In injection molding, flow marks are visible defects that can appear on the surface of molded parts. These imperfections, often caused by uneven plastic flow, are common in industries like automotive and consumer electronics, where both functionality and aesthetics are crucial. While flow marks may not affect performance, they can lower the visual appeal of the product, leading to rejection or costly rework.
Cooling is often the slowest and most expensive stage in injection molding, because it controls both cycle time and part stability. When heat stays trapped in the core, cooling becomes uneven and creates hot spots, which can lead to warpage, sink marks, and delayed ejection. To solve these issues at the tooling level, many manufacturers adopt conformal cooling, which uses channels that follow the 3D shape of the part instead of straight drilled lines. In this article, you’ll learn what conformal cooling is, how it works inside a mold, and why it helps improve output, quality consistency, and production planning.
