For many manufacturers in Vietnam, specialized mold components such as a 3D Printing Nozzle, conformal-cooled sprue bushing, mold insert or core have traditionally been sourced from suppliers in China.
At VIMF 2026 in Binh Duong, ChanHonTech met a Vietnamese mold manufacturer facing exactly this situation.
Because of confidentiality requirements, we cannot disclose the customer’s name or detailed mold design. However, this project provides a practical example of how a 3D Printing Nozzle can improve cooling around a thick sprue while helping Vietnamese mold manufacturers localize their supply chains.
The Customer Previously Purchased the 3D Printing Nozzle from China
The customer had previously worked with a Chinese metal 3D printing supplier to manufacture a specialized injection mold nozzle.
This component can also be described as a:
- 3D Printing Nozzle
- 3D Printed Nozzle
- 3D Printed Sprue Bushing
- Conformal-Cooled Sprue Bushing
- Injection Mold Sprue Nozzle
The customer selected metal 3D printing not simply because of the external shape of the nozzle, but because of the complex internal cooling structure.
The 3D Printing Nozzle needed internal cooling channels that could bring cooling water closer to the thick sprue area. Conventional straight drilling could not position the channels close enough to the heat concentration zone without interfering with the sprue, mounting surfaces or surrounding mold structures.
After meeting ChanHonTech at VIMF 2026, the customer learned that this type of 3D Printing Nozzle could now be manufactured locally in Vietnam.
The customer therefore selected ChanHonTech to support the local production of the metal 3D-printed mold nozzle.
Why Use a 3D Printing Nozzle?
In a cold-runner injection mold, the sprue is often one of the thickest plastic sections in the entire molding system.
The molded product may already be sufficiently cooled for ejection, while the thicker sprue remains too soft. The injection molding machine must therefore remain closed until the sprue reaches a safe demolding temperature.
This means that the overall production cycle may be controlled by the cooling time of the nozzle and sprue rather than by the molded product itself.
A 3D Printing Nozzle can contain conformal cooling channels that follow the profile of the sprue. This allows cooling water to travel closer to the heat concentration area than conventional straight-drilled channels.
Potential benefits include:
- Faster cooling around the thick sprue
- More uniform nozzle temperature
- Reduced sprue sticking
- Reduced plastic stringing
- More stable sprue release
- Shorter injection molding cycles
- Improved dimensional and process stability
Published Data on 3D Printing Nozzle Cooling Performance
Published injection molding research indicates that cooling commonly represents approximately 50%–80% of the total molding cycle.
In one automotive mold study, conformal cooling reduced cooling time from 39 seconds to 30 seconds, representing a reduction of approximately 23%.
The theoretical hourly output would therefore increase from:
- 39-second cycle: approximately 92 cycles per hour
- 30-second cycle: approximately 120 cycles per hour
This represents approximately 30% more cycles per hour without adding another injection molding machine.
Another published study reviewing metal additively manufactured injection mold inserts reported typical cooling-time reductions of approximately 15%–50% compared with conventional cooling channels.
An optimized conformal cooling design in the same research achieved up to 62.9% better cooling performance than a traditional straight-drilled cooling structure.
These figures are industry research references. They are not the measured results of this specific customer project. Actual performance must be confirmed through mold trials.
When Is a 3D Printing Nozzle Worth the Investment?
A 3D Printing Nozzle is particularly suitable when:
- The thick sprue controls the total injection molding cycle.
- Traditional drilled cooling channels cannot reach the hot area.
- The mold is used for high-volume or long-term production.
- The product requires high dimensional, appearance or process stability.
- The customer already experiences clear production problems.
Typical problems include:
- Slow sprue cooling
- Sprue sticking
- Plastic stringing
- Unstable demolding
- High temperature around the sprue or gate
- Excessively long cooling time
- An injection cycle that cannot be reduced further
For high-volume production, even a small cycle-time reduction can create significant value.
For example, saving three seconds over one million molding cycles is equivalent to approximately 833 hours of injection molding machine time.
Local 3D Printing Nozzle Production in Vietnam
Previously, the customer needed to purchase the nozzle from a supplier in China.
ChanHonTech can now provide local 3D Printing Nozzle production in Vietnam, including:
- Mold component design evaluation
- Conformal cooling channel assessment
- Metal 3D printing
- CNC machining
- Heat treatment
- Surface finishing
- Dimensional inspection
- Local delivery
- Technical support during mold testing
Local production also makes it easier for the mold manufacturer to communicate design changes, confirm cooling requirements and receive engineering support during mold assembly and testing.
From a VIMF Exhibition Lead to a Local Manufacturing Project
This project demonstrates the real value of participating in an industrial exhibition.
The initial conversation was not simply about whether ChanHonTech could print metal components. It focused on a specific production problem:
- Why was the sprue cooling slowly?
- Why could conventional cooling not reach the critical area?
- Could a 3D Printing Nozzle improve cooling performance?
- Could the component be manufactured locally in Vietnam?
By focusing on the customer’s actual manufacturing problem, the exhibition conversation developed into a real local production project.
Previously manufactured in China.
Now locally supported and produced in Vietnam by ChanHonTech.
Looking for a 3D Printing Nozzle Supplier in Vietnam?
If your injection mold is experiencing slow sprue cooling, sticking, stringing, unstable demolding or an excessively long production cycle, a conformal-cooled 3D Printing Nozzle may provide a practical solution.
Send ChanHonTech your 3D model, sprue dimensions and current molding parameters. Our engineering team can evaluate whether a conventional machined nozzle or metal 3D-printed nozzle is more suitable.
ChanHonTech — Local 3D Printing Nozzle and Metal Additive Manufacturing Support in Vietnam
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