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Injection Molding Troubleshooting Guide

Recognition, physical cause analysis and step-by-step solutions for 33 molding defects — process steps you can apply at the machine and mold/design solutions, kept separate.

Basic principle: To avoid interactions, change only one parameter at a time and wait a few cycles for stable conditions. If there is no visible improvement, undo the change and move on to the next step.

Surface Marks

Burn Marks

Brownish or silvery streaks caused by thermal damage to the melt. Excessive temperature, long residence time or high shear are the main causes.

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Moisture Streaks

U-shaped silvery streaks caused by moisture in the granulate or on the mold surface. The core of the solution is correct pre-drying.

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Air Streaks

Matte, silvery or white marks left on the surface by air that cannot escape during filling. Solved with decompression and venting settings.

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Color Streaks

Color differences caused by poor pigment dispersion, masterbatch incompatibility or thermal damage. Materials with metallic pigments are particularly prone.

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Glass Fiber Marks

Fibers visible on the surface of glass-fiber reinforced materials; a matte and rough surface. It arises because the plastic-to-fiber shrinkage difference is 200:1.

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Bubbles and Voids

Foam Injection Molding (TSG) Defects

Streaks, air hooks, folding, inflation, discoloration and sink marks seen in thermoplastic foam injection molding — and the separate solution logic for each.

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Air Bubbles

Bubbles formed inside or on the surface of the part by air trapped during injection. Solved within the triangle of decompression, back pressure and venting.

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Vacuum Voids

Evacuated voids formed inside thick sections when shrinkage cannot be compensated. The transfer of holding pressure and the sizing of the gate are decisive.

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Gas Bubbles

Bubbles formed by the thermal degradation products of the material. Prevented by managing temperature and residence time.

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Filling Problems

Unbalanced Filling and Flow Anomalies

Atypical advance of the flow front, unbalanced filling in multi-cavity molds and core shift. Shear-induced viscosity differences are much larger than generally thought.

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Jetting

A snake-like rough mark starting from the gate. It is caused by undeveloped frontal flow; solved with the injection profile and gate design.

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Record Groove Effect

Very fine concentric grooves on the surface, like a record. A sign of a high cooling rate; solved by increasing temperature and speed.

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Dull Ring Near the Gate

A concentric matte corona around the gate. These are micro-notches caused by excessive shear; eliminated with the speed profile and gate geometry.

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Short Shot

The part does not fill completely. Cushion control, pressure/speed, venting and the runner are examined in that order.

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Diesel Effect (Burn)

Black burn spots formed by trapped air igniting spontaneously. A pure venting problem.

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Surface Quality

Tiger Stripes

Regularly alternating matte and glossy bands on the surface. The cause lies in the material; the most effective intervention is the injection speed.

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Weld Line

The visible notch and mechanical weak point where two melt fronts meet. Improved through temperature management, gate position and venting.

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Gloss Differences

Matte/glossy areas arising from the mold surface being replicated differently. Pressure peaks, wall thickness transitions and temperature homogeneity are the main suspects.

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Ejection

Stress Whitening and Cracks

Whitening caused by excessive deformation or ejection under residual pressure, and cracks that appear over time.

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Ejector Marks

Depressions, raised spots, gloss differences or punch-through at ejector areas. Process, geometric, mechanical and thermal causes are separated.

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Ejection Deformation

Bending, cracks, fractures or sunken ejectors formed as the part comes out of the mold. Solved with the shrinkage management rule: low shrinkage for a part wrapping a core, high shrinkage at ribs.

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Ejection Scratches

Scratches formed during ejection on textured surfaces. The rule: as surface roughness increases, the draft angle must increase too.

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Shape and Dimensions

Film Hinge Failure

Partial or complete breakage of the film hinge. The gate position, wall thickness and making the first movement while hot are decisive.

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Multi-Component (2K) Molding Defects

Weak adhesion between the two components, melting of the first component and warpage from the bimetal effect. Compatibility of the material pair is decisive.

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Sink Marks

The surface pulling inward opposite material accumulations such as ribs and bosses. It forms when thermal shrinkage cannot be compensated; the solution starts with optimizing the holding phase.

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Flash

A film spilling out of the parting surface, ejectors and vents. The clamping force, pressure peaks and sealing surfaces are checked.

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Warpage

Bending/twisting as a result of different shrinkage values within the part. Mold temperature, wall thickness, material and holding are managed together.

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Dimensional and Weight Deviations

Dimensions/weight varying from shot to shot are the sign of an unstable process. The melt cushion, non-return valve wear and effective holding time are checked.

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Contamination and Material

Plate-Out (Mold Surface Deposits)

Low-molecular-weight components separating from the melt and building up on the mold surface. It spoils surface replication and leads to corrosion and frequent cleaning stops.

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Surface Delamination

Surface layers separating and peeling off. Weak bonding between layers caused by impurities, incompatible colorant, moisture or excessive shear.

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Cold Slug

Melt that has frozen in the nozzle/gate being carried into the part with the next shot; it leaves a comet-tail mark. Solutions via the nozzle temperature and a cold slug well.

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Stringing

Fine threads sticking to the part at the gate area. Common with PP, PE and materials with a narrow processing window (PA, PBT, POM).

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Black Specks

Dark specks caused by wear, thermal damage or contamination. Prevented by systematic purging and regular mechanical cleaning.

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Can the problem not be solved at the machine?

For equipment-related problems (drying, dosing, mold temperature control, feeding), choosing the right auxiliary equipment is the permanent solution. Contact us for an on-site review and recommendation.

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Prepared by:Uğur Çamlıca· Teknik Part · Source: manufacturer documentation and field practice