Injection Molding Guide

The GLS™ Injection Molding Guide provides in-depth information on part design, mold design and processing for styrenic block copolymer (SBC) thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs). On this page you will find the online, condensed version of this guide, offering quick answers to your injection molding questions. 

Part Design

• SBC Rheology
• General Concepts
• Flow Length and Wall Thickness
• Undercuts
• Gate and Knit Line Locations
• Anisotropy
• Shrinkage

Mold Design

• Steel Selection
• Mold Surface Treatment
• Sprue and Sprue Puller Design
• Conventional Runner Design
• Runner Keepers
• Gate Design and Location
• Mold Venting
• Part Ejection
• Mold Cooling
• Hot Runner Systems
• Manifold Design
• Hot Runner Gate Design

Processing

• Drying
• Coloring
• Regrind
• Purging
• Temperatures
• Mold Filling, Packing and Cooling
• Maintaining Cushion
• Effects of Molding Conditions
• Molding Soft TPEs
• Molding Hard TPEs

Troubleshooting Guide

• Approach
• Startup Issues
• Quality Control Issues