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  • Brandon Henderson (NC) • Journeyman Tool & Die (CPSP)
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Food and Beverage Packaging Molds TK Builds

A food packaging mold earns its keep in fractions of a second. It runs around the clock for years, often with several versions of the same part, and a small change in cycle time or cavitation moves the cost of millions of parts. TK’s food and beverage molds are built around four things: single shot or two shot (2K) molding, quick version change, short cycle times, and fast pilot development for new products.

ClosuresCaps for bottles and jugsFlip top, tamper evident, pull ring and bump off caps, from 12 to 64 cavities in one face and up to 48+48 in a stack.
LidsContainer and jug lidsRound and square lids, shaker lids and flip top lids with a spoon, often paired with a base mold on the same hot half.
Thin wallTubs and containersContainers and lids with average walls from 0.55 to 0.8 mm, molded in 6 to 9.5 s.
Stack moldsTwo faces, one press24+24, 32+32 and 48+48 stack molds that double output without a bigger press.
Two shot2K closuresPP and TPE closures molded in one 2K mold, such as a 12+12 pull ring flip top cap.
Handles and insertsFunctional partsHandles for 5 L oil bottles and compartment inserts for snack cups.
TK 6+6 stack mold for a square container lid shown in three sections: two core halves and the center section with six cavities on each face and the hot runner manifold on top
6+6 stack mold for a 105 by 128 mm square container lid with a 0.55 mm average wall. It runs a 7 s cycle on a 500 T press for a U.S. customer.
Mold Construction

Stack Molds for Container Bases, Lids and Caps

A stack mold puts two sets of cavities back to back with a center section between them. Both faces fill in the same shot and share the same clamp, because the melt pressure on one face pushes against the other, so a 32+32 stack makes about twice the parts of a 32 cavity mold on a press of similar size. The center section carries the hot runner, fed through a sprue bar from the machine nozzle, and a rack and pinion opens both parting lines together.

Figure 1: How a 32+32 Stack Mold Fills and Ejects Two Faces in One Cycle
Left, section A-A through the mold: fixed half, center section with the hot runner and cavities on both faces, and moving half. Right, the face of the center section with its 32 valve gated cavities and balanced hot runner. Below, what the second face does to output on the same press.
Left, section A-A through a stack mold: a fixed half with cores, a center section that carries the hot runner manifold and the cavities on both faces, and a moving half with cores. Melt travels from the machine nozzle through the sprue bar into the manifold and valve gates fill both faces at once. After cooling, the mold opens at both parting lines together, driven by a rack and pinion, and stripper plates push the parts off the cores. Right, the face of the center section with its 32 cavities and balanced hot runner. Below, the output of a two face mold compared with a single face mold. SECTION A-A, SIDE VIEW CENTER SECTION FACE, 32 CAVITIES nozzle FIXED HALF CENTER SECTION HOT RUNNER MOVING HALF A A valve gatebalanced hot runnercooling The other face of the center section carries 32 more cavities. Parts per hour at a 9.6 s cycle Single face, 32 cavities 12,000 Stack mold, 32+32 cavities 24,000 Both faces share one clamp, so a stack mold roughlydoubles output on the same press. Example at 100% uptime. +64 parts Mold closed and clamped Melt runs from the nozzle through the sprue bar into the hot runner Valve gates open and both faces fill at the same time Pack, hold and cool on both parting lines Rack and pinion opens both parting lines together Stripper plates push the parts off the cores Parts clear the mold The mold closes for the next shot Ready: 64 parts from one shot 1Fill 2Cool 3Open 4Strip 5Close Simplified section, not to scale, slowed down. Based on a TK 32+32 stack mold for a round food container base(8.2 g PP, full hot runner valve gates, 9.6 s cycle on a 500 T press). Production ejection details vary by part.

Food and Beverage Stack Molds from TK’s Case Files

PartCavitiesSize, resin, weightMold size (mm), weightPressCycle
Juice jug flip lid48+48ø69 x 45 x 9 mm, PP, 3.8 g1000 x 1300 x 1220, 13,250 kg1000 T12 s
Creamer bottle flip top cap24+24ø55 x 37 mm, PP, 12.8 g1000 x 1070 x 1300, 10,900 kg550 T12 s
Grated cheese container base32+32ø73 x 20 mm, PP, 8.2 g813 x 1220 x 1104, 8,400 kg500 T9.6 s
Grated cheese container lid32+32ø73 x 7 mm, PP, 5.8 g813 x 1220 x 1104, 8,400 kg500 T10 s
Square container lid6+6105 x 128 x 13.2 mm, 0.55 mm wall900 x 1020 x 1090, 7,250 kg500 T7 s
5 L oil bottle handle2 x 1616 x 89 x 107 mm, PE, 8.5 g900 x 1300 x 740, 9,700 kg500 T11.5 s

Data from TK’s packaging tooling case files. Cycle times are for those specific parts and resins.

Three sections of a TK 32+32 stack mold for a round container base, with the cavity rows on the center section and the kick off arms on the outer halves
32+32 stack mold for a grated cheese container base
TK 48+48 stack mold for a juice jug lid with servo motors on top, valve gate air lines and the center section between the two outer halves
48+48 stack mold for a juice jug lid, with servo ejection
Shared hot halfOne hot half, two parts
  • The grated cheese base and lid molds share a full valve gate hot half that swaps between them.
  • 16 weeks from kick off to shipment for the U.S. customer.
On the pressChange the cavity side in the press
  • The 48+48 juice jug lid mold uses full hot runner valve gate nozzles and a servo motor ejection system.
  • Its cavity side can be changed with the mold still on the machine.
Big launchesMany molds, one delivery date
Thin Wall Packaging

Thin Wall Containers and Lids

Thin wall food containers fill a long flow path through a wall under 1 mm before the melt freezes, so they are molded fast, in high flow PP, on high speed presses. The mold has to stay stiff under that injection pressure, vent well and cool evenly so a lid still snaps onto its base. TK tries out its thin wall molds on its own high speed presses, including a 400 T Husky and a 500 T Netstal SynErgy.

PartSize, resin, weightAvg. wallCavitiesPressCycle
800 ml round containerø114 x 99 mm, PP MFI 75, 36 g0.8 mm4300 T6.0 s
Square container102 x 135 x 117 mm, PP MFI 75, 40.9 g0.8 mm4400 T7.2 s
Square container lid105 x 128 x 13.2 mm, PP0.55 mm6+6500 T7 s
Snack cup compartment insertø65 x 35 mm, PP, 14.9 g0.63 mm12350 T8 s
Powdered milk flip top lid with spoon265 x 131 x 26 mm, PP, 25.5 g0.7 mm4400 T high speed9.5 s

The compartment insert mold has one hot half that runs two cold half sizes. The flip top lid mold, built for a customer in Spain, has interchangeable spoon inserts for 6 versions.

Both halves of a TK 4 cavity mold for an 800 ml thin wall round container, with polished cavities and cores in octagonal inserts
4 cavity mold for an 800 ml round container: 0.8 mm wall, 6.0 s cycle.
Molded food container lids on a glass shelf: a green flip top lid with spoon holder, blue, yellow and white round lids
Flip top lid with spoon and thin wall container lids from TK’s packaging display.
  • Interchangeable inserts let one mold run several versions, such as six spoon versions in one lid mold.
  • Shared hot halves let one hot runner side run two cold half sizes or a base and a lid.
  • Matched sets: base and lid molds built and tried together so the fit is proven before shipment.
Caps and Closures

Food and Beverage Closures

Closure molds are where cycle time pays most. A 32 cavity tamper evident oil cap mold that cycles in 6 s makes about 150 million caps a year, and every tenth of a second matters at that rate. The mold has to release the threads and tamper bands cleanly, by unscrewing, collapsing or bump off ejection, and every cavity has to fill the same so the caps seal the same.

Edible oilTamper evident oil cap
  • 32 cavities, 6 s cycle.
  • About 150 million caps a year.
Edible oilOil pull ring cap
  • 32 cavities, 8 s cycle.
  • About 112 million caps a year.
Bump offø33 mm bump off cap
  • 64 cavities, 6.1 s cycle on a 400 T press.
  • Undercut stripped off the core, no unscrewing.
Two shot2K pull ring flip top cap
  • 12+12 cavities, PP and TPE, 6.75 g, 420 T.
  • Conformal cooling on the critical insert cut the cycle 22%. 10 weeks from PO to shipment.
Dairy creamerCreamer bottle flip top cap
  • 24+24 stack mold, 12.8 g PP, 12 s, 550 T.
  • Full hot side gating.
JuiceJuice jug flip lid
  • 48+48 stack mold, 3.8 g PP, 12 s, 1000 T.
  • Valve gates and servo ejection.
Molded edible oil closures on a glass shelf: clear pull ring spouts with colored inserts, black flip caps with orange spouts, and white, brown and yellow caps
Edible oil closures from TK’s packaging display.

What Sets the Cycle on a Cap Mold

  • Core cooling: the core is the hottest steel in a cap mold. TK uses Moldmax HH copper alloy core inserts and 3D printed conformal cooling to pull heat out faster.
  • Thread release: unscrewing cores, driven by hydraulic or servo motors, or bump off ejection where the undercut allows it.
  • In mold closing: flip top caps closed inside the mold before ejection, used on several of TK’s flip top cap molds.
  • Balance: full hot runner valve gating and a short shot cavity imbalance study at trial, so every cavity fills alike.

More closure work is on the packaging and closures page.

Mold Materials

Steel, Cooling and Clean Running

Food contact compliance comes from the resin and the molding plant, but the mold decides how cleanly and how long a food line runs. Food packaging molds often run on chilled water, so condensation on the steel is a real risk, and the steel grade, cooling layout and venting are set in the DFM review to match your plant.

  • Tool steel from ASSAB, GMH Gruppe and Schmolz+Bickenbach, checked on arrival by spectral analysis and hardness testing. TK builds to your steel specification.
  • Typical practice: corrosion resistant stainless mold steels are common for food packaging cavities and cores that see chilled water. The grade and hardness are confirmed in the DFM.
  • Copper alloy inserts: Moldmax HH core inserts where heat has to come out of a small core fast.
  • Conformal cooling: TK prints conformal cooling inserts in house, with cycle time cuts of up to 35%. See conformal cooling.
  • Clean assembly: molds are assembled in a temperature and humidity controlled clean workshop, and inserts are machined to tolerance data so cavities interchange without hand fitting.
A line of finished TK multi cavity packaging molds standing on red blocks on the shop floor
TK stack molds for high volume food and beverage closures.
Launch and Validation

Pilot Molds, Version Changes and Mold Trials

New food packaging often changes after the first samples reach the filling line. TK builds fast pilot molds in 3 to 5 weeks on a prepared mold base and hot runner, with the same stack design as the production mold, so loops and risk come out of the pilot instead of the production tool.

How TK Qualifies a Packaging Mold

Dry cycle checkCooling circuit validationMold surface temperature mappingMelt temperature checkInjection velocity profilingPressure loss analysisShort shot cavity balanceGate seal studyPack and hold optimization

Product Function Lab

  • Closure tests: torque, sealing, leakage and air leakage tests.
  • Use tests: oil pouring and wall hanging tests.
  • Conditions: high temperature, low temperature, negative pressure and shelf life testing.
  • Dimensions: CMM, optical measuring and 3D scanning on molded parts.

Trials You Can Watch Remotely

  • Remote support: mold design review, online mold testing, sample checks and mold validation before shipment.
  • Trial presses: 18 test presses including 2K, with a 400 T Husky and a 500 T Netstal SynErgy for high speed packaging.
  • Weekly reports from kick off through mold making and first trial, then global after sales service.
Planning Utility

Food Packaging Mold Output Planner

Enter your yearly volume and how your line runs. The planner checks your demand against real food and beverage molds TK has built, shows how many molds like each one you would need, and works out the cavities you would need at that mold’s cycle time. Open “Show the math” to check every step.

1Your part
Part family
Total for all versions of the part.
2How your line runs
Uptime times good parts. 85% is a common planning figure.
Parts per hour your line must make
0
One mold’s share of your demand, by TK reference mold
Show the math
    Send my output plan to Brandon

    A first estimate for planning. Reference cavitation and cycle times are from TK builds for those specific parts and resins; your part’s cycle is set in DFM with Moldflow and confirmed at trial. Default numbers are an example only.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Technical Sourcing FAQ: Food and Beverage Tooling

    What cavitation and cycle times does TK reach on food and beverage molds?+
    It depends on the part. Examples from TK’s case files: a 32 cavity tamper evident oil cap mold at 6 s, a 64 cavity bump off cap mold at 6.1 s, a 4 cavity 800 ml thin wall container mold at 6.0 s, a 32+32 container base stack mold at 9.6 s and a 48+48 juice jug lid stack mold at 12 s. TK’s largest cap molds run 128 cavities.
    When is a stack mold the right choice?+
    When you need about twice the output of a single face mold but want to stay on a press of similar clamp size. Shallow parts such as lids, container bases and caps suit stack molds best because the mold gets taller, not wider. TK has built 6+6, 24+24, 32+32 and 48+48 food and beverage stack molds, and shipped a pair of 32+32 base and lid molds to a U.S. customer 16 weeks after kick off.
    Which steel does TK use for food packaging molds?+
    TK builds to your steel specification, with tool steel from ASSAB, GMH Gruppe and Schmolz+Bickenbach that is checked on arrival by spectral analysis and hardness testing. Corrosion resistant stainless grades are common for food packaging cavities and cores that run on chilled water, and Moldmax HH copper alloy inserts are used where a small core must cool fast. The final grade and hardness are set in the DFM review.
    Can one mold run several versions or sizes of a part?+
    Yes. TK has built a flip top lid mold with interchangeable spoon inserts for 6 versions, a compartment insert mold with one hot half for two cold half sizes, container base and lid molds that share one valve gate hot half, and cap molds with 3 to 5 version changeovers.
    How fast can TK deliver a pilot or production mold?+
    Fast pilot molds take 3 to 5 weeks on a prepared mold base and hot runner, with the same stack design as the production mold. Production examples include 10 weeks from PO to shipment for a 72 cavity cap mold and a 12+12 2K pull ring cap mold, and 16 weeks from kick off to shipment for a U.S. pair of 32+32 stack molds.
    How does TK prove a packaging mold before it ships?+
    Every mold goes through a data driven qualification: dry cycle, cooling circuit validation, mold surface temperature mapping, injection velocity profiling, pressure loss analysis, a short shot cavity balance study, a gate seal study and pack and hold optimization. Parts can be checked in TK’s product function lab for torque, sealing, leakage and shelf life, and you can join design reviews, mold tests and validation remotely. Brandon Henderson coordinates this for customers in the Americas.

    Planning a Food or Beverage Packaging Program?

    Send your closure or container drawings, resin, yearly volumes and press list to Brandon Henderson, Technical Sales Support Manager for the Americas. He will review cavitation, stack mold options, cycle time and version changes with TK’s packaging engineers.

    Request Packaging Tooling Review Call Brandon: (336) 953-9664