Why Do Conductive Materials (EMI / Conductive Plastics) Cause Equipment Problems? Wear, Corrosion, and Material Buildup Analysis

Challenges in Processing Conductive Materials

Conductive plastics, including EMI shielding materials, are widely used in electronics, communication devices, and industrial applications.

However, these materials often introduce significant challenges in injection molding production, such as:

• Accelerated screw wear
• Shortened equipment lifespan
• Corrosion of screw and barrel surfaces
• Material buildup and residue
• Unstable product quality

These issues not only increase maintenance costs but also reduce production efficiency.

Why Conductive Materials Have Strong Impact on Equipment

Conductive plastics contain special fillers that significantly affect processing behavior.

Common conductive fillers include:

• Carbon powder
• Carbon fibers
• Metal oxides such as ITO and AZO

These materials introduce both mechanical and chemical stress into the injection molding system.

Material Characteristics and Risks

Three Main Mechanisms of Equipment Damage

Conductive materials affect injection molding equipment through three primary mechanisms:

1. Severe mechanical wear
Hard conductive fillers continuously abrade the screw surface during processing.

This leads to:

• Surface wear and material loss
• Reduced dimensional accuracy
• Changes in plasticizing conditions

2. Corrosion risk
Some conductive materials may cause chemical reactions at high temperatures, resulting in corrosion.

This type of damage is often difficult to detect in early stages.

3. Material buildup and residue
Conductive materials tend to adhere to screw and barrel surfaces.

This results in:

• Material accumulation
• Difficult material changeover
• Contamination of subsequent production

Why Material Buildup Is Difficult to Remove

The surface characteristics of conductive materials make them more likely to adhere to metal surfaces.

In practical production, this leads to:

• Residual contamination after material changeover
• Cross-contamination between products
• Longer cleaning time

Impact on Production

These issues directly affect production performance:

• Shortened screw lifespan
• Increased maintenance and downtime
• Unstable process conditions
• Inconsistent product quality

Recommended Screw Solutions

SSB’s System Integration Approach

SSB evaluates injection molding systems from a system integration perspective, including:

• Material compatibility analysis
• Screw and barrel condition assessment
• Process stability optimization
• Injection molding machine integration

This approach helps identify root causes and improve long-term production stability.

Conclusion

Conductive materials provide essential functional properties but also introduce higher stress to injection molding systems.

Their impact includes wear, corrosion, and material buildup, making them more complex to process.

Proper screw selection and system-level optimization are critical to maintaining stable production and reducing long-term costs.