In automotive interior lower trim and HVAC duct housing production, the pre-colored Dongguan Anshuyi ABS 346A-9-blue pellet is metered into a 120–180 t hydromechanical injection molding cell with a 28:1 L/D barrier screw and a four-cavity hot-runner tool. Because the grade-specific 346A-9-blue designation is not publicly filed under an ISO 19062-1:2015 data block, all subsequent thermal and rheological values are class-typical for unfilled ABS and must be checked against the lot certificate; this is not a substitute for pre-production validation. The material is introduced at 100 wt% as received; when a reduced chroma is requested, the pellet can be let down at 3.0–6.0 parts per 100 parts natural ABS base, but only after the resulting injection-molded plaque has been re-approved because blackness, yellowness, and UV stability shift with dilution. Compliance for interior passenger compartment components follows RoHS 2011/65/EU including delegated Directive (EU) 2015/863 phthalate restrictions, REACH 1907/2006 Annex XVII, and fire test FMVSS 302; when specified by the vehicle manufacturer, fogging is assessed to DIN 75201-B at 100 °C for 16 h, and VOC emission is screened by VDA 277 against the vehicle OEM acceptance limit. The downstream production route is direct single-stage injection molding: melt temperature is held at 220–245 °C, mold surface temperature at 30–50 °C, holding pressure at 40–60 MPa, and cooling time is set from the thickest section, typically 10–18 s for a 2.0 mm nominal wall. The gate is a fan gate of 1.5 mm thickness, and the cavities are acid-etched to a VDI 3400 grain to aid demolding and hide flow lines. Terminal finished parts include HVAC outlet slats, speaker grille frames, seat side trim covers, and lower B-pillar trim caps.
What Restricts Unfilled Blue ABS in Low-Voltage Enclosure Components?
Enclosure applications for DIN-rail mounted accessories and terminal block housings are constrained by the absence of a flame-retardant package in unfilled blue ABS: this grade is processed only when the end-product classification is UL 94 HB at the minimum assembly wall thickness, and not when V-0 or 5VB is mandatory without a separate flame-retardant system. Compliance evaluation references IEC 62368-1:2018 for audio/video and information technology equipment, IEC 60695-2-11:2014 glow-wire testing at 650 °C for unattended equipment with current above 0.2 A, and RoHS 2011/65/EU substance restrictions. The addition ratio in first-shot enclosure shells is 100 wt% virgin material with in-house closed-loop regrind limited to 15 wt%; regrind above this percentage reduces notched Izod impact determined by ISO 180/1A and can produce visible surface streaks in the blue shell. The production route is a hot-runner single-cavity or two-cavity injection molding cell of 80–150 t clamp force, melt temperature 215–235 °C, and rotary table insertion for brass M4 thread-forming screws. A valve gate of 1.0 mm diameter is placed at the thickest boss so knit lines are forced into low-stress regions; fill time is kept under 1.5 s when the projected flow path exceeds 180 mm. Terminal components are terminal block housings, DIN-rail enclosure shells, and panel meter cases.
Because weld-line strength at the gearbox flange and screw boss intersections is the main processing conflict in hand-held power tool rear housings and battery-pack shells, the flow-front geometry must be engineered before the tool is cut. The grade is run at 100 wt%; dry blending with natural ABS to reduce color saturation is not recommended below 5 wt% because static charge during vacuum conveying can segregate pellets and shift the CIELAB b* value by more than 0.8 before the first shot. Process compliance is assessed against EN 62841-1:2015 for mechanical safety of hand-held motor-operated electric tools, IEC 62133-2:2017 for battery pack enclosure integration, ISO 180/1A notched Izod impact, and REACH 1907/2006 substance restrictions. Molding is carried out on a 180–250 t hydraulic clamp unit with a high-speed accumulator; melt temperature is set at 235–245 °C, mold temperature at 40–50 °C, and injection speed at 60–100 mm/s over the first 70% of stroke. Holding pressure is profiled from 55 MPa to 30 MPa during 6–10 s to avoid sink marks over motor ventilation slots. Weld-line position is displaced into the non-load-bearing rib array by sequential valve gating; the gate sequence is tuned using short-shot studies and pressure-drop data, not by visual inspection alone. Terminal parts include angle grinder rear handle covers, drill-motor housing halves, and 18 V battery-pack upper shells.
Normative and processing boundary checklist for ABS 346A-9-blue applications| Application | Compliance standard / directive | Test method | Process boundary |
|---|
| Automotive interior trim | RoHS 2011/65/EU, FMVSS 302, REACH 1907/2006 | DIN 75201-B, VDA 277 | Melt 220–245 °C, mold 30–50 °C |
| Low-voltage enclosures | IEC 62368-1:2018, IEC 60695-2-11:2014 | UL 94 HB, ISO 180/1A | Regrind ≤15 wt% |
| Power tool housings | EN 62841-1:2015, IEC 62133-2:2017 | ISO 180/1A, CIELAB b* | Melt 235–245 °C, injection speed 60–100 mm/s |
| Toy components | EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021, ASTM F963-17 | Clause 8.2 migration | Regranulate ≤20 wt%, melt 210–230 °C |
| Appliance housings | IEC 60335-1:2020, UL 746C | ISO 2813:2014 at 60° | Regrind ≤30 wt%, hot-runner ΔT ≤±5 °C |
| Luggage / cases | REACH 1907/2006, RoHS 2011/65/EU | ISO 6383-2:2004, ISO 105-B02:2014 | Regrind ≤15 wt%, thermoform 140–160 °C |
When EN 71-3 Migration Limits Govern Toy-Grade ABS Color Formulation
Toy construction components and small recreational parts are conditioned by EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021 migration of certain elements, REACH 1907/2006 Annex XVII entries 51 and 52 for phthalates, and ASTM F963-17 for heavy-metal extractable content where the product is exported to the United States. The formulation addition ratio is 100 wt% as received for satin-gloss blocks; when in-house regranulate of the same blue grade is introduced, the blend ratio is held at or below 20 wt% unless a batch-specific migration test according to EN 71-3:2019+A1:2021 clause 8.2 is available for the finished article. The injection molding process uses a 50–120 t toggle machine with a chrome-plated screw and a three-plate cold-runner tool; melt temperature is 210–230 °C, mold temperature 25–40 °C, and recovery rate is reduced to 40–60% of maximum screw speed to avoid shear-induced color streaks. A direct edge gate of 1.0–1.5 mm width is positioned on a hidden base surface; wall thickness is maintained at 2.0–3.0 mm to balance clamping force and extraction time. Terminal products are toy construction bricks, board-game pawns, and ride-on wheel covers.
Appliance Housing Molding Parameters and the 30% Regrind Limit
On appliance assembly lines, washing-machine top panels, vacuum cleaner body shells, and small-appliance bezels are molded only from the non-food-contact side of the part, and never as primary live-current barriers. The compliance set includes IEC 60335-1:2020 household and similar electrical appliance safety, UL 746C polymeric materials for electrical equipment, RoHS 2011/65/EU, and ISO 2813:2014 specular gloss at 60° where visual consistency is specified. The addition ratio is 100 wt% virgin blue compound; in-plant sprues and runners are re-introduced at up to 30 wt% only in non-visible rib sections and inner walls, because recycled content above 30 wt% reduces 60° gloss below 90 GU on high-gloss cavity surfaces and increases streak visibility. Molding is performed on a 150–350 t injection molding machine with a hot-runner manifold of 6–8 valve gates; the melt temperature is 230–245 °C, and the hot-runner thermal imbalance across nozzles is maintained below ±5 °C to prevent differential shrinkage. The downstream process includes an in-mold stress-relaxation period of 8–12 s at 50 °C mold surface temperature for large flat panels. Terminal components are top-loading washer fascia panels, vacuum cleaner upright bodies, and room-air-purifier base housings.
Hard-shell luggage and molded protective case shells are specified only when the wall thickness remains at or above 2.5 mm and the outer surface is protected by a co-extruded cap layer or a UV-curable hardcoat. The material is processed at 100 wt% in the ABS core layer; edge trim and skeletal regrind from thermoforming is reintroduced at a maximum of 15 wt% because higher regrind fractions lower tear propagation resistance measured by ISO 6383-2:2004. Compliance for the finished article references REACH 1907/2006 Annex XVII, RoHS 2011/65/EU where electronic compartments are present, and ISO 105-B02:2014 blue-wool lightfastness testing at grade 5 or above for color stability under 24 h of continuous simulation. The production route uses a 60–80 mm single-screw extruder with L/D 30:1, melt temperature 220–235 °C, and a chill-roll temperature of 20 °C; the sheet is then thermoformed at 140–160 °C surface temperature. Terminal products are hard-shell luggage shells, camera drone hard cases, and protective battery-transport case enclosures.
Competitive Dongguan Anshuyi ABS 346A-9-blue prices that fit your budget—flexible terms and customized quotes for every order.
For samples, pricing, or more information, please contact us at
+8618005193850
or mail to
sales8@ascent-chem.com.
We will respond to you as soon as possible.
Tel: +8618005193850
Email: sales8@ascent-chem.com
Dongguan Anshuyi ABS 346A-9-blue is a pre-colored, medium-flow acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene injection-moulding compound supplied under the Dongguan Anshuyi product designation. The term 346A identifies the base ABS series, while the trailing 9-blue block denotes a supplier-specific blue color formulation. The material is delivered as pellets intended for reciprocating-screw injection moulding, not as an extruded sheet or blow-moulding grade. Published independent property data for this exact blue-tinted configuration are limited; therefore, production validation should be performed against lot-specific certificates of analysis and retained color master plaques. The base polymer consists of a dispersed polybutadiene rubber phase in a styrene-acrylonitrile copolymer matrix, giving the compound a balance of melt processability, impact resistance, and surface aesthetics. Typical application screening includes thin-wall appliance housings, electronic enclosures, non-load-bearing automotive interior trim, and consumer goods where a uniform blue appearance is required without post-mould painting. The grade is not a polycarbonate/ABS alloy and should not be treated as a high-heat or flame-retardant material unless the lot-specific data expressly confirm those properties.
What drying and melt-processing limits apply before the first production cycle?
Pre-drying in a dehumidifying dryer at 80 °C to 85 °C for 4 h to 6 h is required when the pellets have been exposed to ambient relative humidity above 60 %. The recommended residual moisture before melt processing is 0.05 % by weight. Higher moisture produces splay, silver streaking, and surface gloss variation on dark blue surfaces. Drying temperatures above 90 °C may cause pellet surface softening, bridging in the hopper, and pigment shift. The melt-temperature window is 210 °C to 240 °C, with the nozzle set point between 220 °C and 230 °C. Barrel zones from feed throat to nozzle should follow a progressive profile of approximately 190 °C, 210 °C, 220 °C, and 225 °C. The mould surface temperature should be controlled between 40 °C and 70 °C; mould temperatures below 40 °C reduce weld-line strength and can promote blue flow-line visibility. At melt temperatures above 250 °C, the organic blue pigments are subject to thermal oxidation, producing a measurable CIELAB ΔE*ab shift and possible outgassing. Back pressure should be maintained at 0.5 MPa to 1.0 MPa. Screw speed should not exceed 80 min⁻¹ for screw diameters from 40 mm to 50 mm. Hold pressure typically ranges from 50 MPa to 70 MPa, and the screw cushion should remain at 2 mm to 5 mm to maintain packing consistency.
For dryers with a 100 L to 200 L double-tower desiccant unit, the bed regeneration temperature should be 120 °C to 140 °C, and the air dew point should remain below -30 °C. If the hopper is uninsulated, ambient moisture can increase pellet surface water during extended residence. Hopper capacity should correspond to 4 h to 6 h of production consumption. A capacitance or return-air dew-point sensor may be used to verify drying stability. The use of heated air above 85 °C is not recommended because pellet agglomeration can occur before the resin reaches the feed zone.
Thin-wall parts with nominal wall thickness below 2.0 mm require a flow-front velocity of 200 mm/s to 400 mm/s and a fill-to-pack switch at 95 % to 98 % of shot volume. On a 160 t hydraulic injection-moulding machine equipped with a four-cavity cold-runner tool, cavity-to-cavity imbalances above 5 % can produce visible blue streaks or gloss mismatch. In hot-runner systems, manifold and drop temperatures should be limited to 230 °C to 240 °C; residence time above 3 min at these temperatures may darken the blue color. For a 2.5 mm nominal wall, hold time of 6 s to 10 s per millimetre of wall thickness is commonly used, but gate-freeze validation through cavity pressure decay remains the most reliable control method. At shear rates typical of injection moulding, medium-flow ABS exhibits shear-thinning behaviour. On a capillary rheometer according to ISO 11443, the apparent viscosity of this class at 220 °C and shear rates from 500 s⁻¹ to 5000 s⁻¹ lies approximately between 100 Pa·s and 300 Pa·s. These values are class ranges, not product-specific batch values. Cavity pressure at the end of filling should not exceed 80 MPa to avoid flash and colorant segregation. Pressure drop through an 0.8 mm gate can exceed 40 MPa; increasing gate thickness to 1.2 mm reduces shear heating and prevents local burning of the blue concentrate. The plasticating screw should not exceed 40 m/min peripheral speed, and the screw-recovery time should remain shorter than the cooling time to avoid overcooking the rubber phase.
Mechanical property ranges are used to screen the 346A-9-blue compound against comparable ABS grades
The matrix below places Dongguan Anshuyi ABS 346A-9-blue within representative commercial ranges for medium-flow ABS injection-moulding compounds. The ranges are derived from generic publicly available technical literature for unfilled medium-flow ABS, not from an independent published datasheet for the exact blue-tinted product. Purchasers should replace these screening values with lot-specific certificates for final part approval.
| Property | Test method and condition | Representative range for the 346A-9-blue class |
|---|
| Melt mass-flow rate | ISO 1133-1, 220 °C, 10 kg | 15–25 g/10 min |
| Density | ISO 1183-1 | 1.04–1.06 g/cm³ |
| Tensile stress at yield | ISO 527-2/1A, 50 mm/min | 40–46 MPa |
| Tensile strain at break | ISO 527-2/1A, 50 mm/min | 10–25 % |
| Flexural modulus | ISO 178, 2 mm/min | 2100–2500 MPa |
| Charpy notched impact, 23 °C | ISO 179-1/1eA | 15–25 kJ/m² |
| Notched Izod impact, 23 °C | ISO 180/1A | 18–28 kJ/m² |
| Heat deflection temperature | ISO 75-2/B, 0.45 MPa, 120 °C/h | 75–85 °C |
| Moulding shrinkage, parallel | ISO 294-4 | 0.4–0.7 % |
| Flammability | UL 94, 1.5 mm thickness | HB expected; lot-specific yellow card required |
When the blue grade replaces natural, high-flow, or flame-retardant ABS in an existing tool
Substitution of Dongguan Anshuyi ABS 346A-9-blue for an unpigmented natural ABS of the same series is generally practical without changing base-part geometry, provided the blue colorant concentrate reduces melt flow by no more than 5 % relative to the natural base. If the tool was designed for a high-flow ABS with melt mass-flow rate above 30 g/10 min, the higher flow resistance of the 346A class may require a gate enlargement from 1.0 mm to 1.5 mm, an increase in melt temperature by 10 °C, or higher packing pressure to avoid short shots and surface blemishes. Compared with high-impact ABS grades having notched Izod values above 30 kJ/m², the medium-flow blue grade generally exhibits lower room-temperature impact energy but better melt flow and easier ejection from deep-draw cores. Compared with flame-retardant ABS containing halogenated additives and antimony trioxide, the unfilled general-purpose material provides lower density, less mould plate-out, and reduced corrosion risk on processing equipment, but it should not be used as a substitute where V-0 flammability classification is required. Unlike glass-fibre-reinforced ABS, the blue product offers better surface finish, lower mould abrasion, and lower anisotropic shrinkage, but flexural modulus is significantly lower. The difference in processing behavior can be quantified by comparing the melt pressure drop across an 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm gate; the colored grade may require 5–10 % higher injection pressure than the natural material because the pigment concentrate affects local viscosity.
Colour control should be measured with an integrating-sphere spectrophotometer using D65/10° illuminant and specular excluded geometry. A CIELAB tolerance of ΔE*ab 0.5 is appropriate for adjacent parts on a visible front face; ΔE*ab 1.0 is more practical for batch-to-batch production when components are spatially separated. The use of blue regrind above 20 % can produce observable darkening because of repeated thermal history. Regrind in excess of 30 % is not recommended unless the lot-specific certificate and melt-flow data support the addition. Moisture exposure during regrind storage should be controlled; open storage at humidity above 60 % for more than 8 h requires re-drying before introduction to the hopper. Lot-to-lot color variation in pre-colored ABS is typically higher than in natural ABS; a sealed master plaque should be retained from the approved lot and used as the release comparison standard.
Regulatory documentation, batch colour matching, and tool-change purging
RoHS 2011/65/EU and REACH SVHC statements should be obtained from Dongguan Anshuyi or its distributor for each lot. The material may fall within the ABS terpolymer scope of FDA 21 CFR 177.1020 if food-contact suitability is required, but general-purpose grades should not be assumed to meet migration limits without specific certification. A UL yellow card should be requested if the part is placed into an electrical enclosure; unfilled general-purpose ABS compounds are commonly rated HB at 1.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The blue color system should be compared with the sealed master plaque supplied with the lot. The master plaque should be stored away from direct sunlight and heat above 30 °C; UV exposure can fade blue organic colorants more rapidly than natural ABS. If the tooling previously processed black or red ABS, a staged purging sequence is required: a high-viscosity purging compound at 210 °C to 230 °C, followed by 2 kg to 5 kg of natural ABS scrubbing material, followed by the blue production resin until the CIELAB ΔE*ab against the master plaque is below 0.8. If the previous material was a nylon or flame-retardant resin, the screw and barrel should be purged with a commercial compound designed for chemically incompatible polymers before the blue grade is introduced.
In ultrasonic welding and adhesive bonding, the presence of blue colorants may alter surface energy and melt viscosity in the weld bead. Trial assemblies should be prepared with the actual blue production lot because blue-pigmented ABS can show different joint collapse and bond strength than unpigmented ABS. Published data for this specific configuration is limited; process validation should be performed with the lot that will be used in production. Weld horn amplitude, trigger force, and collapse distance should be recorded, and the resulting bond strength should be compared with molded natural ABS controls to identify pigment-related shifts.
