transition zones that reduce the
Metal parts are often designed with thick walls, while possibility of stress concentrations, sinks,
plastic parts should ideally maintain uniform wall voids, and warp.
thickness for uniform flow and less shrinkage.
• Avoid gating near an area with a large variation
in wall thickness because hesitation and race
tracking can create non-uniform flow and
shrinkage.

For plastic parts, a gradual change in wall thickness is recommended

Not Recommended Recommended to reduce stress concentration and other potential issues.

2
Radii

• An inside radius should be at least 50 percent

Inside Radius > T/2
of the nominal wall thickness.
• An outside radius should be the nominal
wall thickness plus the inside radius Thickness = T
Outside Radius
Equals Inside Radius + T
(150 percent of nominal wall). The desired radii of adjoining walls
• Sharp corners at the base of bosses and ribs are related to wall thickness.
can be stress concentrators. The edge where a Radius Base
of boss
boss meets the nominal wall should be radiused
to reduce the sharp corner without increasing
the wall thickness enough that it creates a Plane

sink problem.
r=T/4
• The radius at the base of a boss should (0.015” minimum)

be ¼ of the nominal wall with a minimum

radius of 0.015”. Avoiding sharp corners
where a boss meets the
wall can help reduce stress
concentrators.

2.5 X “T” Ribs

• Maximum rib thickness should be 0.5 to 0.75 of

the nominal wall to avoid creating areas of sink.
3.0 X “T” • To avoid thin sections of steel in your mold, the
distance between ribs should be at least two
and a half times the nominal wall thickness.
“T” • Ribs should have a draft angle of at least ½˚
per side in order to accommodate easier
ejection from the mold.
.5-.75 X “T”
1
• Maximum rib height should be no greater than
/2˚ DRAFT
three times the nominal wall thickness in order
In addition to rib thickness and height, to avoid large variations in wall thickness.
the draft angle should also be taken into • Balance ribs on both sides of the nominal
consideration. See the “Draft Angle”
section for more information. wall to avoid non-uniform shrink that
can lead to warpage.

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 Careful design of boss dimensions and part
ratios is helpful in optimizing structure.
Bosses

• Stand-alone bosses should be designed All inside radii

following the design guidelines for ribs 0.25 - 0.75 X
outside radius
(see more information under the “Ribs” section).
• Use connecting ribs and/or supporting gussets
3.0 X internal
if possible to stiffen structural parts. Connecting diameter
ribs should be 0.6 times the nominal wall
thickness at their base to avoid sink.
• To maintain uniform wall thickness, bosses 0.60 X thickness of adjoining
should be cored to the bottom of the boss. walls, maximum height

0.50 X the height of the outside wall

1 32
/ in (0.8 mm) min.
Threads
Plastic threads used for joining parts
Roots
Plastic threads are can be machined or molded-in.
Rounded
designed differently than
metal threads with larger crests Crests
and depth of roots. • When designing molded-in threads, avoid
feathered edges and include radiused roots
P R=.108P in order to minimize stress concentrations
P
2 60˚ and to keep the walls uniform.
• Sharp edges can be stress concentrators
in plastic parts. Thread designs should
consider this.

Walls Drafted 1/2°/side

Draft Angle
Including a modest draft angle on walls,
bosses, ribs, and other features, is helpful
• Design parts with a minimum of ½˚ per to remove the part from the mold.
side draft in order to accommodate
easier ejection from the mold. No Draft

Draft Angle

4
Amorphous Versus
Semi-Crystalline Materials:

Typical Shrinkage Values for Amorphous Materials Amorphous Materials

Based on a 1/8” (3.2mm) section using ASTM D 955 In amorphous materials, molecules are randomly
Material
Mold Shrinkage oriented and intertwined. Polymer molecules
(in./in.)
have no ordered structure. These materials have
Unfilled Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) 0.004 – 0.008 no identifiable “melting point” but progressively
soften through a broad temperature range.
Unfilled Polycarbonate (PC) 0.003 – 0.007
Unfilled amorphous materials are typically
Unfilled Polysulfone (PSU) 0.003 – 0.007 isotropic, shrinking equally in the flow and
transverse directions. Even fiber-filled
Unfilled Polyetherimide (PEI) 0.004 – 0.009
amorphous materials typically have low
Unfilled Acrylic (PMMA) 0.003 – 0.007 shrink and good dimensional control.

Typical Shrinkage Values for Semi-Crystalline Materials

Based on a 1/8” (3.2mm) section using ASTM D 955

Material Mold Shrinkage (in./in.)

Unfilled Polypropylene (PP) 0.010 - 0.025

Talc filled Polypropylene (PP) 0.007 - 0.015

Semi-Crystalline materials High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) 0.015 - 0.040

Semi-crystalline materials have areas of random Unfilled Nylon 6 0.005 – 0.015

molecule orientation but they also contain regions
where molecules pack together to form ordered Unfilled Nylon 6/6 0.008 – 0.015
crystalline structures. These materials have a sharp
Acetal (POM) 0.020 – 0.025
melting point and are typically solvent resistant.
These materials can be anisotropic which
means they shrink differently in the flow
versus transverse directions.

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Key Definitions
A polymer characterized by random entangled polymer chains. Generally amorphous materials
Amorphous Polymer have lower shrink and better dimensional stability than semi-crystalline materials.
Not the same in all directions. This term might be applied to shrinkage for materials that shrink
Anisotropic differently in the direction of flow than they do across the flow direction. Filled materials usually
exhibit anisotropic shrinkage.
The cavity is the depression in the mold that forms the outer surface of the molded part.
Cavity/Core A core is a male part of a mold that shapes the inside of a molded part.

A pin that ejects a molded piece from the mold. Ejector pins typically leave a small indentation
Ejector Pin/Knockout Pin on the plastic surface.

Excess plastic around the area of a molded parting line that appears as a standing edge
Flash on the molded part.

The channel through which molten polymer flows into the molded part. It is typically small
Gate and leaves a mark on the molded part.

The same in all directions. This term might be applied to shrinkage or other mechanical properties
Isotropic of a material. Unfilled materials are more likely to be isotropic.

Parting Line The line formed by the mating surfaces of the mold halves.

The feed channel that plastic flows through to get from the injection unit sprue to the
Runner gate of the molded part.

A polymer characterized by areas of order in which molecular chains line up. Semi-crystalline materials
Semi-crystalline Polymer tend to have good chemical resistance but higher shrink than amorphous materials.

A depression in a molded plastic part caused by a thicker section of plastic shrinking and collapsing as it
Sink cools.

Undercut A protrusion or indentation that impedes the withdrawal of a molded part from a two-piece, rigid mold.

The measure of the resistance of a fluid to movement. Lower viscosity means easier flowing, and high
Viscosity viscosity materials are more difficult to push.
Sometimes-visible marks on the surface of a molded part where two separate flow fronts of plastic have
Weld/Meld Line come together. Weld lines often have reduced mechanical properties, and weld lines should be located
away from structurally important areas of the molded part.
A pocket of unfilled space or vacuum in a molded part usually caused by the shrinkage during cooling of
Void thick sections.

(case study)
Speaker Mount for Casino Gaming System
When WMS Gaming, Inc., and their molder, Top Die Plastics, Inc., collaborated to develop
a premium sound system for a casino gaming device, they wanted to use a single material that
could provide strength, electrostatic dissipation, and flame retardant properties. Engineers from
RTP Company recommended an RTP 300 Series static dissipative compound; however, the
requirement of both Conductive and Flame Retardant additives was a concern, as the
combination of the two raises the melt viscosity.

6
 Support Services from RTP Company
RTP Company has a team of experienced Computer-Aided
Engineering (CAE) analysts who can assist in providing material data,
structural analysis, as well as filling and warpage analyses utilizing
Moldflow®. We offer product design review and consultation
of the following:

• Innovative thermoplastic solutions that optimize • Structural failure consultation

your design and cut processing costs • Composite materials design
• Injection molding analysis assistance and education
• Structural analysis (FEA) • Quick mechanical structural design review
• Plastic part design assistance • Product testing recommendation
• Mold design assistance

Material Data Assistance: 14000

RTP 107 CC Design Data

(75 Degrees F)

RTP Company can provide guidance and material data for 12000

customers doing their own CAE analysis. We offer in-house testing

and curve-fitting for both standard and custom materials. Your
10000
custom materials data will be processed with RTP Company’s
strict confidentiality procedures. We have over 400 materials
characterized for flow simulation and if your material 8000
Stress - PSI

is not already characterized, we can test it for you.

Data sheet properties are generated 6000

Molded Tensile Bars
on carefully designed molded specimens, and these
properties do not always reflect the performance of an actual Approximate Longitudinal

part, often due to fiber orientation. RTP Company can assist 4000
Orientation Behavior

by providing data on how materials perform in different Approximate Transverse

Orientation Behavior
directions, as shown on this stress/strain curve.

2000

Strain - in./in.
0
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04

Although formulation adjustments were made to create a higher flow grade, WMS Gaming feared that they would still need to create
an expensive and time-consuming three-plate mold for consistent part filling. Instead, RTP Company’s Computer-Aided Engineering
team performed a mold-flow analysis to model the material’s characteristics with the existing mold plan. Successive iterations of the
molding analysis tested alternate runner sizes and gate locations to optimize the mold design. “Performing such an analysis before
cutting steel not only spared expense, but also kept the project on schedule,” stated Norm Wurz, of WMS Gaming. “RTP Company
increased the value of our product by providing support to customize it specifically to meet our needs.”

www.rtpcompany.com 7
RTP COMPANY is committed to providing you with solutions, customization, and service for
all of your thermoplastic needs. Our dedicated staff cares for your company and delivers personalized
service and expertise to help you meet even your most challenging application requirements.

COMPUTER-AIDED
ENGINEERING SUPPORT (CAE) HIGH VOLUME CAPABILITIES
Our Alloy Polymers™ facilities provide
RTP Company has a dedicated CAE Services high volume and tolling services, featuring
team ready to assist you with technical design confidential, efficient operations and timely,
issues, from conception of an ideal to final large-scale delivery.
part manufacturing.

CUSTOM ENGINEERING TOLL COMPOUNDING

RTP Company’s toll and contract manufacturing
RTP Company works in every thermoplastic division gives resin producers and distributors
resin system with hundreds of modifiers to the ability to offer specialty compounds
develop the right solution for your application. branded with their own label.

No information supplied by RTP Company constitutes a warranty regarding product performance or use. Any information regarding
performance or use is only offered as suggestion for investigation for use, based upon RTP Company or other customer experience.

RTP Company makes no warranties, expressed or implied, concerning the suitability or fitness of any of its products for any particular
purpose. It is the responsibility of the customer to determine that the product is safe, lawful and technically suitable for the intended
use. The disclosure of information herein is not a license to operate under, or a recommendation to infringe any patents.

Copyright 2017 RTP Company, 3/17

Please contact your local RTP Company Sales Engineer by calling 1-507-454-6900
1-800-433-4787 (U.S. only), E-mail [email protected] or visit www.rtpcompany.com

RTP Company Corporate Headquarters • 580 East Front Street • Winona, Minnesota 55987 USA website: www.rtpcompany.com • email: [email protected]
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