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Design Guide · Undercuts

Undercut features.
Mold side actions.
Hidden geometry.

Undercut design for injection molded parts. Undercuts trap molded parts in mold. Side actions, lifters, manual operations enable.

01 · Key principles

Key principles.

Undercut definition

Reverse draft

Feature with reverse draft. Trapped in mold without action.

Side actions

Slides

Mold inserts that move sideways for ejection.

Lifters

Angled mold pieces

Angled mold pieces lift past undercut during opening.

Manual ejection

Bumper, gate cut

Hand-removed gates, snap-fits with manual demolding.

Cost impact

Significant

Each side action 30-60% mold cost premium.

Avoid when possible

Redesign

Design avoids undercuts when possible. Use draft instead.

FAQ

What is "undercut"?

Feature with reverse draft. Cannot eject from straight-draw mold.

Side actions cost?

30-60% mold cost premium per side action. Avoid where possible.

Lifters?

Angled inserts that lift past undercut during mold opening. Cost similar to side actions.

Manual ejection?

Hand-removed gates, snap-fits. For low-volume.

Undercut alternatives?

Two-piece molded + assembled. Two-shot molding. Snap-fit features hide undercuts.

CNC vs molding?

CNC handles any geometry. Undercuts trivial in CNC. Cost vs molding crossover at volume.

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