TPE injection moulding guide

TPE injection moulding guide

Injection Moulding

In the injection moulding process TPE pellets are fed into the machine through a hopper and then into a heated barrel. The heat from the barrel turns the material into a liquid resin which is then injected into a closed mould under high pressure. After allowing the molten polymer to cool, the finished part can be removed from the mould.

Injection moulding is a high-volume, high tooling cost process, the advanced properties of our TPE compounds deliver short cycle times allowing parts to be produced at a rapid rate.

The information below is intended as a general overview, settings may vary depending on the specific grade selected. Please contact us for detailed processing information

Settings

Equipment
Conventional injection moulding machine
Compression set
At least 2:1. Special screws with short sections and higher compression ratios (3:1 to 4:1) may be good at low screw speeds
Shrinkage
Between 1.0% and 2.5% depending on the grade, type of application and location of the gate
Mould surface
Produced by EDM or shot blasted is recommended
Ejection
Ejector plates are generally recommended for soft grades. If ejector pins are used, they should be as large as possible and act on sections of the part that are stiffest
Gates
Diaphragm gate, fan gate, submarine gate, multiple-pinpoint gate
Venting
A vent groove depth of 0.01 to 0.02 mm is generally sufficient

SEBS based materials

Runner temperature
Depending on the grade of material, the lowest temperature of material in runner, during unloaded parts of cycle should be 170 – 240°C
Cylinder temperature
190 – 245°C (260°C may be necessary for large parts)
Mould temperature
15 – 60°C
Injection velocity
Due to the strong viscosity/shear rate relationship, a high injection velocity is desirable for SEBS based materials

SBS based materials

Runner temperature
Depending on the grade of material, the lowest temperature of material in runner, during unloaded parts of cycle should be around 170 – 200°C
Cylinder temperature
170 – 200°C, should not exceed 220°C
Mould temperature
15 – 60°C
Injection velocity
SBS compounds should preferably be injected at moderate injection velocities
Information and settings for extruding our TPE compounds.
Guidance on two component (2K) processing. Including overmoulding and co-extrusion.

Contact Our Experts

Drop an email to DEX and he’ll arrange for your local expert to contact you

HEXPOL TPE - DEX

DEX

Mr TPE

info@hexpolTPE.com

Processing guides

You can also visit our Downloads page for more brochures and information.

Lifocork Processing Guide

Lifolit Soft PVC Processing Guide

TPE Processing Guide – Adhesion

TPE Processing – Problem Solving

HEXPOL Group