Diseño de moldeo por inyección: 7 Consejos críticos para evitar errores costosos (2025)

Si es ingeniero de producto o especialista en adquisiciones, Ya conoces el dolor de un mal diseño de moldeo por inyección.: partes que se agrietan, moldes que se atascan, o proyectos retrasados ​​por retrabajo. las buenas noticias? La mayoría de los problemas se pueden evitar con las opciones de diseño adecuadas. Esta guía se descompone 7 Consejos esenciales para el diseño de moldeo por inyección., con datos, ejemplos, and actionable advice to help you build parts that work—on time and on budget.

What Is Injection Molding Design? A Quick Primer

Injection molding design is the process of creating part blueprints that work with the moldeo por inyección manufacturing method. A diferencia de la impresión 3D (que construye piezas capa por capa), injection molding forces molten material (como termoplásticos o elastomers) into a custom mold. Una vez enfriado, the material takes the mold’s shape—making it ideal for high-volume production (10,000+ unidades) thanks to low scrap and consistent results.

But here’s the catch: poor design can ruin even the best mold. Por ejemplo, a part with uneven walls might develop sink marks (ugly surface dents), or a part without draft angles could get stuck in the mold—costing you time and money to fix. The tips below solve these common problems.

1. Choose the Right Material (It Makes or Breaks Your Design)

The first rule of injection molding design: pick a material that matches your part’s purpose. Different materials have unique properties—like strength, resistencia al calor, or flexibility—and they behave differently during cooling.

Key Material Categories to Know

• Amorphous thermoplastics (p.ej., ABS, Acrílico): Great for dimensional stability (they don’t shrink much) y resistencia al impacto. Perfect for parts like laptop casings or display frames.
• Semi-crystalline thermoplastics (p.ej., Nylon, Polietileno): Offer better chemical resistance and durability but shrink more. Ideal for parts like fuel lines or food containers.

Material Selection Checklist

Ask yourself these questions before choosing:

• Will the part be exposed to high temperatures (p.ej., piezas del motor)? Pick heat-resistant options like OJEADA o Polímero de cristal líquido.
• Does it need to be flexible (p.ej., juntas)? Go with elastomers o silicone rubbers.
• Will it touch chemicals (p.ej., cleaning tools)? Choose semi-crystalline plastics like polipropileno.

Ejemplo del mundo real: A Medical Device Company’s Mistake

A medical firm once designed a syringe plunger using Acrílico (an amorphous plastic) because it was cheap. But Acrylic isn’t resistant to the alcohol-based cleaners used in hospitals—after a few uses, the plungers cracked. They switched to policarbonato (a more chemical-resistant amorphous plastic), and the problem vanished. The fix cost \(5,000 in retooling but saved \)50,000 in recalled parts.

2. Master Part Tolerances (Account for Shrinkage!)

Molds are made with ultra-tight tolerances (a menudo 0.005 milímetros using CNC machining), but plastic shrinks as it cools—and different materials shrink at different rates. If you ignore this, your part won’t fit as intended.

Common Materials and Their Shrinkage Rates

Por ejemplo: If you need a part that’s 100 mm long after cooling, and you’re using PEEK (1.5% contracción), design the mold cavity to be 101.5 mm long. This way, when the plastic shrinks, it hits your target size.

3. Get Wall Thickness Right (Avoid Sink Marks)

Wall thickness is one of the most common design mistakes. Too thick, and you’ll get sink marks (depressions from slow cooling). Too thin, and the molten plastic won’t flow properly—leading to weak spots.

Recommended Wall Thickness by Material

Critical Rule: Keep Walls Even

Uneven walls are a disaster. Por ejemplo, a part with a 3 mm wall next to a 1 mm wall will cool at different rates—the thicker section will shrink more, pulling the surface inward (sink mark).

• If you must have uneven walls, keep the difference under 15% of the nominal thickness (p.ej., a 2 mm wall can go up to 2.3 milímetros, not 3 milímetros).
• Usar tapered transitions (slopes) between thick and thin sections to slow cooling differences.

4. Add Draft Angles (Prevent Mold Sticking)

CNC machining can make vertical walls, but injection molding can’t. When plastic cools, it shrinks and clings to the mold—especially around the core. Without draft angles (slight tilts on walls), you’ll have to force the part out, damaging the mold or ejector pins.

Minimum Draft Angles for Common Surfaces

Ejemplo: A Toy Manufacturer’s Fix

A toy company designed a action figure with vertical legs (no draft angles). When they tried to eject the parts, 20% of the legs cracked because the plastic stuck to the mold. They added a 2° draft angle to the legs, and the defect rate dropped to 0.5%.

5. Use Ribs and Gussets (Strengthen Without Thickening)

Want a stronger part? Don’t just make the walls thicker—add costillas (delgado, vertical strips) o gussets (triangular supports). They boost strength without causing sink marks.

Rib Design Rule

The thickness of a rib should be 50–60% of the wall it’s attached to. Por ejemplo: If your wall is 2 mm de espesor, the rib should be 1–1.2 mm thick. This prevents the rib from cooling slower than the wall (lo que causa deformación).

Ejemplo: A Furniture Company’s Success

A furniture brand made a plastic chair seat with 4 mm thick walls—it was strong but had ugly sink marks. They redesigned it with 2 mm walls and 1 mm ribs. The seat was just as strong, the sink marks disappeared, and they used 30% less plastic (ahorro $0.20 per chair).

6. Add Radii and Fillets (Eliminate Sharp Corners)

Sharp corners are bad for two reasons:

1. They weaken parts—molten plastic can’t flow smoothly into corners, creating air bubbles or thin spots.
2. They’re expensive to make—molds with sharp corners need special (costly) CNC tools.

Radius Design Formula

• Inner radius: At least 0.5t (T = wall thickness).
• Outer radius: At least 1.5t.

For a 2 mm wall:

• Inner radius = 1 milímetros (0.5 incógnita 2)
• Outer radius = 3 milímetros (1.5 incógnita 2)

This improves material flow, strengthens the part, and makes ejection easier—all while lowering mold costs.

7. Design Snap Fits Smartly (Avoid Expensive Side Cores)

Snap fits (plastic tabs that lock parts together) are great for assembly—but they often need undercuts (features that stick out, making demolding hard). Traditional undercuts require side cores (mold parts that slide in and out), which add \(1,000–\)5,000 to mold costs.

3 Ways to Avoid Side Cores

1. Use slots instead of undercuts: A narrow slot can act like a snap fit without needing a side core.
2. Move the parting line: Adjust where the mold splits to cover the undercut. This works best for outer undercuts.
3. Peel undercuts: If your part is flexible (p.ej., elastomers), design small bumps that “peel” out of the mold when the part bends.

Tip: Give Clearance for Snap Fits

For peel undercuts, make sure the bump has a 30–45° angle—this lets it slide out of the mold easily. If the angle is too steep, the part will tear.

Yigu Technology’s Perspective on Injection Molding Design

En Yigu Tecnología, we believe great injection molding starts with design—not just mold making. For clients, we prioritize material matching and tolerance planning first: too many projects fail because teams pick a cheap material instead of the right one. We also advocate for “design for manufacturability” (DFM) checks early—catching a draft angle mistake or wall thickness issue before mold production saves 50% of rework costs. Injection molding is a team sport: ingenieros, diseñadores, and manufacturers need to collaborate to build parts that are strong, cheap, and easy to make.

Preguntas frecuentes

1. What’s the biggest mistake in injection molding design?

Uneven wall thickness. It causes sink marks, pandeo, and weak parts. Always keep walls as even as possible, and limit thickness differences to 15% of the nominal size.

2. Do I need draft angles for all injection molded parts?

Yes—even “near vertical” walls need at least a 0.5° draft angle. sin eso, parts will stick to the mold, leading to cracks or mold damage. The only exception is parting faces (where the mold splits).

3. How do I choose between amorphous and semi-crystalline plastics?

Pick amorphous plastics (p.ej., ABS, Acrílico) for parts that need dimensional stability (no big shrinkage) or impact resistance. Choose semi-crystalline plastics (p.ej., Nylon, Polietileno) for parts that need chemical resistance or durability (p.ej., equipo al aire libre, contenedores de comida).