Hot Runner Mould With Valve Gate
Single cavity PC/ABS tool, SKD61 cavity, no slides, valve gate, 60 sec cycle, 600,000 shots.
What This Tool Is
The one hot runner mould in the archived catalogue. A valve gate opens and closes mechanically, so the gate mark is a clean circle and there is no runner to regrind. The tool runs no slides at all and a valve gate. The archived record puts the cycle at 60 sec and the tool life at 600,000 shots.
PC ABS sits between the two: stiffer and hotter than ABS, easier to fill than straight PC, and abrasive enough that cavity steel choice starts to matter.
Company catalogue record 173.
Specification And Trade Terms
Mould specification
| Product materials | PC/ABS |
|---|---|
| Mould material | SKD61 |
| Cavity | 1 x 1 |
| Slider | 0 |
| Gate | Valve gate |
| Cycle time | 60 sec |
| Warranty | 600,000 shots |
Commercial terms
| Product origin | China |
|---|---|
| Price terms | FOB Xiamen or CIF |
| Payment terms | T/T or L/C |
| Minimum order | 1 set |
| Mould standard | HASCO or DME standard components |
Key Benefits
SKD61 is a hot work tool steel, which is why it is the cavity steel on this a PC ABS part too wide to fill evenly from a cold gate tool
A valve gate is opened and closed by a pin rather than by the plastic freezing off
A single impression keeps the tool cost down and makes sense until annual volume genuinely outgrows one cavity
With nothing moving sideways there is no slide to wear, no wear plate to grease and nowhere for flash to start
PC ABS sits between the two: stiffer and hotter than ABS, easier to fill than straight PC, and abrasive enough that cavity steel choice starts to matter
Problems It Solves
A tool laid out around ABS cooling will not hold cycle or finish once a polycarbonate grade goes into it
Hand degating a cosmetic part risks damaging the very face it is being trimmed on
A single impression tool cannot supply a programme once it reaches production volume, and by then the tool is already paid for
Who It Is For And Where It Is Used
Who it is for
- Display and television assemblers
- Electronics brands consolidating enclosure tooling
- IT and communications hardware makers
Application scenarios
- A front shell tool whose trial parts must be checked on a flatness fixture
- Consolidating several small enclosure tools with one supplier
- An enclosure where the connector window has to be a replaceable insert
Technical Features And Materials
Technical features
- SKD61 cavity and core
- 1 x 1 impression layout
- Valve gate feed
- Straight pull construction with no side actions
- Cavity and core rated at 600,000 shots
- HASCO or DME standard mould base components
Customisation options
- Built as a two cavity or multi impression tool where the annual volume supports it
- Cavity steel changed from SKD61 where your moulding grade or your expected shot count calls for something different
- Gate type moved away from the valve gate if the cosmetic face or the degating requirement changes
- Cosmetic features such as texture, logos and part numbers cut as replaceable inserts so a later change does not mean a new cavity
- Mould base built to HASCO or DME dimensions, or to a standard your own tool room already stocks spares for
Materials
- PC/ABS
How This Mould Is Made
- Cavity and core blocks are inspected against the specified grade before they enter the machining route
- Cavity geometry is cut on the CNC machining centres from programmes generated off the released part model
- Rib roots, text and internal corners are burned in with EDM electrodes, which is detail no rotating cutter can reach
- Inserts and ejector holes are wire cut so that components drop in to a repeatable fit
- The moulding face is polished to the finish the part needs, which for a plated part is a different grade from a textured one
- Parting line, shut offs and ejection are fitted and spotted by hand at the bench
- The tool is trialled on one of our injection machines and the 60 sec cycle is measured rather than assumed
Quality Control On This Tool
- Incoming cavity and core steel is checked against the grade on the order, not against the delivery note
- Machined inserts and plates are measured between operations rather than only at the end of the route
- Trial parts are measured on the 2D image measuring projector against the dimensions nominated on your drawing
- Corrections found at trial are recorded against the mould number with the date and the reason, so a repair years later starts from what the tool actually is
- Before shipment the water and hydraulic circuits are blown out and plugged and the moulding faces are oiled
Compared With The Alternatives
A two cavity version of the same part
Doubles output per cycle for roughly 60 to 70 percent more tool cost. It pays back above a few hundred thousand pieces a year and not below.
A pre-hardened P20 or 718 tool
Cheaper and faster to cut, but it will not hold this tool's finish for this tool's shot count in this material.
A cold runner version of the same tool
Lower tool cost and nothing heated to maintain, but a runner to regrind every shot and a gate that cannot sit mid face.
Use And Maintenance Guide
- Run the tool in the PC/ABS grade it was trialled with; changing grade changes shrinkage and cavity wear at the same time
- Inspect the valve gate at every service, because gate condition is what decides whether parts come off the tool clean
- With no slides the maintenance is ejection and cooling, so check ejector pin return and flush the water circuits on schedule
- Oil the moulding faces and plug the circuits for any storage longer than a week
- Do not chase the cycle below 60 sec without re-measuring parts; the archived figure already assumes proper cooling
Related Products
Moulds For Electronic And Audiovisual Parts
ABS Electronic Part Mould With Two Cavities And Six Slides
Six slides across two impressions on a 60 second cycle
Product materials ABSMould material NAK80
Moulds For Electronic And Audiovisual Parts
PC Electronic Part Mould With S136 Cavity Steel
No slides at all, which keeps flash risk near zero
Product materials PCMould material S136
Moulds For Electronic And Audiovisual Parts
PC Electronic Series Mould With SKD61 Cavity Steel
SKD61 with a pinpoint gate for a cosmetic PC part
Product materials PCMould material SKD61
Moulds For Other Product Series
ABS Injection Mould With 718 Cavity Steel
718 pre-hardened steel where stainless is not needed
Product materials ABSMould material 718
Industries And Guides
Industry
Electronics And Audiovisual
Television front shells, enclosures and electronic housings in PC and PC ABS
Industry
IT And Communications
Enclosures, covers and moulded detail parts for IT and communications hardware
Process Guide
Pinpoint Side Submarine And Valve Gates Compared
All four gate types appear in this catalogue. Where each one belongs, what it leaves on the part, and what it costs in mould construction.
Comparison Article
Hot Runner Or Cold Runner For Your Injection Mould
When the extra tool cost of a hot runner pays for itself, and when it is money spent on a manifold you then have to maintain.
Buying Guide
How Cycle Time Decides The Price Of A Moulded Part
The cycles in this catalogue run from 40 to 100 seconds. What drives that spread, and why it matters more than the tool price.
Hot Runner Mould With Valve Gate Questions
What buyers ask about this tool before ordering.
Why SKD61 for this tool?
SKD61 is a hot work tool steel. It holds up to the melt temperature of PC and PC blends and resists the abrasion that filled and flame retardant grades cause at the gate, where a pre-hardened cavity wears first.
What does the valve gate mean for the finished part?
A valve gate is opened and closed by a pin rather than by the plastic freezing off. The gate mark is a clean circle and the timing can be controlled, which is what makes it worth the hardware.
What does the 600,000 shots figure actually cover?
It is the cavity and core life the tool was built for, running the nominated PC/ABS grade under normal maintenance. It is not a guarantee against damage from a mispositioned part, a press fault or a missed service interval.
Is the 60 sec cycle achievable in our press?
It was measured on a trial here with the mould running PC/ABS. Cycle time follows the heaviest section of the part far more than it follows the press, so it should transfer, but confirm your clamp tonnage and cooling capacity with us first.
Do you supply the moulded parts as well as the mould?
Yes. The plant runs injection machines below 600 tons on the same site as the tool room, so a mould built here can be trialled and then run for production without shipping it anywhere.
Get A Quotation For This Tool
Tell us your moulding grade, annual volume and target date and we will come back with a specification you can compare against any other offer.