Short Shots in Injection Molding: Cause Analysis, Solutions and Practical Cases
In the field of plastic injection molding production, short shots are among the most common and destructive quality defects. A short shot refers to a situation where molten plastic fails to fully fill the mold cavity during the filling process, resulting in problems such as material shortage, incomplete edges, and filling gaps in thin-walled areas of the molded product. These issues directly affect the structural integrity, assembly accuracy, and appearance quality of the product.
A case from a new energy vehicle manufacturer shows that a short shot problem in thin-walled bumpers alone caused the customer's production line to shut down for 8 hours, resulting in direct economic losses exceeding 500,000 yuan (Note: If converting to a foreign currency is more contextually appropriate, "over 70,000 US dollars" can be used, with the conversion rate based on the average market rate around 2024).
Starting from the essential mechanism of short shots, this article will systematically break down the four core causes, provide comprehensive solutions covering materials, molds, processes, and equipment, and illustrate the implementation paths with practical cases.
I. The Nature of Short Shots: Dynamic Disruption of Flow Balance
The formation of short shots is not caused by a single factor; its essence lies in the disruption of the dynamic balance between the "propulsive energy" and "flow resistance" of the molten plastic during the filling process. From a microscopic mechanism perspective, for the melt front to complete cavity filling, it must overcome three core types of resistance:
1. Viscous resistance of the melt itself: Generated by material viscosity and runner friction;
2. Pressure decay: The pressure loss of the melt from the gate to the end of the cavity increases exponentially with the length of the flow path;
3. Temperature gradient: Cooling of the melt leads to a sharp rise in viscosity—for every 10°C drop in temperature, the viscosity can increase by 2.3 times (per the Arrhenius equation).
When the sum of these resistances exceeds the propulsive force provided by the injection system, the melt front solidifies before fully filling the cavity, resulting in the short shot defect.
Typical manifestations of short shots include:
● Progressive material shortage (gradual thinning from the gate to the end of the part);
● Intermittent flow interruption (appearance of "bamboo joint-like lines" on the surface);
● Overall under-filling (insufficient filling of the entire cavity);
● Local material shortage (unfilled complex structures or mesh areas).
Different manifestations correspond to different combinations of causes.
II. Four Core Causes: Full-Chain Tracing from Materials to Equipment
(1) Material Properties: Innate Limitations on Flow Capacity
Materials are the fundamental factor affecting short shots, with core issues focusing on two aspects: flowability and purity.
High-viscosity materials (e.g., PC, PPO, PC + 20% mineral filler) exhibit high melt flow resistance. Particularly in thin-walled products (≤2mm) or long-flow-path products (flow ratio > 100:1), short shots are highly likely to occur due to insufficient flow. Impurities, unmelted particles, or excessive lubricants in raw materials further exacerbate the problem: impurities can block runners and form "flow obstacles," while excessive lubricants may cause melt slippage, reducing effective filling pressure.
In addition, for glass fiber-reinforced materials (e.g., PP + 30% GF), the reorientation of glass fibers increases flow resistance. Areas with concentrated long fibers may even form a network structure, hindering melt advancement.
(2) Mold Design: Structural Defects in Flow Paths
The rationality of mold design directly determines the smoothness of melt flow. Common design issues include:
● Improper runner and gate design (excessively thin runners, offset gate positions, or undersized gates), leading to excessive pressure loss;
● Poor cavity venting: Trapped air cannot escape, forming back pressure that obstructs melt filling;
● Unreasonable cooling system layout: Local overcooling causes the melt to solidify prematurely;
● Complex product geometry (e.g., dense meshes, narrow ribs): Increases flow resistance and easily forms flow stagnation zones.
For example, the mesh area of a notebook (NB) bottom cover has a large contact area and rapid heat dissipation—it is not only a high-risk area for short shots but also prone to flash defects due to the high pressure required for filling.
(3) Process Parameters: Imbalanced Matching of Molding Conditions
Process parameters are the most direct cause of short shots, with the core lying in the triangular matching of temperature, pressure, and speed.
● Insufficient injection pressure or speed results in inadequate melt propulsive force; conversely, excessively high speed may trap air, while excessively low speed causes the melt to solidify prematurely.
● Low melt temperature or mold temperature significantly increases melt viscosity. For instance, the flowability of PP material at 200°C is much lower than that in its optimal temperature range (220–240°C).
● Improper holding pressure settings (e.g., delayed switchover timing, insufficient pressure) fail to compensate for melt shrinkage, leading to material shortage at the part's end.
The "one-size-fits-all" constant-speed injection strategy in traditional processes cannot adapt to the pressure decay law of long-flow-path products, which is also a key cause of progressive short shots.
(4) Equipment Performance: Insufficient Precision in Energy Transfer
The performance of injection molding machines directly affects the stability of "energy supply," and short shot occurrences vary significantly across machines of different brands. For electric injection molding machines, key influencing factors include pressure transfer accuracy, flow rate stability, and temperature field uniformity:
● Fanuc machines have a high flow rate decay rate (up to 60%), which easily leads to progressive material shortage;
● Response delays in the holding pressure switching valve of Sumitomo machines may cause intermittent flow interruption;
● Speed fluctuations in Haitian machines result in pressure instability, leading to overall under-filling.
In addition, equipment defects such as empty hoppers, blocked feed inlets, and worn check valves can cause a drop in actual injection pressure or pressure leakage, further worsening short shot issues.
III. Comprehensive Solutions: A Systematic Strategy from Prevention to Eradication
(1) Material Optimization: Enhancing Flow Capacity at the Source
The core of material adjustment is to reduce flow resistance, which can be achieved through three approaches:
1.Replace with resin grades of better flowability: Select materials with higher Melt Flow Rate (MFR) to reduce the injection pressure required for filling;
2.Raw material modification: Improve melt flowability by adding plasticizers, reducing the proportion of fillers, or optimizing the length distribution of glass fibers;
3.Raw material pretreatment: Strictly control impurity content and fully dry hygroscopic materials to avoid viscosity fluctuations caused by moisture.
For glass fiber-reinforced materials such as PP + 30% GF, the screw compression ratio and the length of the mixing section can be adjusted to reduce glass fiber breakage and lower flow resistance.
(2) Mold Optimization: Building a Smooth Flow System
Mold improvement requires precise optimization combined with CAE mold flow analysis:
● Runner and gate design: Expand runner size, optimize gate position (e.g., changing from side gating to center gating), and balance the filling time of each cavity. A certain automotive component achieved a 20% increase in filling rate through this method;
● Ventilation system: Add venting grooves (depth ≤ 0.02mm, width 5-10mm) at the end of the cavity and air accumulation areas, or use porous steel inserts to eliminate the impact of back pressure;
● Cooling system: Avoid local overcooling; for long-flow-path products, additional heating rods can be installed at the end to maintain melt temperature;
● Complex-structured products: Optimize product geometry through CAE simulation, such as thickening thin-walled areas or simplifying flow paths, to reduce flow resistance.
(3) Process Optimization: Achieving Precise Process Control
The key to process adjustment is to establish a dynamic matching relationship among "temperature, pressure, and speed":
● Temperature control: Appropriately increase melt temperature (e.g., raising PP temperature from 200°C to 220-240°C) and mold temperature to reduce melt viscosity, while avoiding material degradation caused by excessively high temperatures;
● Pressure and speed control: Adopt a segmented injection strategy and dynamically adjust parameters based on flow path length. For example, use high pressure and high speed in the initial stage to quickly establish a pressure gradient, maintain pressure in the middle stage to compensate for pressure decay, and reduce speed in the final stage to avoid flash. At the same time, use a gradually decreasing holding pressure to prevent sudden pressure changes;
● Parameter adjustment principle: Follow the "small and gradual" principle—adjust injection pressure by 5%-10% each time to avoid new defects caused by drastic parameter changes.
(4)Equipment Optimization: Ensuring Stable Energy Transfer
Equipment-level optimization includes:
● Regularly calibrate injection pressure and flow rate accuracy to ensure the accuracy of pressure transmission;
● Inspect and replace worn check valves to prevent pressure leakage;
Develop differentiated parameters based on the characteristics of machines from different brands. For example, Fanuc machines need to focus on compensating for flow rate decay, Sumitomo machines require optimizing holding pressure switching timing, and Haitian machines need to control speed fluctuations;
● For long-flow-path and thin-walled products, select equipment with higher stability in injection volume, pressure, and speed to avoid short shots caused by insufficient equipment capacity.
IV. Practical Cases: The Path from Mass Short Shots to 95% Yield
Case 1: Solution to Short Shots in Thin-Walled Bumpers for New Energy Vehicles
A certain automotive manufacturer produced thin-walled bumpers made of PP + 30% GF (wall thickness: 1.8mm, flow ratio: 120:1). All three electric injection molding machines experienced mass short shots, with a material shortage of 2-5mm at the end of the parts. The traditional method of increasing injection pressure only improved the issue by 15% and caused severe flash.
Solution: A coupled optimization strategy of "equipment characteristics - material behavior - process parameters" was adopted:
● For Fanuc machines: Segmented injection was implemented (initial stage: 140MPa/200mm/s → middle stage: 120MPa/150mm/s → final stage: 100MPa/100mm/s). Additional heating rods were installed at the end of the runners to increase the temperature at the end from 185°C to 220°C, reducing viscosity by 48%;
● For Sumitomo machines: The holding pressure switching timing was optimized to shorten the response delay to 0.05 seconds, and the R-angle at the runner bends was expanded to 1.5mm;
● For Haitian machines: The length of the screw mixing section was adjusted to reduce the uneven dispersion of glass fibers, and the speed fluctuation was controlled within ±1rpm.
Ultimately, the short shot defect was completely resolved, the yield increased from 70% to 95%, and the flash volume decreased by 80%.
Case 2: Collaborative Solution to Short Shots and Flash in the Mesh Area of NB Bottom Covers
A certain notebook (NB) bottom cover (wall thickness: 1.2mm, PC + 20% mineral filler) had coexisting short shots and flash due to dense meshes. Three adjustments to the gate showed no significant improvement. CAE mold flow analysis revealed that the mesh area had high flow resistance and concentrated pressure.
Solution:
● The mesh was optimized using an equivalent wall thickness correction model, adjusting the wall thickness of the mesh area to 1.05mm;
● The gating system was redesigned: changing from four-point gating to two-point symmetric gating, and expanding the diameter of the cross-runner to 8mm;
● Micro venting grooves (depth: 0.015mm) were added in the dense mesh area;
● Process parameters were adjusted: increasing the melt temperature from 260°C to 275°C, and adopting the "low-speed filling - high-pressure holding" strategy.
After optimization, the short shot defect was eliminated, and the flash defect rate dropped from 35% to 2%.
V. Conclusion: Core Logic of Short Shot Prevention and Control
The short shot problem in injection molding is essentially a mismatch between the flow system, energy transfer, and material properties. Preventing and controlling short shots requires establishing a closed-loop system of "prevention - diagnosis - optimization":
● Potential risks are prevented in the design stage through CAE mold flow analysis;
● The causes are accurately diagnosed based on defect manifestations;
● A radical solution is achieved through the collaborative optimization of materials, molds, processes, and equipment.
With the increasing popularity of precision injection molding today, short shot prevention and control has evolved from simple parameter adjustment to a multi-dimensional systems engineering. Only by mastering its core mechanism and combining it with practical experience can we effectively improve product yield and reduce production costs.
