cad-agent.References · Mould design in the catalogue · Markdown · JSON
References · Mechanical design
Mould design
28 records: 7 read sources that cad-agent's rules and checks may cite, and 21 records catalogued from the Reference Map, not yet read. Parts designed for moulding, and the moulds themselves.
Catalogued records are search snippets: their numbers are the authors' claims and their licences are as the map states them, unread. Cite one only after reading the source and promoting it (how).
Coverage
What cad-agent checked for these topics when the map was made, and the gap it found. The issue it drafted for each gap was never posted.
PartlyInjection-moulding wall ratio, draft, ribs
Gap: Data only: dfm.check has no kinds for draft, rib ratio, boss, corner or wall-variation and cannot be given 'wall', so those rules are skipped; no mesh draft analysis or sink-index check.
Drafted issue, never posted: “Make dfm.check run moulding rules: draft, rib ratio, wall variation”
Records
28 records
| Record | Kind | Evidence | Confidence | Licence | Process | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How to Design the Proper Hole for Heat/Ultrasonic Inserts (SPIROL white paper)SPIROL SPIROL's white paper on holes for heat and ultrasonic inserts: straight and tapered holes, depth the insert's length plus two pitches, counterbores, a larger hole in filled plastics (+0.08 mm at 15 % filler, +0.15 mm at 35 %) and a boss 2-3 times the insert's diameter. Read: 2026-11-04: opened the white paper page; read it whole: straight and tapered holes (taper at most 1 degree included, tapered 8 degrees), depth L + 2 pitches, counterbores, the filler increase, the boss 2-3 x the insert and the mating part'… corroborated Boss diameter 2 to 3 x the insert's, the multiplier falling as the insert grows encoded Grow the recommended hole 0.08 mm (0.003 in) at 15 % glass or mineral filler or more, 0.15 mm (0.006 in) at 35 % or more, interpolated between corroborated Larger holes decrease performance; smaller ones stress and crack the plastic and are hard to install | Guide | encodedAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | high 0.9 | proprietarynot read | Inserts and fastenersMoulding and casting | not assessed |
| Plastic Boss Design on Molded PartsProtolabs Boss design advice: tie bosses to walls with ribs rather than thick solid sections; rib-to-wall ratio 40-60%. Read: 2026-10-31: opened the page; read the boss wall (40–60 % of the wall it rises from) and boss draft (0.5–3° by height). corroborated A boss's wall 40 to 60 percent of the wall it rises from; ribs or gussets rather than a thicker wall | Guide | verified at source | medium 0.7 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingInserts and fasteners | not assessed |
| Screw boss design injection moldingRapidDirect · 2023 RapidDirect's screw-boss rules for moulded parts: a boss wall about 60 % of the nominal wall (against sink), height under 3 times its outside diameter, and bosses at least 2 walls apart. Read: 2026-11-04: opened the article (2023-05-19, updated 2025-03-10); read the boss rules: wall about 60 % of the nominal wall, height under 3 x the outside diameter, bosses at least 2 x the wall apart. The snippet's 80 % pilot and 200 % boss a… corroborated Boss wall about 60 % of the nominal wall (sink); boss height under 3 x its outside diameter; bosses at least 2 x the nominal wall apart | Guide | verified at sourceAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | medium 0.7 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingInserts and fasteners | not assessed |
| Brass insert installation: comparing heat vs ultrasonic vs press fit (Plastics Technology)Plastics Technology Compares heat, ultrasonic and press-fit installation of brass inserts in moulded plastic: heat takes the widest range of resins, ultrasonic is fastest, press-fit weakest and riskiest in filled resins. Read: 2026-11-04: opened the article (by the founder of a heat-staking maker); read it whole: heat, ultrasonic and press-fit installation, the material notes and the boss and hole figure. conflicting Hole sized to the insert's lead diameter, with a lead-in chamfer; glass and mineral fillers do not melt and raise the cracking risk | Guide | read | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Inserts and fastenersMoulding and casting | not assessed |
| Compression Limiter Design GuideSPIROL Compression limiters in bolted plastic joints: the limiter slightly shorter than the host, the bolt at 25-75 % of its proof load, 3-5 % compression a safe limit; size tables. Read: 2026-11-04: opened the PDF (UK edition, 10/25); read the design rules: the limiter slightly shorter than the host, bolt load 25-75 % of proof, 3-5 % compression a safe limit and 5-7 % safe for most plastics, and the size tables. unconfirmed Bolt load 25 to 75 % of proof (at most 75 %); 3-5 % compression a safe limit, 5-7 % safe for most plastics | Guide | read | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Inserts and fastenersMoulding and casting | not assessed |
| Living Hinge Basics for Injection MoldingProtolabs Living hinges break the uniform-wall rule; flow restriction causes a pressure drop beyond the hinge, so gate placement matters. Read: 2026-10-31: opened the page. Read the hinge guideline (0.012 in thick, about 0.060 in spacing, 0.008 in reduction on the folding side, 0.030 in radius on the tension side). Byline is "Protolabs". | Guide | read | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Threaded Inserts with Heat Staking and Ultrasonic WeldingProtolabs Protolabs on putting threaded inserts into moulded parts by heat staking or ultrasonic insertion, and what it needs from the designer; no numbers. Read: 2026-11-04: opened the page; read it whole: heat staking and ultrasonic insertion into moulded parts, the inputs Protolabs needs. No numbers. | Guide | read | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingInserts and fasteners | not assessed |
| 3D Printing vs Injection Molding Breakeven (Xometry)Xometry Breakeven comparison of printing against moulding by volume; only title seen in results. Note: Content unseen; sibling sources put breakeven at 200-2,000 units. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingGeneral DFM | not assessed |
| By Design: Polypropylene part design, Part 2 - Living hingesPlasticsToday PP living hinge land length and web thickness values. Note: Attribution of the quoted rule to this page is likely but not certain. corroborated Hinge land about 0.060 in (1.5 mm), thickness 0.008-0.015 in (0.2-0.4 mm) | Guide | snippet onlyAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Design for Mouldability (Vol. 1)Protolabs Protolabs mouldability guide covering wall thickness, draft, ribs and bosses; snippet showed only the title and surrounding topic list. Note: Snippet-only; title and topic inferred from result listing. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Design Guide for Living Hinges (Fictiv)Fictiv Living hinge sizing relative to adjoining wall; may need molding in open position. Note: Page title was only a read-time label; attribution from URL. unconfirmed Hinge thickness T = H/5 to H/8, H being adjoining wall thickness | Guide | snippet onlyAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Designing for Overmolding (Design Tip)Protolabs Overmold thickness should not exceed substrate thickness; raised substrate edge can protect the shut-off edge from peeling. Note: Snippet via search summary. unconfirmed Overmold material thickness less than or equal to that of the substrate below it | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| DuPont General Design Principles for Engineering Polymers (mirror)DuPont (Stellenbosch-hosted copy) DuPont general design principles for engineering polymers; only the title appeared in results. Note: Third-party hosted; content unseen. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingGeneral DFM | not assessed |
| EJOT DELTA PT flyerEJOT Thread-forming screw for plastics with boss diagram: pilot hole, counterbore and hole depth relative to screw diameter. Note: Thermoplastic boss data; verify for PA6-CF corroborated Hole 0.8 x d1 (up to 0.88 x d1); counterbore 1.05 x d1; hole depth 2 x d1 | Guide | snippet onlyAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Inserts and fastenersMoulding and casting | not assessed |
| Fictiv Injection Molding Design GuideFictiv Fictiv's design guide page appeared for wall-thickness queries; a copy was said to include a gating section. Note: Content not shown; gating section claim came from a third-party copy. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Fictiv: How to Design Snap-Fit ComponentsFictiv 12-minute Fictiv article on snap-fit component design; only title and read time shown. Note: Title only; content unseen. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Fictiv: Injection Molding UndercutsFictiv Undercut best practice; DFM review flags unnecessary undercuts and suggests simpler, cheaper alternatives; parting line adjustment mentioned. Note: Fictiv gate content not found in results. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Injection molding design fundamentals: Snap-fits for plastic parts (PlasticsToday)PlasticsToday Snap-fit fundamentals: strain must stay below the linear-range allowable at working temperature; annular joints usually need FEA. Note: Temperature dependence noted; no percentage given. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Injection Molding Wall Thickness Guidelines (improving part design with uniform wall thickness)Protolabs Protolabs tip on uniform walls; search summary cited a general wall range and sink/void risk in thick sections. Note: Units not shown in snippet. unconfirmed General wall thickness range 0.040-0.140 (units unconfirmed in snippet) | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Low-Volume Rapid Injection Molding with 3D Printed Molds (Formlabs white paper)Formlabs Printed moulds in Rigid 10K Resin; five case studies, design guidelines and failure modes. Note: Rule is from FAQ summary; molds last hundreds to thousands of shots. unconfirmed Avoid mold surface thickness under 1-2 mm; it may deform with heat (per Formlabs FAQ) | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting3D printing | not assessed |
| Mechanical Properties of Weld Lines in Injection-Molded Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Nylon (PA-CF)PMC / MDPI Weld lines are the weak regions in 30 wt% CF nylon 66; tensile and flexural properties rose with fibre content without weld lines. Note: Nylon 66 CF, not PA6-CF; drying value is the study's own. unconfirmed Dry resin 4 h at 80 C before molding (as used in the study) | Paper or thesis | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Moldex3D Webinar: Eliminating Sink Mark and Voids in Injection-Molded PartsMoldex3D Webinar page naming thickness variation and uneven shrinkage as sink and void drivers; rib, wall, cooling and gate changes as levers. Note: Marketing event page, simulation software vendor. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Molding Guide for Zytel and Minlon design information (Module II, Formerra-hosted DuPont)DuPont via Formerra DuPont nylon design module on value engineering and designing with nylon resins; only a table of contents appeared. Note: Highly relevant to PA66; content unseen. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Overmolding (Xometry capability page)Xometry Overmold wall guidance and gradual transitions; TPE/TPV overmolds thinner than substrate to limit warpage. Note: Capability page more than a design guide. corroborated Wall thickness 0.060-0.120 in (1.5-3 mm) gives best bonding | Guide | snippet onlyAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| PolyJet for Injection Molding (Stratasys resource guide)Stratasys Covers printed mould design, file prep and assembly; PolyJet moulds cannot withstand extreme pressure so easy-flow polymers recommended. Note: PDF is gated; PolyJet moulds. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Race to 1,000 Parts: 3D Printing vs. Injection MoldingFormlabs Worked cost model: one part with a $3,600 tool, breakeven versus printing, with resin purchase sensitivity. Note: Vendor selling printers; single-part case. unconfirmed Breakeven 13,050 parts at $3,600 tooling; bulk resin could push it past 40,000 | Guide | snippet onlyAuthors' claim: numbers stated, not measured | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and castingGeneral DFM | not assessed |
| Xometry Design Guide: Injection MoldingXometry Guide with sections on draft angles, wall thickness, ribs, gates and parting lines; no figures visible in snippet. Note: Only table of contents seen; values not shown. | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | Moulding and casting | not assessed |
| Xometry: injection molding vs 3D printing break-evenXometry Break-even of printing versus molding by volume; sources quote 250-2000 parts but vary widely. Note: Vendor snippet; break-even range differs by source unconfirmed Break-even qty = mold cost / (alt cost per part - molded cost per part). | Guide | snippet only | low 0.4 | proprietarynot read | General DFMMoulding and casting3D printing | not assessed |
Role is the survey's judgement of a record within its class (leader, reference, lessons, context): not a quality grade. A single source, a search snippet, or untested judgement is what “low” means.