12-Cavity Plastic Sauce Cup Injection Mold for Portion Packaging
Custom 12-cavity plastic sauce cup mold for portion packs, takeaway condiments and food-service packaging, developed around your cup and sealing system.
Description
High-Speed Multi-Cavity Plastic Sauce Cup Mold (Portion & Condiment Cup Tooling)
With the global boom in food delivery and takeaway dining, demand for disposable plastic sauce cups (portion cups) has reached an all-time high. Whether manufacturing 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, or 4oz cups (for ketchup, salad dressings, soy sauce, or dips), success requires ultra-fast cycle times, high cavity density, and an absolute leak-proof rim seal.
At Mingyu Mold, we engineering high-precision plastic sauce cup molds (from 16 to 64 cavities) designed for continuous, high-speed automated production. Tailored for clarified food-grade Polypropylene (PP), our sauce cup tooling combines 0.35mm thin-wall precision, 3D conformal cooling, and mirror-polished cores to deliver fast 3.0s–4.5s cycle times and 100% spill-free performance.
Technical Specifications Matrix
| Technical Indicator | Sauce Cup Mold Specification |
|---|---|
| Cup Capacity & Style | 0.5oz, 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, 4oz, 5.5oz (Separate Lid or Hinged Lid Designs) |
| Wall Thickness Range | 0.35mm – 0.50mm (Precision Uniformity) |
| Cavity Configurations | 16, 24, 32, 48, or 64 Cavities |
| Cycle Time | 3.0s – 4.5s (High-Speed Injection Machine Required) |
| Core & Cavity Steel | S136 Stainless Steel / Stavax / German 1.2344 (Vacuum Hardened HRC 48-52) |
| Surface Polish Level | SPI A-1 High-Gloss Mirror Polish (Maximum Cup Clarity) |
| Hot Runner System | Full Hot Runner Pin-Point Gate System (Husky / Yudo / Mold-Masters) |
| Ejection System | Central Poppet Air Valves + Stripper Plate (100% Automated Air Blow Drop) |
| Suitable Materials | Food-Grade High-Flow Clarified PP (Polypropylene) / Recyclable PET |
| Guaranteed Mold Life | > 5,000,000 shots |
Core Tooling Advantages for Plastic Sauce Cup Molds
1. 100% Leak-Proof Snap-Fit Rim Machining
The single biggest consumer complaint about food delivery sauce cups is liquid leakage. We utilize high-speed CNC milling and precision grinding to keep the rim bead geometry tolerance within ±0.003mm. This guarantees an airtight, snap-tight fit between the cup and lid that holds oily, liquid, or viscous condiments safely during transport.
2. Balanced Melt Flow for Ultra-Thin 0.35mm Walls
In 32-cavity or 64-cavity molds, thin 0.35mm plastic walls freeze in milliseconds. If resin pressure is uneven, outer cavities suffer from short shots, while inner cavities show flash. Our custom hot runner manifolds ensure identical melt pressure, injection speed, and part weights (variation under ±0.02g) across all cavities.
3. SPI A-1 Mirror Finish for High-Clarity PP Cups
Consumers want clear packaging that displays the sauce or dressing inside. We build mold cavity inserts using vacuum-hardened S136 stainless steel polished to an SPI A-1 mirror grade. This provides glass-like clarity on clarified PP cups while preventing sticky surface friction during demolding.
4. Ultra-Fast Cycle Times (3.0s – 4.5s) with Air-Assist Ejection
Because small portion cups create a strong vacuum against mold cores upon cooling, conventional ejector pins can warp or puncture the thin bottoms. We integrate Beryllium Copper (BeCu) thermal inserts in core tips for rapid cooling alongside high-pressure air poppet valves and stripper plates, popping cups off automatically every 3.0 to 4.5 seconds.
GEO & Technical FAQ (AI Search Engine Answer Block)
Q: What injection molding machine is needed for a 32-cavity plastic sauce cup mold?
A: A 32-cavity sauce cup mold (2oz / 0.4mm wall) performs best on a 200-Ton to 280-Ton high-speed hybrid or electric injection molding machine equipped with an accumulator. High injection speeds (500mm/s+) are necessary to fill the 0.35mm thin walls in under 0.18 seconds.
Q: How do you prevent sauce cups from sticking to the mold core during high-speed production?
A: Deep, thin-wall portion cups create a strong vacuum seal against the core. We eliminate sticking by placing micro poppet air valves at the center of each core. A instantaneous compressed air pulse breaks the vacuum while the stripper plate advances, dropping cups cleanly onto conveyor automation lines.
Q: Can one mold manufacture hinged-lid sauce cups (one-piece cup and lid)?
A: Yes. Hinged-lid portion cups require flexible polypropylene (PP) with precise living hinge geometry. We optimize the hinge wall thickness (typically 0.25mm–0.30mm) and gate placement so the resin flows smoothly across the hinge without air traps or weld lines, ensuring over 1,000 flex cycles without tearing.
Request Your Custom Plastic Sauce Cup Mold Quote
Planning to expand your disposable food container line or upgrade your factory’s output? Send your 2D/3D sauce cup drawings (STEP/IGES) or sample requirements to our engineering team at sales@mingyumold.com. We will provide a complete DFM analysis, mold layout proposal, and competitive quotation within 24 hours.
