Primary and secondary gas penetration during gas‐assisted injection molding. Part I: Formulation and modeling

A theoretical study has been carried out on the transient gas‐liquid interface development and gas penetration behavior during the cavity filling and gas packing stage in the gas‐assisted injection molding (GAIM) of a tube cavity. A mathematical formulation describing the evolution of the gas/melt interface and the distribution of the residual wall thickness of skin melt along with the advancement of gas/melt front is presented. The physical model is put forward on the basis of Hele‐Shaw approximation and interface kinematics and dynamics. Numerical simulation is implemented on a fixed mesh covering the entire cavity. The model and simulation can deal with both primary and secondary gas penetrations. The predicted and measuredresults are compared in Part II of this study to validate the theoretical model. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:983–991, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Computer simulation of the filling process in gas‐assisted injection molding based on gas‐penetration modeling

Gas‐assisted injection molding can effectively produce parts free of sink marks in thick sections and free of warpage in long plates. This article concerns the numerical simulation of melt flow and gas penetration during the filling stage in gas‐assisted injection molding. By taking the influence of gas penetration on the melt flow as boundary conditions of the melt‐filling region, a hybrid finite‐element/finite‐difference method similar to conventional‐injection molding simulation was used in the gas‐assisted injection molding‐filling simulation. For gas penetration within the gas channel, an analytical formulation of the gas‐penetration thickness ratio was deduced based on the matching asymptotic expansion method. Finally, an experiment was employed to verify this proposed simulation scheme and gas‐penetration model, by comparing the results of the experiment with the simulation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 90: 2377–2384, 2003     

气辅注射成型工艺参数对气体穿透行为的影响

考察了气辅注射成型工艺参数(延迟时间、气体压力、熔体温度、预注射量)对气体穿透行为的影响。研究表明,延迟时间越短、熔体温度越高,残余壁厚越小。另外,预注射量、延迟时间和熔体温度对穿透长度的影响最为显著,即预注射量越大、延迟时间越短、熔体温度越低,穿透长度越长。结合此前研究者的数值模拟结果可以看出,残余壁厚率与通过数值方法得到的结果是较为一致的.     

Approximate prediction of gas core geometry in gas assisted injection molding using a short cut method

A relatively cheap, short cut method for prediction of the form and location of the gas core, and the residual plastic wall thickness in gas assisted injection molding (GAIM) is described. The basis is a steady state, single phase solution for flow of the polymer melt through the channel of interest, without the need to model the gas penetration. The gas‐polymer interface position is predicted by an appropriately chosen isovel of the flow. For a prismatic or slowly varying channel, only a two‐dimensional developed flow solution is required. For more sharply varying cross sections, and where bends are present, a steady three‐dimensional (3D) solution is necessary. When a gas delay is used, during which polymer cools to the cavity walls, a solution for transient conduction in the static melt is carried out before the flow solution. By comparisons with the results of full 3D, transient, two‐phase simulations of GAIM, and with experimental results, the short cut method is shown to provide reasonable approximations, and in contrast to other currently used approximate methods, captures thickness variations around the circumference of noncircular channels. The asymmetric gas core location in bends is reproduced, as is the increased plastic wall thickness resulting from cooling during a gas delay. While the full analysis will still be required for complex parts and when high accuracy is required, the described short cut method is likely to prove useful in many other cases. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:713–720, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Gas assisted injection molding of a handle: Three‐dimensional simulation and experimental verification

Methods implemented in a three‐dimensional finite element code for the simulation of gas assisted injection molding are described, and predictions compared with the results of molding trials. The emphasis is on prediction of primary gas penetration and plastic wall thickness, including the effects of cooling during a delay before gas injection. For the latter, time dependent heat transfer coefficients at the cavity surface are used, determined in a separate analysis of transient heat conduction through the plastic and the mold tool to the circulating coolant. This shows how the initial value of 25,000 W/m²K falls by about an order of magnitude during the first few seconds of cooling, and also how values vary from cycle to cycle as steady periodic conditions are approached. For a tubular handle molded in polystyrene, with melt flow modeled by a Cross WLF model, comparisons of simulations with sectioned parts show excellent prediction of wall thickness and its variation circumferentially and in bends. The increase in wall thickness due to cooling during a gas delay is accurately modeled, as is the occurrence of a blow out. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 45:1049–1058, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Interface evolution and penetration behavior during two‐component transfer molding. Part II: Simulation and experiment

Simulation and experimental study of the pressure‐controlled sequential sandwich transfer molding of two SBR rubber compounds under isothermal condition have been carried out to obtain a two‐layered sandwich structure. One SBR compound, which is intended for the skin material, is first laid up in the cavity. Then, another SBR compound, intended for the core material, is transferred to penetrate into the skin material and to push the lay‐up to fully fill the cavity, resulting in an encapsulated skin/core sandwich structure. Two cases involving different material combinations with different viscosity ratios have been studied. The rheological interaction of the skin/core components and its effect on the penetration behavior and interface shape have been investigated. The influence of processing conditions, such as the volume fraction transferred and pressure, is discussed. The penetration and encapsulation behavior, and the interface development are found to be significantly affected by the rheological properties of the compounds and the volume fraction transferred. However, at a constant volume fraction transferred, the pressure imposed during transfer molding is found to have a little effect on the interface development. These experimental findings are in good agreement with the present predictions based on the model and simulation proposed in Part I of this study. Polym. Eng. Sci. 44:697–713, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.     

Further Studies of the Gas Penetration Process in Gas‐Assisted Injection Molding

Abstract

Gas‐assisted injection molding is one of the innovation injection‐molding processes recently developed. The solution of gas penetration thickness interface is the key problem in the simulation of gas‐assisted injection molding, but also the puzzle. By applying the matching asymptotic expansion method, an analytical solution of the gas penetration interface is deduced. First, the governing equations and boundary conditions are transformed to be dimensionless. And then matching asymptotic expansion method is applied to solve the dimensionless equations, where capillary number Ca and Ca ^2/3 are used as perturbation parameters. Compared with experimental results, the presented mathematical model and solving method are proved to be correct.     

注水参数对水辅助注射成型充填过程影响的数值模拟

建立水辅助注射成型二维、瞬态、非定常流动模型,采用黏度幂律模型,在k ω湍流模型下,充分考虑注射水的湍流特性以及熔体前沿的喷注效应,采用有限体积法（VOF）对充填过程中的注水速度、注水温度和注水延迟时间等注水控制参数的影响进行数值模拟。结果表明,注水速度的增加会增加水在熔体中的穿透长度,并且会减小残余壁厚;注水温度对水的穿透长度和残余壁厚的影响均不显著;随着注水延迟时间的增长,水的穿透长度和残余壁厚均有增加的趋势。     

Numerical simulation on residual wall thickness of tubes with dimensional transitions and curved sections in water‐assisted injection molding

Residual wall thickness is an important indicator which aims at measuring the quality of water‐assisted injection molding (WAIM) parts. The changes of residual wall thickness around dimensional transitions and curved sections are particularly significant. Free interface of the water/melt two‐phase was tracked by volume of fluid (VOF) method. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was used to simulate the residual wall thickness, and the results corresponded with that of experiments. The results showed that the penetration of water at the long straight sections was steady, and the distribution of the residual wall thickness was uniform. However, there was melt accumulation phenomenon at the dimensional transitions, and the distribution of the residual wall thickness wasn't uniform. Adding fillet at the dimensional transitions could improve the uniformity of the residual wall thickness distribution, and effectively reduce water fingering. Additionally, at the curved sections, the residual wall thickness of the outer wall was always greater than that of the inner wall, and the fluctuations of the residual wall thickness difference were small. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Three‐dimensional simulation of primary and secondary penetration in a clip‐shaped square tube during a gas‐assisted injection molding process

This article proposes a generalized Newtonian model to predict the three‐dimensional gas penetration phenomenon in the GAIM process, where the gas and melt compressibility are both taken into account and hence the primary and secondary penetrations in GAIM processes are able to be quantitatively predicted. Additionally, an incompressible model requiring no outflow boundary is also presented to emphasis the influence of gas compressibility on the primary penetration. Based on a finite volume discretization, the proposed numerical model solves the complete momentum equation with two front transport equations, which are employed to track the gas/melt and air/melt interfaces. The modified Cross‐WLF model is adopted to describe the melt rheological behavior. The two‐domain modified Tait equation is exploited to represent the melt compressibility, while a polytropic model is employed to express the gas compressibility. The proposed schemes are quantitatively validated by the gas penetration characteristics in a clip‐shaped square tube, where good prediction accuracy is obtained. The influences of five major molding parameters, such as the injection pressure, mold temperature, melt temperature, delay time, and melt material on the gas penetration characteristics in the same clip‐shaped square tube via the proposed numerical approach are extensively presented and discussed. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers     

不同水针口径下的水辅助注射成型数值模拟

使用流体力学软件,对使用溢流法的三维120°～150°弯曲圆管件进行了水辅助注射成型可视化研究。分别改变水针口径尺寸、注水延迟时间、注水压力与熔体温度,分析其对制件内部水穿透行为的影响。结果表明,水针口直径为7 mm时,能显著增加制件的内部穿透长度并得到残余壁厚更薄的制件;受水针结构影响,注水延迟时间为1 s、注水压力为8 MPa、熔体温度为250℃时,水穿透长度最优能增长400%,壁厚减少20%;在注水延迟时间为1 s、注水压力为10 MPa、熔体温度为230℃时,穿透长度最大达到298 mm;注水延迟时间为1 s、注水压力为8 MPa、熔体温度为250℃时,比熔体温度为210℃和230℃的实验组受水针影响严重;缩短注水延迟时间、增加注水压力、升高熔体温度都能有效增大制件的中空率,成型出更薄的管件,但是水针对水辅助注射成型的影响不容忽视,其微小变化能极大地改变成型制件的内部型腔,有效提高水穿透行为的效率。     

基于数值模拟的气体辅助注射成型工艺控制研究

基于广叉Hele-Shaw流动模型描述了气体辅助注射成型时气体的穿透过程。采用有限元／有限差分／控制体积法计算充填阶段的压力场、温度场,确定熔体前沿和气熔界面,并以实际产品为例分析工艺参数对气体辅助注射成型产品质量的影响。     

Gas-assisted powder injection molding: A study on the effect of processing variables on gas penetration

Parts of polypropylene and of a stainless steel powder feedstock were molded by means of gas-assisted injection molding in epoxy cavities made by stereolithography. The design of the experiment method using the Taguchi L₉ array was implemented to test the effect of gas pressure, gas delay time, shot size and melt temperature on gas penetration depth and residual wall thickness. Simulations were conducted and compared with direct experimentation. Simulation predicted that the shot size was the only significant factor when processing polypropylene and the powder metal feedstock. The experiment showed that shot size and gas delay time were significant when processing polypropylene; and shot size, gas pressure, and melt temperature were significant factors when processing the powder metal feedstock. The residual wall thickness could not be controlled by the processing variables used in this study as the S/N ratios calculated were very small.     

Analysis and experimental study of gas penetration in a gas-assisted injection-molded spiral tube

Characteristics of gas penetration and polymer melt flow in gas-assisted injection molded spiral tubes was investigated by simulations and experiments. Distribution of the skin melt thickness along the gas flow direction was measured, and gas penetration in the primary and secondary stages was identified. An algorithm based on the control-volume/tiniteelement method combined with a particle-tracing scheme using a dual-filling-parameter technique is utilized to predict the advancements of both melt front and gas from during the molding process. The simulated distribution of gas penetration shows reasonably good coincidence with experimental observations. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

气体辅助注射成型过程的数值模拟技术

本文描述了气体辅助注射成型过程中熔体充填及气体穿入的数学模型，采用有限元／控制体积法计算充填阶段的压力场，确定两类移动边界，熔体前沿和熔体－气体边界。并对典型制件进行模拟验证了模型的可行性。对不同成型参数如熔体充填百分比及气道直径的影响进行了研究，结果表明熔体充填百分比不够，使气体吹入薄壁，较高的充填比又会阻止气体进入气道；较大直径的气道较小直径的气体不易进入薄壁处。     

气体辅助注射成型充填过程的数值模拟

描述了气体辅助注射成型的工艺过程及熔体充填和气体穿入的数学模型,采用有限元/有限差分/控制体积法计算充填阶段的压力场和温度场,确定熔体前沿和熔体/气体界面两类移动边界,并对典型制件充模过程进行了模拟.     

Determination of the heat transfer coefficient from short‐shots studies and precise simulation of microinjection molding

The filling process of a micro‐cavity was analyzed by modeling the compressible filling stage by using pressure‐dependent viscosity and adjusted heat transfer coefficients. Experimental filling studies were carried out at the same time on an accurately controlled microinjection molding machine. On the basis of the relationship between the injection pressure and the filling degree, essential factors for the quality of the simulation can be identified. It can be shown that the flow behavior of the melt in a micro‐cavity with a high aspect ratio is extremely dependent on the melt compressibility in the injection cylinder. This phenomenon needs to be considered in the simulation to predict an accurate flow rate. The heat transfer coefficient between the melt and the mold wall that was determined by the reverse engineering varies significantly even during the filling stage. With increasing injection speed and increasing cavity thickness, the heat transfer coefficient decreases. It is believed that the level of the cavity pressure is responsible for the resulting heat transfer between the polymer and the mold. A pressure‐dependent model for the heat transfer coefficient would be able to significantly improve the quality of the process simulation. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers     

基于气体穿透效果数值模拟的气体辅助注射成型工艺优化

对气体辅助注射成型工艺进行分析，阐述了气体辅助注射成型的关键技术要求在分析熔料流动、气体穿透物理模型的基础上，探讨了气体辅助注射成型数值分析的实现原理运用MPI／Gas模块对一T型支架进行了气体辅助注射成型CAE分析，模拟不同工艺条件下的气体穿透效果，确定了合理的工艺参数。     

延迟时间对气辅注射成型气体穿透行为影响的数值模拟和实验研究

以一个具有气辅成型典型结构的塑料制品为研究对象,通过物理实验和全三维数值模拟结合的方法,研究了不同延迟时间时的气辅成型中气体穿透行为,对结果进行了分析和探讨。结果表明,延迟时间对气体穿透长度、气指尺度和残余壁厚等衡量气辅成型质量的关键参数有较大的影响。     

Simulations of primary and secondary gas penetration for a gas-assisted injection-molded thin part with gas channel

Numerical simulations and experimental studies concerning melt flow and primary as well as secondary gas penetration during the filling and the postfilling stages in gas-assisted injection molding of a thin plate with a semicircular gas channel design were conducted. Distribution of the skin melt thickness along the gas-penetration direction was measured to identify primary and secondary gas penetration. Melt and gas flow within the gas channel of a semicircular cross section is approximated by a model which uses a circular pipe of an equivalent hydraulic diameter superimposed on the thin part. An algorithm based on the control-volume/finite-element method combined with a dual-filling parameter technique suitable for the tracing of two-component flow-front advancements is utilized and numerically implemented to predict both melt- and gas-front advancements during the melt-filling and the gas-assisted filling processes. A flow model of the isotropic melt-shrinkage origin combined with a gapwise layer tracing algorithm was implemented to assist the prediction of secondary gas penetration and melt flow in the post-filling stage. Simulated results on the gas front locations at the end of both primary and secondary penetration phases show reasonably good coincidence with experimental observations. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:1553–1564, 1998