Yogyakarta — A new engineering study by Cahyo Budiyantoro and Anggie Apriandanu from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, published in 2026, demonstrates that an optimized 12-cavity injection mold design can significantly improve efficiency in disposable syringe barrel manufacturing. The research shows that balancing plastic flow inside the mold reduces production pressure, shortens cycle time, and minimizes material waste, offering practical benefits for medical device manufacturers seeking faster and more reliable mass production.
Disposable plastic syringes are essential medical tools used worldwide in hospitals, vaccination programs, and emergency care. The syringe barrel, the main structural component of the syringe, must be produced with high dimensional precision and surface quality to ensure safe dosage measurement and contamination-free operation. Even small manufacturing defects can affect performance and reliability, making mold design a critical factor in large-scale production.
Injection molding remains the dominant manufacturing method for syringe barrels because it enables consistent quality and rapid production of thin-walled plastic components. However, inefficient runner systems that distribute molten plastic unevenly across mold cavities often lead to unstable pressure conditions, longer cooling times, and unnecessary material loss. These problems increase production costs and reduce manufacturing stability in high-volume medical supply chains.
To address these challenges, Cahyo Budiyantoro and Anggie Apriandanu from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta designed and simulated a three-plate mold system containing 12 cavities for syringe barrel production. The study evaluated how alternative runner layouts influence plastic flow behavior before the mold is physically manufactured, allowing engineers to identify the most efficient configuration through digital simulation.
The research used Moldflow simulation software together with three-dimensional product modeling to analyze how molten polypropylene travels through different runner arrangements. The syringe barrel model followed the specifications of a standard 50 cc medical syringe and used medical-grade polypropylene Polyflam RPP1058UHF, a material known for transparency, chemical stability, and compliance with international safety standards for medical applications. By comparing two runner layout designs, the researchers identified which configuration produced the most stable and efficient results under industrial conditions.
Simulation results showed that the first runner layout delivered superior performance across several critical manufacturing indicators. The optimized design achieved a filling time of approximately 0.5577 seconds and required lower injection pressure than the alternative layout. Reduced pressure decreases the risk of defects such as warpage and surface irregularities that can affect product quality.
The optimized layout also demonstrated improved dimensional stability and faster cooling behavior, allowing the mold to complete production cycles more efficiently. Maximum product temperature during molding remained lower than in the alternative configuration, helping prevent thermal stress and deformation during manufacturing.
Material efficiency emerged as another important advantage. The preferred runner configuration generated only about 25.95 grams of runner waste compared with more than 30 grams in the alternative layout. This reduction contributes directly to lower production costs and supports more sustainable plastic processing practices in medical manufacturing environments.
According to Cahyo Budiyantoro from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, simulation-based mold design enables manufacturers to predict flow balance and production risks before building physical tooling. He explained that digital optimization allows industries to improve production stability while reducing unnecessary material consumption and processing time.
The study also examined the structural composition of the mold system itself. Components exposed to repeated mechanical movement were designed using SUJ 2 bearing steel, while the main structural plates used S 55 C carbon steel for durability and cost efficiency. This combination supports long-term mold reliability under continuous industrial operation while maintaining manageable manufacturing costs.
The implementation of a three-plate mold system further improves automation during production. The design separates finished products from runner material automatically during mold opening, eliminating the need for manual trimming and accelerating production cycles. This feature is especially valuable for high-volume syringe manufacturing facilities that require consistent throughput and minimal operator intervention.
The findings highlight how simulation-supported engineering can strengthen the competitiveness of medical device manufacturing industries. By optimizing runner balance and cooling performance, manufacturers can produce syringe barrels with more uniform dimensions, fewer defects, and reduced material waste. These improvements contribute to safer medical equipment and more efficient production systems at scale.
Beyond industrial applications, the research also demonstrates the importance of integrating computer-aided engineering tools into modern mechanical engineering education. Simulation-based design enables students and researchers to evaluate production performance earlier in the development process, reducing reliance on trial-and-error methods in tooling design.
Future research may expand the analysis by examining how additional processing parameters such as mold temperature, injection speed, packing pressure, and cooling channel configuration influence final product quality. Further optimization could support even greater consistency in syringe barrel production under real manufacturing conditions.
Cahyo Budiyantoro and Anggie Apriandanu are researchers from Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta.
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