# Plastic products inspection checklist: moulding defects > What our inspectors check on moulded plastics: short shots, flash, sink marks, warpage, colour, fit and seal tests, dimensions and food-contact documents. Source: https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/plastic-products/ Inspection checkpoints · Plastic products # Plastic products inspection: what we check. A plastic products inspection checks moulding quality, colour, fit and function on a random sample drawn to ANSI/ASQ Z1.4. Here is what our inspectors look for on injection-moulded, blow-moulded and extruded products. [Book an inspection](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/book-an-inspection/?product=Plastic%20products) [Open the checklist](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/inspection-checklist/?cat=plastic) 15 defects we look for 6 on-site tests 0 / 2.5 / 4.0 typical AQL Plastic products **Critical** Sharp flash or broken edge that could cut **Major** Short shot: part not fully formed **Minor** Gate mark not trimmed fully flush on a hidden face Housings and covers, food containers and kitchenware, bottles, garden and household products, and technical parts. Defects by class ## Critical, major, minor: how we class them. Each defect in the sample is photographed and counted in its class. Your AQL plan sets how many are allowed; for critical defects the answer is none. AQL 0 ### Critical defects Likely to injure the user or breaks a mandatory rule of the destination market. One critical defect in the sample means the lot is not accepted. * Sharp flash or broken edge that could cut * Children’s products: small part that detaches * Food-contact item in a resin not covered by the compliance documents * Crack in a part that carries load or pressure AQL 2.5 typical ### Major defects Likely to cause a failure, reduce usability or make the product unsaleable, so a customer would return it. * Short shot: part not fully formed * Flash on a visible or mating edge * Sink marks or warpage that show on the face or affect fit * Stress whitening or cracks * Colour outside the approved range; black specks or contamination * Snap fit, hinge or thread that does not engage; lid that does not seal * Critical fit dimension outside tolerance AQL 4.0 typical ### Minor defects A departure from the specification that does not affect use and is unlikely on its own to cause a return. * Gate mark not trimmed fully flush on a hidden face * Light flow lines on a non-visible surface * Slight gloss variation * Small scuff from handling Your specification and approved sample decide the final class. Where a buyer defines zones (for example, zone A for the most visible surfaces), a defect in zone A is usually classed higher than the same defect in a hidden area. On-site tests ## Tests we run at the factory. 1. 01 **Leak or seal test** Containers and lids filled with water or pressurised, then inverted. 2. 02 **Drop test** Product dropped from the height in your specification, then checked for cracks. 3. 03 **Snap-fit and hinge cycles** Opened and closed the number of times in your specification. 4. 04 **Colour check** Against the approved master in a light box under D65 daylight. 5. 05 **Assembly check** Parts fitted to their mating parts without force. 6. 06 **Weight check** Part weight against the standard: a light part can point to a short shot or a material change. Measurements ## Points we measure. Measurement points for plastic products Point| How we measure ---|--- Overall length, width, height| Calipers against the drawing Wall thickness| At the points on the drawing Critical fit dimension| Per cavity, where the mould has several Thread or neck finish| Gauges for bottles and closures Flatness or warp| Feeler gauge on a surface plate Weight| Scale, in grams Unit: mm unless stated. We measure at least five units per size or version against your specification and tolerances, and report every reading. Packing and labelling ## Packed right, labelled right. * Protective film or bags so faces do not scratch * Stacking that does not deform parts in the carton * Cavity number legible and recorded for traceability * Count per bag and per carton matches the packing list * Retail packaging matches the approved artwork * Shipping marks, carton count, gross weight and dimensions agree with the packing list Market marks ## What your market expects. EU Food-contact plastics: written declaration of compliance and migration testing under Regulation (EU) 10/2011. EU and UK REACH: suppliers must inform you if an article contains a candidate-list substance above 0.1% by weight. Material mark Material code to ISO 11469 (for example >PP<) or a resin identification code, as specified. US Food-contact resins that meet FDA rules (21 CFR 174–178); Proposition 65 warning where a listed substance is present. We check marks and documents against your specification. Your compliance team or test lab confirms which rules apply to your exact product. How we inspect it ## On the floor, step by step. We note the mould and cavity numbers, draw samples across cartons so every cavity is represented, and inspect under good light at arm’s length. Colour is judged in a light box, and fit and seal tests run on separate units. Suggested planLevel II with AQL 0 / 2.5 / 4.0 suits most consumer plastics. Technical parts add a dimensional plan per cavity. * [Sampling**AQL sampling planner** Sample size and accept numbers for AQL 0 / 2.5 / 4.0.](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/aql-sampling-planner/?lot=3500&level=II&crit=0&major=2.5&minor=4.0) * [Checklist**Plastic products inspection checklist** A printable form with these checks, ready for your inspector.](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/inspection-checklist/?cat=plastic) * [Testing**Test advisor** Which lab tests your product needs before it ships.](https://sourcesquid.co/tools/test-advisor/) * [Report**See an example report** A full pre-shipment report, page by page.](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/sample-report/) Other categories * [Apparel and textiles](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/apparel-and-textiles/) * [Home textiles](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/home-textiles/) * [Metal hardgoods](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/metal-hardgoods/) * [Electronics and electricals](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/electronics/) * [Furniture](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/furniture/) * [Leather goods and footwear](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/leather-goods-and-footwear/) * [Ceramics and glass](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/ceramics-and-glass/) * [Toys](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/toys/) * [Packaging](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/checkpoints/packaging/) Plastic products inspection questions ## Straight answers. Anything else, ask us directly. A principal replies, not a bot. [anirudh@sourcesquid.co](mailto:anirudh@sourcesquid.co) ### What are the common injection moulding defects? Short shots, flash, sink marks, warpage, weld and flow lines, stress whitening, black specks and colour variation. We class each one as major or minor by where it appears and whether it affects fit or function. ### How do you check colour on plastic parts? Side by side with your approved colour master in a light box under D65 daylight, and under a second light source if you specify one. We photograph both together so you can see the match. ### Do you check food-contact compliance on site? We check the documents on site: the declaration of compliance and the migration test report for the resin and the product. Migration testing itself is done in an accredited lab, which we can arrange. Book a check ## Your plastic products, checked point by point. Tell us the product, the factory and the date. We confirm the inspector and the fixed price the same working day. [Book an inspection](https://sourcesquid.co/quality/book-an-inspection/?product=Plastic%20products)[Talk to a principal](https://sourcesquid.co/contact/)