Systematic Investigation of Core Insert Breakage in Plastic Injection Molds: A Case Study

Abstract

In plastic injection molding, core inserts operate under coupled thermal and mechanical loading. High-paced production where repeated heating-cooling cycles and tight dimensional constraints create failure conditions governed by interacting effects rather than a single isolated cause. Early breakage of core inserts therefore remains a recurrent issue associated with unplanned interruptions and tooling losses. This work presents a systematic failure-analysis case study aimed at identifying the dominant contributors to core insert breakage using experimental measurements supported by finite element analysis. The investigation follows a staged protocol: general inspection, material characterization, theoretical load assessment complemented by numerical simulation, and geometrical verification through tolerance and design checks. The proposed framework provides a transferable, physicsgrounded basis for mechanistic interpretation of insert failure and for defining testable routes to verify corrective interventions in injection-mold tooling systems.