Experimental verification of an optimal thermal design in a compression mold

A production sheet molding compound (SMC) mold for an automotive hood outer panel was instrumented with 64 thermocouples to measure cavity surface temperatures along two cross-sections in each mold half and regulate the supply of steam to each heating line. The positions and temperatures of each heating line in the mold were optimized using an in-house computer program to produce a minimum spatial variation in cavity surface temperature during steady cyclic molding. Provision was also made to heat the mold conventionally so that optimal and conventional heating could be directly compared in the same mold. While maintaining a 78 s overall molding cycle, the conventional heating system eventually produced a 10°C temperature variation on the cavity surface. This, in turn, led to serious resin undercure and severe difficulties in removing the part from the mold. When the optimal heating design was substituted in place of the conventional system, the surface temperature variation was reduced to less than 3°C and the problems experienced with conventional heating disappeared. For the most part, the measured temperatures in these experiments agreed with the results of the computer analysis to within 1°C.     

Thermal and cure analysis in sheet molding compound compression molds

Sheet molding compound (SMC) compression molding growth will benefit from faster cycles and more uniform cure so as to reduce in-plane thermal residual stress and resulting warpage in the molded part. These improvements require an in-depth study of the mold thermal design. Here we use a finite element model to analyze the quasi-steady temperature distribution in a plane perpendicular to the heating channels of a representative mold, and a finite difference model to investigate the cure dynamics at critical regions. Several changes in the mold heating system and operating conditions were considered and their effects on the temperature distribution and cure time were studied. It was assumed that the steam condensate is well drained and enough steam is supplied so that the steam tube walls are kept at a constant temperature. An important conclusion of the present study is that better insulation of the mold from the press does not help much in improving the uniformity of cavity surface temperature or cure. It was also found that reducing the distance between two consecutive steam tubes beyond the distance from the steam tube to cavity surface will not yield a significant change. The most practical way to give both more uniform cavity surface temperature and faster cure is to have higher steam temperature for the region where the charge is initially placed.     

Optimal thermal design of compression molds for chopped-fiber composites

Because heat is convected by the motion of material in the cavity of a compression mold, the time-averaged heating load on the cavity surface is nonuniform. In rapid production of large, thin parts, this can lead to large variations in cavity surface temperature when the mold is heated by the usual uniform distribution of heating lines. In this paper, a new method is developed for optimizing the mold heating design so that this nonuniform heating requirement can be satisfied with a minimum variation in cavity surface temperature. Oil heating is considered specifically, but the method can also be used for stream or electric heat. The optimal position and power supply for each heating line in the mold is determined by combining mathematical programming techniques with an analysis of the steady temperature field in the mold. The nonuniform heating load on the cavity surface is represented by a time-averaged steady heat transfer coefficient calculated from the transient temperature distribution in a polyester sheet molding compound as it fills the mold cavity. The design method is applied to an example mold for a large flat panel. At a one-minute cycle, the optimal heating design dramatically reduces nonuniformity in cavity surface temperature compared with a conventional distribution of heating lines. The optimal design is remarkably simple, uses only conventional equipment, and involves only half the customary number of heating lines. Nevertheless, it still has sufficient flexibility to adjust for changes in cycle time without sacrificing uniformity in cavity surface temperature.     

Effects of mold cavity temperature on surface quality and mechanical properties of nanoparticle‐filled polymer in rapid heat cycle molding

Acrylonitrile‐butadiene‐styrene (ABS)/poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ composites were prepared in a corotating twin screw extruder. Single‐gate and double‐gate samples were molded based on a rapid heat cycle molding (RHCM) system. Effects of mold cavity temperature on surface quality and mechanical properties of single‐gate and double‐gate samples in RHCM process were conducted. The results showed that surface quality of plastic parts can be improved significantly by increasing mold cavity temperature. Nano‐CaCO₃ particles on the surface of plastic parts can be eliminated by using high mold cavity temperature. The roughness and gloss of two kinds of plastic parts (ABS/PMMA and ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃) stabilized at the same level when the mold cavity temperature is above glass transition temperature of resin material. Weld line can be eliminated in RHCM process during high mold cavity temperature. The tensile strength of both ABS/PMMA and ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ exhibited decreasing trend with the increase of mold cavity temperature. Reduction of internal stress gave rise to the increase of Izod impact strength of ABS/PMMA for both sing‐gate and double‐gate samples. However, influence regularity of mold cavity temperature on Izod impact strength of ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ is depended on the number of gates. For all the samples in this study, too high of mold cavity temperature (higher than 125°C) deprave Izod impact strength of plastic parts. Both ABS/PMMA and ABS/PMMA/nano‐CaCO₃ are not susceptible to weld line. When the mold surface temperature is approximately equal to glass transition temperature of resin material, all the samples are found to give the best combination of properties. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41420.     

Experimental investigation of key parameters on the effects of cavity surface roughness in microinjection molding

For microinjection molding, it is envisaged that cavity surface roughness plays an important role in the cavity filling of polymer melt. This article presents an experimental investigation into the surface roughness effects on the flow area of a microthickness disk through injection molding. Three core inserts, each of which has different surface roughness on its two semicircular halves but with the same roughness mean lines, were machined and formed the mold cavity. The difference in flow area (or volume) between these two semicircular halves of the molded part was investigated by varying the mold and melt temperatures. Regressive analysis of the significance of mold and melt temperatures and cavity thickness on the surface roughness effects was carried out. Experimental results obtained indicated that the flow area on the smoother half is larger than that on the rougher half during cavity filling. For the same surface roughness, its effect on cavity filling is a function of mold temperature, melt temperature, and cavity thickness. An increase in mold temperature or melt temperature will result in smaller surface roughness effect on the flow area. When cavity thickness is reduced, the surface roughness effect will become more significant. Moreover, a larger difference in the surface roughness between the two semicircular halves of the insert will result in a larger difference in the flow area between the two halves of the molded part. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Research on optimum heating system design for rapid thermal response mold with electric heating based on response surface methodology and particle swarm optimization

A new electric‐heating rapid thermal response (RTR) mold with floating cavity/core for rapid heat cycle molding is investigated in this study. Process principles of Rapid heat cycle molding (RHCM) with such new electric‐heating mold are discussed and presented. Response surface methodology (RSM) is employed to develop mathematical relationships between layout of the heating elements and heating efficiency, temperature uniformity and structural strength of the floating cavity. Three explanatory variables including half distance between two adjacent heating rods, spacing between heating rods and cavity surface, and the diameter of the heating rod are used to describe the layout and scale of the heating elements. The response variables involving required heating time, maximum cavity surface temperature, and maximum von‐Mises stress are used to characterize heating efficiency, temperature uniformity, and structural strength of the floating cavity, respectively. Central composite design (CCD) method is used for factorial experiments. Finite element analyses are conducted for combination of explanatory parameters to acquire the corresponding values of the response variables. Three predictive models for the response variables are created by regression analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to check their accuracy. These response surface models are interfaced with an effective particle swarm algorithm for the optimum heating system design of the electric‐heating RTR mold. The developed optimum method is then used for the design of the floating electric‐heating cavity for an actual industrial product. The following heat transfer analysis results show that the temperature distribution uniformity of the cavity surface is greatly improved with the optimal cavity structure and layout of heating rods. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Analysis of gate freeze‐off time in injection molding

Gate solidification time is an important topic in injection molding technology, as it determines cycle time, which itself is an important issue in the balance of the production process. In this work, a study of the effect of both gate and cavity geometries on gate solidification time was conducted, using a commercial polymer, injection molded with constant holding pressure into a rectangular cavity. Three cavity lengths were used, and for each, two cavity thicknesses were adopted. Special dies containing different gates were assembled in the mold. Gate thickness was found to be the most important factor determining gate sealing time. However the cavity geometry is also quite important. A clear indication on gate solidification could be drawn by analyzing time evolution of pressure distribution inside the mold. The solidification phenomenon leading to gate sealing was analyzed by a simple model, which also takes into account the effect of cavity geometry, by comparing the heat flow through the gate walls and the energy required to solidify the packing flow rate. Model results satisfactorily describe the main features of the experimental data.     

Experimental investigation of infrared rapid surface heating for injection molding

A low cost and practical infrared rapid surface heating system for injection molding is designed and investigated. The system was designed to assemble on the mold and a control system was used to operate the motion of the lamp holder. Four infrared halogen lamps (1 kW each) were used as the radiative source to heat the surface of mold insert. The temperature increase is verified on the mold plate with a thermal video system. Two types of specular reflectors combined with different bulb configurations were applied to study the heating ability of radiation heating. A modified spiral flow mold was used to test the enhancing filling ability of the rapid surface heating system. Three resins, PP, PMMA and PC were molded in the spiral flow injection molding experiments. If spherical reflector and centralized lamp configuration are used, the temperature at the center of the mold surface is the highest. The temperature of mold center surface is raised from 83°C to 188°C with 15 s of infrared heating. Because the surface temperature of the mold insert is higher than the glass transition temperature of resins before filling, the flow distance of resins in the modified spiral flow mold will be increased. The location effect of the infrared surface heating system on a thin‐long cavity was studied to demonstrate the possibility of using smaller infrared heating area on a large mold surface. A microprobe cavity also demonstrated that with the assistance of infrared heating technology the formability of a microprobe can be greatly improved. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 3704–3713, 2006     

Effect of rapid mold surface inducting heating on the replication ability of microinjection molding light‐guided plates with V‐grooved microfeatures

This study applies a magnetic induction heating method for rapid and uniform heating of a mold surface for injection molding of 2‐inch light‐guided plates (LGPs). Mold temperature is an important process parameter that affects microinjection molding quality. This research investigates the effects of high‐mold surface temperature generated by induction heating in enhancing the replication rate of microfeatures of LGPs. This study has three stages. First, an appropriate power rate setting is determined for induction heating and injection molding process window. Second, all key parameters affecting microfeature quality are identified to determine the optimum LGP micromolding parameters using the Taguchi and ANOVA methods. Third, the quality of microfeature heights and angles are experimentally verified. Polymethyl methacrylate was molded under various injection molding conditions to replicate an electroformed nickel stamper with V‐grooves 10 μm in width and 5 μm in depth. In this investigation, injection speed was set in the conventional range. Experimental findings indicate that instead of high‐mold temperature, the combination of low mold temperature and high surface temperature obtained using induction heating improve replication quality and reduce cycle time. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Construction of fast-response heating elements for injection molding applications

A new type of heating element was developed capable of changing the mold surface temperature by about 70 K in 0.2 s, thus enabling reduction of frozen-in orientation and stresses in injection molded products without undue increase in cycle time. The heater, which consists of two insulation layers with a resistance layer in between, is discussed in this paper. The thickness of this insulation layer proves to be the most important design parameter. Too thick an insulation layer increases the cooling time too much, whereas with a thin layer the surface temperatures will stay too low. Temperature measurements at the heater surface and in the mold wall are reported and demonstrate the extreme fast response characteristics.     

A simplified method for analyzing mold filling dynamics Part I: Theory

A graphical method based on dimensional analysis is presented for estimating the injection pressure and clamp force required for injection molding amorphous polymers to form disk-shaped parts with a constant wall thickness. A procedure is suggested for estimating clamp force when the projected area of the mold cavity is smaller than the surface area of one side of the molded part. The results reported here are based on a numerical simulation of a power-law fluid filling a cold mold at a constant injection rate. The dimensionless bulk temperature and the ratios of the nonisothermal injection pressure (clamp force) to the isothermal injection pressure (clamp force) are given as functions of the dimensionless cooling time τ, the Brinkman number Br which characterizes viscous heating, the power-law exponent n, and a dimensionless temperature β which includes the inlet melt and mold wall temperatures and the temperature coefficient for viscosity.     

Optimum heating system design for compression molds

Compression molding is a widely used method of forming composite materials where long fibers are necessary for strength requirements. Compression molding involves putting the charge through a specific, material dependent temperature and pressure path to induce thermochemical cure. During cure, certain temperatures are required for a time. Spatial variation of the cavity temperature can lengthen time needed for curing and cause voids and residual stresses in the part. Towards the goal of uniform cavity surface temperature, an interactive graphics based computer aided system for compression mold heating design has been developed. The system employs a boundary element method treating long, thin cylindrical electric heating elements as singular line sources. It is coupled with a CONMIN algorithm, a nonlinear constrained minimization procedure to, optimize the heating system for uniform temperature over the cavity surface. Realistic constraints are featured to insure design feasibility. The problem is also decomposed in such a way to allow easy redesign and a sensitivity study. Through the optimization process, it was found that uniformities can be obtained which are far better than anything that could be achieved through common sense.     

The electrical conductivity and electromagnetic interference shielding of injection molded multi-walled carbon nanotube/polystyrene composites

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/polystyrene (PS) composites were injection molded into a mold equipped with three different cavities. A high alignment of MWCNTs in PS was achieved by applying high shear force to the melt. The effects of gate and runner designs and processing conditions, i.e., mold temperature, melt temperature, injection/holding pressure and injection velocity, on the volume resistivity of the composites were investigated in both the thickness and in-flow directions. The experiments showed that volume resistivity could be varied up to 7 orders of magnitude by changing the processing conditions in the injection molded samples. The electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of the molded composites was studied by considering the alignment of the MWCNTs. The EMI SE decreased with an increase in the alignment of the injection-molded MWCNTs in the PS matrix. This study shows that mold designs and processing conditions significantly influence the electrical conductivity and shielding behavior of injection molded CNT-filled composites.     

Analysis of asymmetric morphology evolutions in iPP molded samples induced by uneven temperature field

Mold surface temperature has a strong effect on the amount of molecular orientation and morphology developed in a non‐isothermal flowing polymer melt. In this work, a well‐characterized isotactic polypropylene was injected in a rectangular mold cavity asymmetrically conditioned by a thin electric heater specifically designed. The cavity surface was heated at temperatures ranging from 80 to 160°C for different times (0.5, 8, and 18 s) after the first contact with the polymer. Asymmetrical thermal conditions have a strong influence on the melt flow, by changing its distribution along the cavity thickness, and final part deformation. The morphology distribution of the molded samples was found strongly asymmetric with complex and peculiar features. Optical and Electron microscopy confirmed the complete reorganization of the crystalline structures along the sample thickness. X‐rays analysis reveals that molecular orientation of the sample surface decreases with the mold temperature and the heating time. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2699–2712, 2016     

Thermal response of an electric heating rapid heat cycle molding mold and its effect on surface appearance and tensile strength of the molded part

Rapid heat cycle molding (RHCM) is a newly developed injection molding technology in recent years. In this article, a new electric heating RHCM mold is developed for rapid heating and cooling of the cavity surface. A data acquisition system is constructed to evaluate thermal response of the cavity surfaces of the electric heating RHCM mold. Thermal cycling experiments are implemented to investigate cavity surface temperature responses with different heating time and cooling time. According to the experimental results, a mathematical model is developed by regression analysis to predict the highest temperature and the lowest temperature of the cavity surface during thermal cycling of the electric heating RHCM mold. The verification experiments show that the proposed model is very effective for accurate control of the cavity surface temperature. For a more comprehensive analysis of the thermal response and temperature distribution of the cavity surfaces, the numerical‐method‐based finite element analysis (FEA) is used to simulate thermal response of the electric heating RHCM mold during thermal cycling process. The simulated cavity surface temperature response shows a good agreement with the experimental results. Based on simulations, the influence of the power density of the cartridge heaters and the temperature of the cooling water on thermal response of the cavity surface is obtained. Finally, the effect of RHCM process on surface appearance and tensile strength of the part is studied. The results show that the high‐cavity surface temperature during filling stage in RHCM can significantly improve the surface appearance by greatly improving the surface gloss and completely eliminating the weld line and jetting mark. RHCM process can also eliminate the exposing fibers on the part surface for the fiber‐reinforced plastics. For the high‐gloss acrylonitrile butadiene styrene/polymethyl methacrylate (ABS/PMMA) alloy, RHCM process reduces the tensile strength of the part either with or without weld mark. For the fiber‐reinforced plastics of polypropylene (PP) + 20% glass fiber, RHCM process reduces the tensile strength of the part without weld mark but slightly increases the tensile strength of the part with weld mark. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Experimental Results of Low Thermal Inertia Molding. I. Length of Filling

In injection molding, complete mold cavity filling is a design goal that has to be met 100% every time. Mold cavity filling is a complicated process which depends on many variables such as mold cavity surface temperature, injection pressure, injection speed, melt temperature, flow index of material being molded, etc. The aim of experimental investigation of the low thermal inertia molding (LTIM) [1] process is to demonstrate the feasibility of molding completely filled, thin parts at low injection pressure and injection speed without sacrificing part quality. The evaluation of the new molding concept consists of comparison of a conventionally molded thin rectangular part with an identical part molded by the LTIM process. The length of filling in the conventional cavity and in the LTIM cavity are compared at different injection pressures and injection speeds. The mold design, experimental procedure, and results of the molding are discussed in the following sections.     

ELIMINATING FLOW INDUCED BIREFRINGENCE AND MINIMIZING THERMALLY INDUCED RESIDUAL STRESSES IN INJECTION MOLDED PARTS*

Eliminating flow-induced birefringence and stresses and reducing thermally induced stresses in the injection molded parts have been studied using rapid thermal response (RTR) molding technique. In the RTR molding, mold surface temperature can be rapidly raised above T _g in the filling stage, while the normal injection molding cycle time is still maintained. Therefore, the melt can fill the cavity at temperatures above T _g, which enables the flow-induced stresses to relax completely in a short time after filling and before vitrification. Residual stresses and birefringence in a RTR molded strip specimen are compared with the conventional molded parts by applying layer removal method and retardation measurement. For the material (Monsanto® Lustrex Polystyrene) and process conditions chosen, the birefringence level decreased as the RTR temperature approached and exceeded the glass transition temperature until it almost disappeared at a RTR temperature of 180°C. Reduction of magnitude and shift of peak location were observed in the gapwise stress profile for RTR molded specimen.

     

模具对振动注射成型制件作用效应的初步研究

采用自制的振动试验台，分别安装两个不同的试样模具，使用了不同的聚合物材料，在不同的温度，压力下变化不同的振动频率和振幅进行实验，研究了聚合物熔体在振动场中注射成型时，成型模具对聚合物振动成型效应的作用。结果表明，模具浇口及型腔尺寸不同。振动注射制件的强度不同；模具型腔尺寸大振动产生的效应弱。型腔小振动产生的效应强。