Company Background and Market Position
YUDO, headquartered in South Korea with major manufacturing in China, is the world's largest hot runner manufacturer by volume, producing over 40,000 systems annually. Their packaging-specific product line includes the YUDO TINA valve gate series designed for thin-wall applications with gate diameters from 1.2mm to 4.0mm. Synventive, a division of Barnes Group based in the USA with manufacturing in Germany and China, pioneered the valve gate hot runner concept and holds fundamental patents on sequential valve gate technology (SVG). Their SynFlow and activeGate systems represent the premium end of the market. In the thin-wall food packaging segment, YUDO commands approximately 35-40% market share in Asia and the Middle East, while Synventive holds 20-25% share with stronger penetration in European and North American mold shops. Both manufacturers maintain service centers in China, making them readily available for molds built for HWAMDA SPV5 machines. YUDO's pricing advantage of 30-40% below Synventive makes them the default choice for cost-sensitive markets.
Key Specs
- •Their packaging-specific product line includes the YUDO TINA valve gate series designed for thin-wall applications with gate diameters from 1.2mm to 4.0mm.
- •In the thin-wall food packaging segment, YUDO commands approximately 35-40% market share in Asia and the Middle East, while Synventive holds 20-25% share with stronger penetration in European and North American mold shops.
- •YUDO's pricing advantage of 30-40% below Synventive makes them the default choice for cost-sensitive markets.
High-speed injection unit with linear guides
Valve Gate Performance Specifications
For thin-wall packaging running at 3.5-5.0 second cycle times, valve gate response speed is critical. YUDO TINA series specifications: valve pin stroke 8-12mm, actuation time 0.05-0.15 seconds (pneumatic) or 0.03-0.08 seconds (hydraulic), gate diameter 1.2-3.5mm for packaging, temperature uniformity +/-2°C across manifold, and maximum operating temperature 350°C. Synventive SynFlow specifications: valve pin stroke 8-15mm, actuation time 0.03-0.10 seconds (pneumatic) or 0.02-0.06 seconds (hydraulic), gate diameter 1.0-4.0mm, temperature uniformity +/-1°C across manifold, and maximum operating temperature 400°C. The activeGate system from Synventive adds servo-driven pin positioning with 0.01mm resolution, enabling precise flow control during fill and pack phases. This precision matters for multi-cavity thin-wall molds where cavity-to-cavity weight variation must stay below 0.1g. On an 8-cavity yogurt cup mold running on the HWAMDA HMD 400M8-SPV at 177 MPa injection pressure, both systems deliver acceptable gate quality, but Synventive's tighter temperature control reduces gate vestige variation from +/-0.1mm to +/-0.05mm.
System Configuration for Multi-Cavity Thin-Wall Molds
An 8-cavity thin-wall yogurt cup mold requires an 8-drop hot runner system with a naturally balanced manifold layout. YUDO offers H-bridge manifold designs with flow channel diameters of 8-12mm for PP at MFI 50-80. Their standard manifold heating uses tubular heaters with 40-60 W per nozzle zone and 15-25 W/cm2 manifold heat density. Synventive's manifold design incorporates their proprietary Ultraflow channel geometry with radiused transitions that reduce shear-induced degradation, particularly important for high-MFI PP grades. Channel diameters range from 8-14mm with optimized pressure drop calculations. For an 8-cavity system on the HMD 400M8-SPV, total manifold pressure drop is typically 15-25 MPa with YUDO and 12-20 MPa with Synventive, leaving 152-165 MPa available cavity pressure from the machine's 177 MPa maximum. Both systems support the INOVA controller interface for coordinated valve gate sequencing. Nozzle tip designs differ significantly: YUDO uses a conical tip geometry while Synventive employs a flat-face tip design that provides better thermal separation from the mold cavity.
Key Specs
- •YUDO offers H-bridge manifold designs with flow channel diameters of 8-12mm for PP at MFI 50-80.
- •Channel diameters range from 8-14mm with optimized pressure drop calculations.
- •For an 8-cavity system on the HMD 400M8-SPV, total manifold pressure drop is typically 15-25 MPa with YUDO and 12-20 MPa with Synventive, leaving 152-165 MPa available cavity pressure from the machine's 177 MPa maximum.
Servo-hydraulic drive system with energy recovery
Need Expert Advice?
Talk to our engineers about your specific production requirements. Free consultation.
Maintenance Requirements and Lifecycle Costs
Long-term maintenance is where the cost equation shifts. YUDO systems require annual maintenance including: valve pin replacement every 500,000-800,000 cycles ($50-80 per pin, $400-640 for 8 drops), heater band replacement every 1-2 million cycles ($30-50 per nozzle), thermocouple replacement every 1-2 million cycles ($15-25 each), and manifold cleaning every 6-12 months ($200-400 labor). Annual maintenance cost for an 8-drop YUDO system: $800-1,500. Synventive systems: valve pin replacement every 800,000-1.5 million cycles ($80-150 per pin, $640-1,200 for 8 drops), heater replacement every 2-3 million cycles ($50-80 per nozzle), thermocouple replacement every 2-3 million cycles ($20-35 each), manifold cleaning every 12-18 months ($200-400). Annual maintenance cost for an 8-drop Synventive system: $600-1,200. Despite higher per-component costs, Synventive's longer replacement intervals result in comparable or lower annual maintenance. Over a 5-year, 36-million-cycle lifespan typical for high-volume yogurt cup production, total maintenance cost: YUDO $4,000-7,500 versus Synventive $3,000-6,000.
Regional Availability and Technical Support
For HWAMDA customers primarily in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa, regional support availability is decisive. YUDO operates manufacturing and service centers in: South Korea (HQ), China (Shenzhen, Shanghai), India (Chennai), Turkey (Istanbul), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), and Mexico. Response time for spare parts: 2-5 business days in Asia, 5-10 days in Middle East, 7-14 days in Africa. Synventive operates service centers in: USA (HQ), Germany (Bensheim), China (Shanghai, Shenzhen), India (Mumbai), Brazil, and Japan. Response time: 3-7 days in Asia, 7-14 days in Middle East, 10-21 days in Africa. YUDO's broader Asian service network gives them a significant advantage for HWAMDA's core export markets. Both companies offer remote technical support via phone and video, with YUDO providing Mandarin, Korean, English, and Turkish language support, while Synventive offers English, German, and Mandarin. For mold builders in China constructing molds for HWAMDA machines, both brands maintain large inventories in Shenzhen and Shanghai with same-day or next-day delivery.
Toggle clamping unit — high rigidity for thin-wall molding
Recommendation by Application and Budget
For HWAMDA SPV5 production lines, the recommendation depends on production volume and quality requirements. Choose YUDO when: budget is a primary concern (saving $4,000-8,000 per 8-drop system), production is in Asia or Middle East where YUDO service is strongest, annual production volume is under 20 million parts per mold, and cavity-to-cavity weight variation tolerance is above 0.15g. Choose Synventive when: producing premium IML containers where gate quality directly affects label placement, running over 30 million parts/year per mold where longer maintenance intervals reduce downtime, cavity-to-cavity weight variation must stay below 0.10g, and sequential valve gate control is needed for large or complex parts. For most HWAMDA customers entering thin-wall food packaging, YUDO provides excellent value with an 8-drop valve gate system at $8,000-12,000 fully installed. As production volumes scale and quality requirements tighten, upgrading to Synventive on new molds is straightforward since both systems fit standard mold pocket dimensions.
Frequently Asked Questions
An 8-drop valve gate hot runner for thin-wall PP packaging costs $8,000-12,000 for YUDO and $12,000-20,000 for Synventive, installed in the mold. This represents 25-35% of total mold cost for a $35,000-55,000 8-cavity yogurt cup mold. The hot runner cost includes manifold, nozzles, valve pins, heaters, thermocouples, and temperature controller. Pneumatic actuation adds $1,500-2,500 for the cylinder assembly.
Related Guides
Ready to Start Your Project?
Get a free consultation and quotation for your thin-wall packaging production line.
Join 500+ manufacturers in 60+ countries who trust HWAMDA.
Get Free Quote