July 14, 2022

Injection Mold Sprue and Runner System

blog aco mold

The sprue and runner system is the conduit that connects the machine nozzle to the cavities. During the injection phase of the molding cycle, the molten material flows through the sprue and runner to the cavities. The sprue connects the machine nozzle to the runner and may be either a cold or a hot-sprue. In the hot sprue design, the sprue has heating elements that maintain the plastic in a molten state eliminating the need for separation and reclamation. Ideally, the sprue should be as short as possible to minimize the pressure loss during injection. A cold sprue is tapered for easy release from the injection mold. There are three basic runner types in use:

  • Cold Runner
  • Insulated Runner
  • Hot Runner

Insulated runner system

Hot runner system

Cold runners are commonly used in two and three plate molds, but not in stack molds which require the use of a hot runner. The most commonly used runner designs are full round, half-round and trapezoidal the full-round is generally preferred for ease of machining and lower pressure loss. For fast cycles a full-round is not recommended since the greater mass of material takes longer to cool and may control the cycle time. The runner should be polished for ease of mold filling and part ejection. The insulated runner is the precursor to the hot runner. The runner diameter is very large and a thick skin is formed on the outside of the runner. The molten plastic flows in the center and, due to external insulation and the low thermal conductivity of the polymer, remains molten during the injection molding cycle. This design eliminates the need for removing and/or recycling the runner. The problem with this design is that when the injection molding machine is down for any extended period of time the runner solidifies and has to be physically removed before beginning the next molding cycle. As molders have become more comfortable with hot runner technology, insulated runners are rapidly becoming obsolete and not many injection molds are built today utilizing this technology.

The externally heated hot-runner system also maintains the plastic in a fluid state while the mold is running with the pressure at each gate approximately the same. Maintaining a uniform temperature in the sprue bar and the hot-runner manifold is very critical to process and product consistency. Start-up procedures must be carefully followed according to the mold makers specifications to prevent damage and material leakage in the manifold.

Related Blogs

blog aco mold
Rapid Prototyping

It’s  very necessary to do verification on your design before rushing into mold making for mass production. Experiences told it would cost a lot and waste much more time to …

Electronic Injection Molding
Prevent Injection Molding Defects with The Proven Strategies

Table of Contents   When it comes to injection molding, defects can be a significant hindrance to achieving a high-quality plastic part. These defects, including flow lines, short shots, and …

blog mold
Can you eliminate ejector pins marks?

I am working on an air pressure expulsion mechanism for plastic injection molds, to avoid the use of ejector pins and eliminate or reduce the ejector pins marks. I would …

blog aco mold
Gas injection molding

This technology can be very effective in eliminating or substantially reducing the stress in flatter molding. In internal gas injection, where the gas is injected into one or more gas …

Tell us your request right now and contact us today about getting started on your next project together!

Email:
sales@acomold.com

Or Fill Out The Contact Form Below:

Support Your Business with Better Molding Solution

Contact Info
Copyright © 2023, ACO Mold. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. All rights reserved.  Powered by ACO MOLD.
1 1.png

Join Our Network

Please email to sales@acomold.com
or fill out the contact form below: