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What is flash on a model?
Flash on a model is the flat bits of extra material that you will often see attached to the various pieces of a model when you open the box. These are not to be confused with the sprues (or nubs) which are the pieces of plastic or white metal that are there intentionally to hold the model pieces in place within the kit.
Flash is created during the production process of a model. Often mass-produced models will be moulded between two or more dies in a process called pressure moulding. Over time during this process the dies can become warn and no longer completely tessellate allowing excess material to seep out creating the flash. It can also occur when the material being pressed possesses a quality that makes it difficult for the mould to contain the material.
Another form of flash is when the material is injected into a mould to create the model pieces. This process is usually referred to as injection moulding. Tiny air vents are incorporated into the mould design allowing air to escape and material to reach every cavity within the mould. Sometimes the material can escape through the vents and create a string of flash opposed to the flat flash from the previous example.
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