Pen 2K Soft Touch Barrel Tip

A global brand of writing instruments has been producing 2K parts for their products for over 25 years. This particular pen component, a 2K soft touch barrel tip, has been in production since 2012. Their existing 2K multi-shot mold was an 8-cavity design. Part materials and weight were PP (1.34g) + TPE (0.6g)

The customer wanted to modernize their mold design by doubling the number of cavities to improve manufacturing productivity. They intended to use an existing dedicated 2K injection molding machine, therefore keeping the mold design as compact as possible was critical in helping to keep the size requirements of the machine down. In addition, the pen itself would be offered in multiple color options, so color change performance, gate quality, and low cycle times were also priorities.

Mold-Masters solution was a Master-Series 16+16-Drop Hot Runner System which incorporated a compact 2K iFLOW manifold which was optimized for fast color change performance along with Femto nozzles for tight pitch capabilities. This solution helped minimize machine tonnage, eliminate excess production steps and maintain high molded part quality.

The 2K process allowed the customer to manufacture the finished, combined part, on a single machine rather than as individual components being made on 2 separate machines. This also eliminated having to combine these separate components together in an additional step in final assembly saving time and improving overall productivity. 

As the hot runner utilized iFLOW manifold technology, multiple melt channels for processing different materials were incorporated into the same manifold, reducing overall stack height by up to 22% compared to using conventional gun-drilled manifolds. iFLOW manifolds also incorporate curved runner channels that eliminate sharp corners and dead spots at flow transitions which significantly improves color change performance by up to 45% (vs. gun-drilled manifolds).

For anyone considering 2K multi-shot applications, Mold-Masters should be at the top of their list.