Degating

Some plastic injection molding processes will leave a vestage, runner, or gate that cannot be left on the finished product. In those cases it is preferred to remove the gate with a semi-automated or fully automated process. Chism Automation is experienced in providing a variety of gate removal approaches. Our experience includes nippers, hot knives, router, and custom tool approaches. For larger molds with multiple gates, it is more practical to utilize a robot with a nipper tool to remove the gates. For large or thick gates, a hot knife can remove gates cleanly with an 80% force, 20% heat approach. For an irregular gate, it can be necessary to use a routing process similar to machining for gate removal. For a small vestage, a nipper with positive pressure provides a simple and accurate cutting process.