Common Bottle Defects
A visual reference of defects D.E.L.L. PET regularly works through with customers. Each entry shows what the defect typically looks like and the general conditions that tend to produce it — a starting point for conversation, not a substitute for reviewing your actual process and part.
Base Fold
Usually points to uneven material distribution or base cooling timing during the blow cycle.
Bent Neck
Often traces back to misalignment during ejection or handling while the bottle is still warm.
Cracked Finish
Frequently a stress-concentration issue at the finish during blow, or damage from post-mold handling.
Hard Band
A visible ring where wall thickness or crystallinity changes abruptly, typically from a heat-profile transition.
Haze
Localized cloudiness most often linked to a preform temperature or stretch-ratio issue in that zone.
Hole in Base
Generally a thin-wall condition that fails under blow or fill pressure.
Non-Ferrous Contamination
Foreign material carried into the bottle wall — traced back to preform or resin handling upstream.
Off-Center Gate
The gate mark sitting off-center usually indicates a stretch or blow imbalance pulling material unevenly.
Pinch
A pinched or folded section where material was drawn together unevenly during blow.
Preform Parting Line
A line from the preform's injection mold that hasn't fully blended into the finished bottle wall.
Ring in Neck
A ring or step in the neck area, typically from uneven heat or mold contact at the finish.
Rings in Base
Concentric marks in the base, typically from mold contact or cooling timing.
Thin Base
Excessive thinning in the base — a stability and drop-performance risk.
White Feet
Whitened, stress-blushed material at the support feet from over-stretching in that zone.
Seeing One of These on Your Line?
Contact D.E.L.L. PET and describe the defect and where it's showing up — a specialist will work back from your actual process and quality data.