Cashew gates — named for the curved, nut-shaped tunnel they cut through the mold steel — are the standard way to gate thin-wall parts while leaving a small, easily trimmed vestige. The gate automatically separates from the part at ejection, which makes them ideal for high-volume molding where hand de-gating is not economical.
Tooling Components carries cashew gate inserts from DMS Components, manufactured in a solid one-piece unit using the Metal Injection Molding (MIM) process. The MIM construction matters: it gives the exactness that balances cavity filling, and every insert is hardened to 60 HRC and polished.
Matching the insert to your shot weight
The catalog organizes cashew gate inserts by body width and the shot weight they are rated for. The 10 mm series — cat. nos. GTE-10-08 through GTE-10-16 — covers shot weights up to 40 grams. The gate diameter (d2) ranges from 0.8 mm on the GTE-10-08 up to 1.6 mm on the GTE-10-16, and the catalog lists the maximum shot weight at three flowability levels: high, regular, and low flowability.
For a low-viscosity resin with high flowability, a smaller gate diameter carries more shot weight than it would for a stiff, low-flow material. That is why the catalog lists shot weights per viscosity class — a GTE-10-12 gates up to 20 grams of high-flow material but only 10 grams of low-flow material.
The 12 mm series extends the range to shot weights up to 68 grams, with proportionally larger gate diameters, for bigger thin-wall parts.
Why MIM beats hand-cut
Every insert has the gate diameter molded into it, so the flow restriction is identical from cavity to cavity. Hand-cut or wire-cut gates drift between operators and between rebuilds; a MIM insert holds the gate dimension exactly. All inserts have the gate diameter 'd2' molded into them, and CAD files are available at extraflow.com so you can design the pocket correctly the first time.
One detail worth knowing: the raised lip (calotte) height can be reduced to a maximum of 0.4 mm — the defined stall edge level. The front of the gate insert is sealed off by the cavity to the level of the parting line, which reduces pressure loss and minimizes shear at the gate.
When to reach for a cashew gate
Reach for cashew gate inserts when you have a thin-wall part, a cosmetic surface you cannot put a gate on, and a cycle where automated de-gating saves labor. They are equally useful for multi-cavity tools where gate consistency drives part-to-part consistency.
Tooling Components can walk you through the GTE series and match gate diameter to your resin, shot weight, and cavity count. Correct gate selection is the difference between a balanced 16-cavity tool and a mold that fills two cavities fast and starves the rest.
Contact Tooling Components at (800) 992-4766 for cashew gate insert selection and stock.