Injection Molding: How to

Get Rid of Bubbles

Bubbles, sometimes known as gas traps or blisters,
are cosmetic defects that detract from the looks of
the part. Air bubbles in injection molded transparent
part will affect the appearance quality of products.
At the same time, it will also reduce the strength of
injection molded products.

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How Do Bubbles Form in plastic?
When the mold cavity fills up, it is
possible that the flow of the plastic is
too quick and air can’t escape quickly
enough from the mold. When this
happens, bubbles can form in the
materials.
The presence of air sets this issue
apart from vacuum voids, which are
caused by a similar yet not identical
set of causes.
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 Gas Bubble Description

Gas bubbles may stem from flow-front

issues, such as converging fronts,
jetting, or mold/machine problems
such as non-vented core pins, poor
venting (try vacuum venting), too
much decompression, or resin
degradation due to overheating or
long residence times.

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 How to find out bubble?
Bubbles are either pockets of trapped
gas or vacuum voids. It is important
to determine which type of bubble
exists in your part to more quickly
pinpoint the source and determine the
correct adjustment to make. A simple
test of warming the part area
containing the bubble until it softens
can be used to determine its bubble
type as trapped air or void.
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 How to find out bubble?
With this test, if there is gas trapped in the
bubble, the gas will warm up and want to
expand the bubble as the part softens. If
there is no air in the bubble and a vacuum
void exists, the bubble will collapse due to
the atmospheric pressure pushing on the
softened walls of the part. A hot air gun is
best to heat the area, a small lighter is
next, and a torch if you know what you are
doing.

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 How to find out bubble?
There are some conditions required
for this test to work. Ideally, find a
bubble at least 3 mm (about 0.125 in.)
or larger in diameter and make sure
the part is no more than 4 hr old. It is
possible for the bubble to start out as
a void, but over time air migrates
through the plastic and the void
becomes a gas bubble.
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 On quick inspection you might assume this bubble as trapped gas

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Condition of part warming soon after removal from mould

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After 16 Hrs, the bubble has expanded. It turns out not as gas or air bubble, but a
vacuum void
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 Part Warming observation
Check out Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Figure 1 is the part
before heating. Figure 2 is a part tested a few
minutes after molding and Fig. 3 is a part tested
16 hr after molding. In Figure 1 you can see the
bubble; it looks like a gas bubble, right? Most
would assume so. Figure 2 shows the part after
testing, and you can now see a depression or sink.
Figure 3 is a part tested after 16 hr, and you now
see the bubble expanded. Despite appearances, it
was not originally a gas or air bubble but a
vacuum void, as the freshly molded part provided
a sink upon warming.
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Part Warming observation

Trapped Gas troubleshooting discussion assuming your test

proved that it was indeed a gas bubble-that is, the bubble
expanded and even made a pop when it burst. Gas bubbles
may stem from flow-front issues, such as converging fronts,
jetting, or mold/machine problems such as non-vented core
pins, poor venting (try vacuum venting), too much
decompression, or resin degradation due to overheating or
long residence times. The gas may appear from water vapor,
volatiles from the resin, or decomposition byproducts.
Air trapped in ribs or non-vented projections off the nominal
wall will be pushed out as the part fills or packs, leaving a
trail of bubbles. Determining where the gas is coming from is
more important than knowing the composition of the gas, in
most cases. There is no one simple test to find out.
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 Process observations

The first step in the procedure is to take off hold or

second stage by adjusting the hold pressure down
to a very low number and see if the bubbles are
still there. If so, at least you don’t have to worry
about the parameters involved with second stage.
Assuming you still see bubbles, the next check is
to learn the filling pattern to determine if the gas is
air trapped upon filling the part.

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 Process observations
With second stage off and making a 99% full part
by volume, do a short-shot study. That is,
decrease the shot size from 99% full to 5% full by
10% increments. Do not start short and increase
shot size, as you may get a different flow pattern.
In addition, this test requires the process to be
velocity controlled for first-stage injection. If the
first stage is pressure limited, you may not get the
consistency needed for accurate results

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 Process observations
One source of bubbles that is rather odd is
the venturi effect.
Where and when do the bubbles show up?
Examine the flow pattern of each part to see if the
plastic flow front is coming around on itself, or if
there is a hesitation of the flow front in filling a thin
section of the part. Are the bubbles always in the
same area? If so, that means there is a fixed place
from which the bubbles are coming. Note if there
is a race-tracking effect or jetting that can cause
air to become trapped in the polymer

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Process & Mold observations
One source of bubbles that is rather odd is the
venturi effect. There are several possibilities for a
venturi effect to suck air into the melt flow: ribs,
ejector pins, poor mating of nozzle tip to sprue
bushing, nozzle misalignment, and separated
plates in a hot runner. These are much harder to
detect but as you rule out other sources, the tool
must be checked. Apply bluing agent near the hot-
runner drops and on plate mating surfaces, being
careful not to allow any onto the flow path. If the
bluing agent shows up on startup, you have found
the source of the problem. Another common
source of bubbles is too much decompression,
especially in hot-runner molds.
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Process & Mold observations
Other causes for trapped air leading to
bubbles or blisters include inadequate
venting, material flow pattern design, and
gas traveling across the part surface during
the fill or pack stage. Melt flow issues may
indicate a need to change the gate location
to avoid race tracking, trapping air or to
promote uniform filling

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Process & Mold observations
Check ribs or any projections off the nominal wall.
If they are short it means there is air trapped in
that area and it is being pushed out to form
bubbles when the rib is filled. Sometimes you
actually see a trail of bubbles coming from this
projection. Do the bubbles only appear after the
part is 85% full? If so, it could be a venting issue.
Check the vents.

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Process & Screw L/D ratio observations

Yet another source is the screw, more

specifically the rear zone or feed section.
General-purpose screws with L/D of 18:1
or lower can be the culprit. Try using a
lower rear-zone temperature and/or higher
backpressure. Another solution may be to
pull a vacuum on the mold just before
injection.

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Some examples of bubbles are pictured below

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 Bubbles possible causes

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Improper control of injection
molding Process conditions
Many process parameters have a direct impact on
the generation of bubbles and vacuum bubbles. If
the injection molding pressure is too low, the
injection molding speed is too fast, the injection
molding time and cycle are too short, the amount
of material added is too much or too little, the
pressure is insufficient, the cooling is uneven or
insufficient, and the material temperature and
mold temperature are not properly controlled,
which will cause plastic molded parts bubbles are
generated inside.

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Improper control of injection
molding Process conditions
Especially during high-speed injection molding, the
gas in the mold is too late to be discharged,
resulting in too much gas remaining in the melt.
For this, the injection molding speed should be
appropriately reduced. However, if the speed
drops too much and the injection molding pressure
is too low, it is difficult to exhaust the gas in the
melt, and it is easy to produce bubbles, dents, and
undershot. Therefore, special care should be
taken when adjusting the injection molding speed
and injection mold pressure

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Improper control of injection
molding Process conditions
Cooling conditions, controlling the amount
of feed, and other methods to avoid the
generation of bubbles and vacuum
bubbles. If the cooling condition of the
plastic molded part is poor, the plastic
injection molded part can be put into hot
water and slowly cooled immediately after
demolding, so that the cooling rate of the
inside and outside tends to be the same.

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Improper control of injection
molding Process conditions
When controlling the mold temperature and
melt temperature, pay attention to the
temperature not too high, otherwise, it will
cause the melt to depolymerize and
decompose, generate a lot of gas or shrink
excessively, and form bubbles or shrinkage
holes; if the temperature is too low, it will
cause the filling pressure Insufficient, the
plastic parts are prone to voids and
bubbles.
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Improper control of injection
molding Process conditions
Melt temperature should be controlled
slightly lower, and the mold temperature
should be controlled slightly higher. Under
such process conditions, it is not easy to
produce a large amount of gas, and it is not
easy to produce shrinkage holes. When
controlling the temperature of the barrel,
the temperature of the feeding section
should not be too high, otherwise, it will
cause backflow and return of the material
and cause bubbles
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 Injection mold defects
If the gate position of the injection mold is
not correct or the gate section is too small,
the main runner and the runner are long
and narrow, there are dead corners in the
runner or the mold is poorly exhausted,
which will cause bubbles.
According to the specific situation, adjust
the structural parameters of the injection
mold, especially the gate position should
be set at the thick wall of the plastic
molded part.
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 Injection mold defects
The gate section should not be too small,
especially when injection molding several plastic
parts with different shapes at the same time, it
must be noted that the size of each gate should be
proportional to the weight of the plastic molded
part, otherwise, larger plastic parts are prone to air
bubbles.
the slender and narrow runners should be
shortened and widened to eliminate dead corners
in the runner and eliminate the failure of poor mold
exhaust. When designing the mold, try to avoid
any extra-thick parts or large disparity between the
thickness of the plastic part.
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Process Parameters control

In the case that the gate form cannot

be changed, it can be adjusted by
extending the holding time, increasing
the amount of feed, and reducing the
taper of the gate.

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The raw materials do not meet
the process requirements
If the moisture or volatile content in the injection
molding raw material exceeds the standard, the
material particles are too small or uneven in size,
resulting in too much air mixed in the feeding
process, the shrinkage of the raw material is too
large, and the melt index of the melt is too large or
too small. Too much-recycled material content will
affect the production of bubbles and vacuum
bubbles in plastic molded parts.
In this regard, it should be solved by pre-drying
raw materials, sieving out fine materials, replacing
resins, and reducing the number of recycled
materials.
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 This practice increases the amount of air that gets
trapped in the melt because the regrind material,
uneven particles of regrind material create pockets
of air between them and the smaller, when you
use the regrind material make sure that there is no
other type of raw material mixed together, two
material mix together will have different melt
temperature so that blisters defects will present.
Another solution, make sure the material is drying
properly, some of material that needs to dry as
long as 4 hours such as PC or PA66 material.
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Process Parameters Caused
LOW INJECTION PRESSURE OR HOLD TIME
Remedies: Increase the injection pressure
and/or the hold time to help force the gases out as
the plastic is pushed into the cavity.

Insufficient Material
Remedies: It is important to establish a feed
setting that allows a 1/8'' to 1/4'' cushion of
material at the end of the injection stroke. Without
this cushion, there is no material against which
holding pressure can be applied to force material
into the cavity.
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Process Parameters Caused
IMPROPER INJECTION TEMPERATURE
PROFILE
Remedies: Maintain a proper temperature profile.
This is readily obtained from the resin supplier, but
a rule-of-thumb sets the temperature controls at
increments of 50 to 100 degrees F from rear to
front, and the nozzle at the same temperature as
the front zone. An air shot from the nozzle should
produce a bubble-free stream of plastic that has
the approximate consistency of warm honey.
Remember that the temperature control settings
are not the same as the actual temperature of the
plastic. They are usually 50 to 100 degrees higher
than the actual plastic temperature to
accommodate the rapid Otravel of material through
the barrel.
Process Parameters Caused
EXCESSIVE INJECTION SPEED

Remedies: Start with the supplier's recommendations

for injection fill speed. Adjust up or down according to
the results. If bubbles appear, slow down the rate. If
short shots appear, speed up the rate.

Retain bubbles on the nozzle material or main runner by

changing the injection position for cold runner mold.

Reduce the screw temperature and the temperature of

the feeding port

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Process Parameters Caused
◇ INSUFFICIENT BACK PRESSURE
Remedies: Increase the back pressure. Most
materials will benefit from a back pressure that is
approximately 50 psi. But, some materials require
higher settings: in some cases up to 300 psi.
However, be cautious, because too high a back
pressure will degrade any material. The material
supplier is the best source of information regarding
proper back pressure settings.

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Mould Cause

IMPROPER VENTING

Remedies: Vent the mold even before the first

shot is taken by grinding thin (0.0005''-0.002'')
pathways on the shutoff area of the cavity blocks.
Vents should take up approximately 30% of the
perimeter of the molded part. Vent the runner, too.
Any air that is trapped in the runner will be pushed
into the part. Another rule-of-thumb is to place a
vent at every 1-inch dimension around the
perimeter of the cavity. You cannot have too many
vents.
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Mould Cause

◇ SECTION THICKNESS TOO GREAT

Remedies: A good rule-of-thumb is that any wall

thickness should not exceed any other wall
thickness by more than 25%. There will be little
tendency for bubbles at that ratio. Metal inserts
can be used to core out sections that do not meet
that ratio, or “overflow” wells might be used to
move the voided area off the primary part surface.
However, the overflow would then need to be
removed from the molded part.

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Mould Cause
◇ IMPROPER RUNNERS OR GATES
Remedies: Gates should be of a depth that is
equal to at least 50% of the wall they are placed at
and should always be located to flow material from
the thickest section to the thinnest. Runner
diameters should be adequate to avoid a pressure
drop as the material fills. Thus, the farther the
travel, the larger the initial runner diameter should
be. Gates and runners should be machined in the
mold to be ``steel safe'' so they can be increased
by removing metal. It is a good practice to place
gates and runners in individual inserts so they can
be easily replaced and/or reworked.
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 Mould Cause

◇ LOW MOLD TEMPERATURE

Remedies: Raise the mold temperature in

increments of 10 degrees F until the bubbles
disappear. Allow 10 cycles for each 10-degree
adjustment (up or down) for the mold temperature
to stabilize.

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Material Cause
the amount of air that gets trapped in the melt
because of the regrind material, uneven particles
of regrind material create pockets of air between
them and the smaller, when you use the regrind
material make sure that there is no other type of
raw material mixed together, two material mix
together will have different melt temperature so
that blisters defects will present. Another solution,
make sure the material is drying properly, some of
material that needs to dry as long as 4 hours such
as PC or > 4 hours for PA66 material.

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Material Cause
◇ EXCESSIVE MOISTURE
Remedies: Although it is commonly understood
that non-hygroscopic materials do not require
drying, do not take chances. Dry all materials. It
may be that fillers used in the material are
hygroscopic and they will absorb moisture. Every
plastic material requires specific drying conditions.
And each material should be dried according to
the material supplier’s recommendations. The
desired moisture content is between 1/10th of 1
percent and 1/20th of 1 percent by weight. This
means the dry air being used to take moisture
from the material should have a dew point of -20
to -40 degrees
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How do you prevent air bubbles in injection molding?

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 Thanks for watching!

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