In selecting a hot runner system for your medical application, make sure your hot runner supplier has a good understanding and experience with the resin you will be processing for your application. Most hot runner suppliers can produce sample parts and may be able to run your resin in a test mold. Don’t be bashful in asking how much experience your hot runner supplier has had with your particular resin.

Almost all hot runner suppliers have their own specialty and standard hot runner components for their product line. The best suppliers can fine tune their products to fit your needs—such as changing the manifold bore channels or customizing the gate tip. Any customization will cost extra money, but you will have a high-performance hot runner system for your medical application.

With a small hot runner system almost all resins will experience minor loss of material properties, but well within part specifications. However, the larger the hot runner system or the higher the number of cavities, the more exposure to shear, residence time, high flow rates, and an increased chance for the resin to lose enough of its properties to start producing parts out of specification. Be sure to work with a hot runner supplier that understands this, so they can make adjustments to the hot runner system that will eliminate the resin’s exposure to too much shear, residence time, heat and dead spots.