Computer simulation of injection molding

The injection-molding process consists of three consecutive stages: filling, packing, and cooling. In order to obtain some insight into the phenomena involved in the process, and particularly in order to evaluate the moldability of certain resins and to predict the microstructure and properties of products molded therefrom, a number of workers have employed a variety of techniques based on mathematical simulation of the process. Mathematical simulation involves writing the relevant continuity, momentum, and energy equations governing the system, with appropriate boundary and initial conditions representing the prevailing conditions in the cavity and delivery channels. In order to obtain meaningful solutions to the above equations, detailed information is required regarding the thermodynamic, thermal, and rheological properties of the resin. Moreover, the prediction of the microstructure and ultimate properties of the molded article requires a knowledge of the morphological, crystallization, and orientation phenomena that take place under the influence of the thermo-mechanical history experienced by the resin. The complexity of the equations involved results in the utilization of a number of simplifying assumptions and the resort to computer simulation and numerical solutions of these equations. A variety of numerical schemes based on finite difference and finite element methods has been employed by various researchers.     

注塑成型模拟技术在注塑工艺中的应用

注塑成型工艺已经发展成为塑料工业最重要的加工手段,注射模塑过程中需要选择和控制的压力包括塑化压力、注射压力和保压压力,它们直接影响塑料的塑化和塑件质量。通过对注塑过程中所涉及的工艺条件如何影响塑料制品的质量作了探讨,借助注塑工程分析软件对塑料制品的成型过程进行模拟,合理确定这些工艺参数,并分析了一个应用CAE技术优化工艺参数的实例,提出了比较切合实际并容易提高产品质量的注塑工艺方案。     

Moldflow软件在气辅注射成型中的应用

介绍了在气辅注射成型中应用Moldflow软件的关键步骤,通过一个实例,分析了气体压力对气体穿透的影响。正确使用软件和合理利用分析结果,可以优化产品结构、减少试模次数,缩短产品周期,从而提高生产率,降价生产成本。     

A structure-oriented computer simulation of the injection molding of viscoelastic crystalline polymers part II: Model predictions and experimental results

A theoretical model proposed for simulation of the injection molding of partially crystalline thermoplastics can predict fill time, velocity, temperature and pressure distributions, the distribution of shear and normal stresses, crystallinity, amorphous birefringence, and tensile moduli. In this paper, experimental data will be compared to the predictions of the model.     

计算机模拟技术在高分子材料注塑成型中的应用

以翘曲变形量为评价指标,采用Moldflow软件和正交试验法对高分子塑件注塑成型工艺参数进行优化,根据Taguchi指标权重计算结果,选取熔体温度、模具温度、注射时间为因素,建立3因素3水平正交试验,获得了注塑成型中的最优工艺参数.结果表明:最优工艺参数为模具温度240?℃,熔体温度32?℃,注射时间0.68?s,此条...     

注射微泡成型熔体固化过程数值模拟

通过研究微孔塑料注射成型熔体固化过程,基于合理的假设并进行必要的简化,建立了熔体固化过程的数学模型。采用有限元/有限差分耦合法对模型进行求解,预测固化过程型腔内的压力分布,以帮助注射成型加工人员确定工艺参数,提高第一次试模成功率。     

基于SPH方法的微注射成型数值模拟

基于无网格方法和黏性本构方程,开展微注射成型数值模拟的研究。采用光滑粒子流体动力学的粒子近似法离散N-S 控制方程组,求解速度场、压力场、温度场等物理场的变化规律。以应用于生物医学领域带有细微针头的聚合物微针为例,进行充型过程的数值模拟,模拟结果与实验结果基本一致。     

注塑机注射速度的模型预测控制及其仿真

注塑过程具有随机性、非线性以及时变性等特点,常规比例积分微分控制方法很难使注射速度控制达到理想的效果,为此提出了一种基于模型预测的注射速度控制方法。首先介绍了注塑机注塑工作原理,分析了注射速度控制系统,并通过模型预测算法得到当前采样时刻控制量以及下一时刻的控制量。仿真结果表明,基于模型预测的注射速度控制能够很好地跟踪快速变化的速度设定曲线,拥有较好的稳定性和抗干扰性。     

注塑模具标准化环境下的机械自动化软件技术与应用

基于注塑模具标准化环境,以某手机保护壳为例研究了机械自动化软件——UG NX6.0软件及Moldflow软件在塑料模具设计中的应用。结果表明:通过分析注塑成型的结构特点和工艺要求,最终采用一模两腔结构;采用Moldflow软件对塑件填充过程进行模拟,对模具结构进行优化,确定了最佳注射时间为0.96 s,最大锁模力为29.5 t,随着锁模力的增加,塑件综合变形程度增大,翘曲程度非常小,未发生短射现象,符合实际生产条件。     

水辅助注塑中高压水穿透过程的数值模拟

对水辅助注塑(WAIM)中高压水的穿透过程进行有限元模拟,研究熔体的充模行为,并分析其拉伸场和剪切场。结果显示,高压水推动熔体充模的过程可分为填充初期、快速填充期和填充末期3个阶段;较明显的拉伸应变速率仅出现在高压水前沿和熔体前沿区域;高压水前沿区域存在分布较宽且较为强烈的剪切速率,而高压水对已穿透区域的熔体几乎没有剪切作用。此外,模拟所得WAIM制品的穿透长度和掏空率与实验结果较吻合。     

Numerical simulation of mold filling in reaction injection molding

A two dimensional finite element model for the simulation of the advancing front in reaction injection molding (RIM) is presented. The model is based on the solution of the full Navier-Stokes equation for the computation of the velocity and pressure. The arbitrary Lagrange-Euler method is used for the moving front. The method of characteristics is used for the solution of the mass-and energy equations. An automatic remeshing algorithm is used to prevent element distortion and to optimize element size and number. Numerical results are presented for flow into a complex domain in order to illustrate the versatility of the method.     

Numerical simulation of thermoplastic wheat starch injection molding process

A numerical study is carried out on the thermoplastic wheat starch injection molding process. The simulation is performed using currently available molding software to determine optimal molding parameters. The molding of a standardized sample for tensile test is considered. It is shown that the conventional continuum mechanics equations can be used for modeling the injection molding of thermoplastic starch. These equations are solved using the finite element method. Comparisons with some experimental results are presented, indicating good agreement. Data on the processing of thermoplastic starch and several other basic aspects are also provided.     

No‐flow temperature in injection molding simulation

Most injection molding simulation packages use the no‐flow temperature (NFT) as a means of determining whether the polymer flows or is solid. The NFT is not well defined, and a standard method for measuring it does not exist. A sensitivity analysis of the filling stage has been carried out with two different packages [VISI Flow (Vero Software Limited, Gloucestershire, UK) and Moldflow (Autodesk, Inc., San Rafael, CA)] to estimate the influence of the NFT on the main processing parameters. The NFT has a large influence on the thickness of the frozen layer, but it does not appreciably affect the filling pressure. Because the NFT affects the frozen layer, an effect on the estimation of shrinkage and warpage is expected. Software packages have also been compared, and similar simulations have been found to produce contrasting results. A simple correlation for NFT estimation, derived from the Cross–Williams–Landel–Ferry equation, is proposed for both amorphous and semicrystalline polymers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Flow and heat transfer simulation of injection molding with microstructures

Injection molding has been used for mass production of polymer products with microstructures. Conventional Hele‐Shaw 2.5D midplane simulation is unable to describe the flow pattern correctly. It tends to over‐predict the effects of microstructures on global flow patterns. For the unidirectional flow, an x‐z planar based on the general momentum equation is able to achieve better accuracy and to retrieve more detailed flow and heat transfer information around the microstructures. A hybrid numerical technique is developed, which can significantly reduce the nodes and computation time, and yet provide good flow simulation around the microstructures. The mold‐melt heat transfer coefficient and injection speed are shown to be very important factors in determining the filling depth in microstructures. A decrease of the heat transfer coefficient and the occurrence of wall‐slip are likely in microchannels. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:1866–1876, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

文具盒注射成型CAE分析

利用Moldflow Plastics Insight软件对文具盒的成型工艺条件进行了优化,结果表明,可行的成型工艺参数为:注射时间为1～4 s,注射压力为44．3～46．1 MPa,保压时间为19．1 s,保压压力为33．2 MPa,冷却水温度25℃,流速10L/min。     

微结构注塑机注射速度控制及仿真研究

为了对注射速度进行精密控制,建立起一个液压控制系统,对该系统中影响注射速度的相关器件进行结构分析并且建立数学模型,针对注射速度非线性以及时变等特性,设计一种自适应模糊PID控制器,利用MATLAB软件建立仿真模型,对两种控制器下的注射速度曲线进行对比分析。结果表明,与传统PID控制器相比,自适应模糊PID控制器具有注射速度响应更迅速,稳态无误差和鲁棒性能好等优势。     

气辅成型过程中可压缩空气流动数值模拟

气辅成型技术能够有效地改善产品力学性能、提高产品的质量,因此在注射成型生产中应用广泛,与之相应的气辅成型CAE技术也得到了快速发展。当前的气辅成型CAE技术中假定空气为不可压缩流体,忽略了空气的可压缩性,因此研究气辅成型过程中可压缩空气的流动行为具有一定的实际意义。针对气辅成型过程中可压缩空气流动的复杂行为,基于假设将复杂的三维(3D)流动问题转化为二维(2D)。采用 CBS方法建立2D瞬态可压缩空气流动的有限元分析模型,求解算法采用预共轭梯度法,并用VC++完成了算法编制,实现了可压缩空气流动过程的数值模拟,其压力结果可作为充填流动分析的基础数据。     

Numerical simulation and experimental verification of the filling stage in injection molding

The linear low‐density polyethylene melt is described by the modified Cross model, the dependence of melt viscosity on temperature incorporated with the Arrhenius equation, and the Moldflow second‐order model in this investigation. The mass, momentum conservation, and constitutive equations are discretized and solved by using the iterative stabilized fractional step algorithm along with the Crank–Nicolson implicit difference scheme. The energy conservation equation is discretized with the characteristic Galerkin approach. The free surface of molten polymer flow front is tracked by the arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method. It is demonstrated that good agreement of the numerical predictions given by the proposed ALE method with the results obtained by the injection short‐shot experiments is achieved in the locations and shape of the melt front. Furthermore, when the melt front completely reaches the wall of the mold cavity, the horizontal velocity distribution of counterflow at the section near the finally filling wall is exhibited in the present simulation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

A new explicit simulation for injection molding and its validation

The simulation of injection molding involves the filling of cavities and runners in complicated shapes. The 3D elements in large numbers are generally required to satisfy the precise simulation of real processes. It results in the computation in large scales, so that the efficiency of computation becomes very important. On the basis of previous explicit software realized by the authors, the new algorithm avoids the global solution for pressure fields to improve its efficiency. Another feature of the new algorithm is the use of same order interpolation elements instead of MINI elements, which simplifies significantly the software procedures. Except for the operations at element level, neither global solution nor the construction of global matrix is required in simulation. A special feedback regulation strategy is used to meet the incompressibility in filled domain at each time step. In case of the mold filling problems, this method provides a fast way to simulate the filling processes. The computational cost is about linearly proportional to the degree of freedom number. Comparison of velocity field obtained by the previous algorithm using MINI element and analytical theoretical solution proves that the feedback regulation strategy in the new algorithm can satisfy well incompressibility. Moreover, comparison with the results of filling process and temperature field obtained by the previous algorithm proves the validity of the new algorithm. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers