Real‐time diagnosis of co‐injection molding using ultrasound

Co‐injection molding, also known as sandwich molding, is a process in which two or more polymers are laminated together in a mold cavity. Integrated ultrasonic sensors embedded into a mold insert of a co‐injection‐molding machine have been used for real‐time, nonintrusive, and nondestructive diagnosis of co‐injection‐molding processes. Diagnosis of core arrival, core flow speed, part solidification, part detachment from the mold, thickness of skin and core, and core length at the mold was demonstrated. It is found that core flow speed and peak cavity pressure monotonically increased and decreased with the core volume percentage, respectively. Thicknesses of the skin and core of the molded part were estimated using the presented ultrasonic technique during molding with an accuracy better than ±17%. In addition, the core length had correlation with core thickness, core flow speed, and peak cavity pressure. Among them, the core thickness measured by the ultrasonic technique had the better correlation. This technique enables process optimization, the maximum process efficiency, and in‐process quality assurance of the molded parts. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:1491–1500, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Real‐time ultrasonic monitoring of the injection‐molding process

In this study, a noninvasive and nondestructive ultrasonic technique has been used to monitor the polymer injection‐molding process in an attempt to establish a fundamental understanding of the processing/morphology/ultrasonic signal relationships. The ultrasonic technique not only can provide information on solidification affected by various temperatures and pressures but also can reflect the evolution of the crystal morphology and phase morphology of polymer blends. In addition, the periodic vibration of the dynamic‐packing injection‐molding process, in which the melt is forced to move repeatedly in a chamber by two pistons that move reversibly with the same frequency as the solidification progressively occurs from the mold wall to the molding core part, can also be monitored with the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation. Our results indicate that the ultrasonic technique is sensitive and promising for the real‐time monitoring of the injection‐molding process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Numerical Simulation for Effects of Injection Mold Cooling on Warpage and Residual Stresses

Abstract

The dimensions quality of the injection‐molded parts is the result of a complex combination of material, part, and mold designs and process conditions. In this article, warpage prediction relies on the calculation of residual stresses developed during the molding process. The solidification of a molten thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part warp in the injection‐molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The warp and residual stresses numerical simulation with finite element method (FEM) is time dependent. At each time step, the material properties can be temperature and pressure dependent. Mold temperature or mold‐cooling rate effects on part warp have been numerically predicted and compared with experimental results. By showing the mold‐cooling effects, it was concluded that mold cooling has a significant effect on part warpage, and mold‐cooling parameters, such as mold temperature, resin temperature, cooling channels, etc., should be set carefully.     

Experimental study on the dynamics of thermoforming of polystyrene

An experimental study of the dynamics of thermoforming a high-impact polystyrene sheet was undertaken to evaluate the effect of evacuation rate and temperature on the rate of sheet deformation and the wall thickness distribution of the molded part. The studies were conducted using an instrumented cylindrical mold having an adjustable bottom insert to vary the depth of draw. The evaculation rate was varied by introducing a flow restriction in the form of an orifice plate in the base of the mold. The deformation rate of the sheet was determined by means of fiber-optic infrared detectors located at various depths within the mold. Mold contact sensors also provided information with regard to the deformation process after contact with the mold surface had been achieved. The evaluation characteristics were monitored by a pressure transducer. A three-level, two-variable factorial design was conducted to provide information of the influence of the principal operating conditions and their interactions on the measured response variables. Reliable predictive expressions were derived for the minimum pressure, time to reach minimum pressure, overall forming time, and wall thickness near the lip of the mold. The wall thickness at other locations around the periphery of the mold contour was found to be relatively insensitive to the rate of evacuation and material temperature.     

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.     

Real‐time monitoring of injection molding for microfluidic devices using ultrasound

Real‐time process monitoring of the fabrication process of microfluidic devices using a polymer injection molding machine was carried out using miniature ultrasonic probes. A thick piezoelectric lead‐zirconate‐titanate film as an ultrasonic transducer (UT) was fabricated onto one end of a 4‐mm diameter and 12‐mm long steel buffer rods using a sol gel spray technique. The center frequency and 6 dB bandwidth of this UT were 17 MHz and 14 MHz, respectively. A signal‐to‐noise ratio of more than 30 dB for ultrasonic signals reflected at the probing end was achieved. The probe can operate continuously at 200°C without ultrasonic couplant and cooling. Clear ultrasonic signals were obtained during injection molding of a 1‐mm‐thick part having test patterns on its surface. Shrinkage of the molded part and part detachment from the mold were successfully monitored. Surface imperfections of the molded parts due to a lack of the sufficient holding pressure is discussed with regard to the ultrasonic velocity obtained. The presented ultrasonic probes and technique enable on‐line quality control of the molded part by optimizing the holding pressure and improvement of process efficiency by reducing the cycle time. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 45:606–612, 2005. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers     

On‐line measurement of polymer orientation using ultrasonic technology

The propagation velocity of an ultrasonic shear wave can be used to detect anisotropic behavior in the mechanical properties of a solid. Thus, an ultrasonic shear transducer imbedded in an injection mold produces a signal that is sensitive to polymer orientation. This results in a non‐invasive, on‐line technique for monitoring the orientation of polymer in an injection mold cavity during part cooling and solidification. The technique is shown to be quite sensitive for semicrystalline polymers, but much less effective for amorphous polymers. Sensor results are compared to mechanical tests.     

Solidification of thermoviscoelastic melts. Part 4: Effects of boundary conditions on shrinkage and residual stresses

The solidification of a molten layer of amorphous thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part shrinkage and the buildup of residual stresses in the injection-molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The model allows material to be added to fill the space created by the pressure applied during solidification, so that this model can be used to assess packing-pressure effects in injection molding. The interactions between the mold surfaces and the solidifying material are accounted for by modeling different types of constraints through different model boundary conditions. For several sets of boundary conditions, parametric results are presented on the effects of the packing pressure—the pressure applied during solidification to counteract the effects of volumetric shrinkage of the thermoplastic—on the in-plane and through-thickness shrinkages, and on residual stresses in plaque-like geometries. Plaques that can shrink in the in-plane direction while in the mold are shown to shrink more and to have higher residual stresses than plaques that are fully constrained while in the mold. Although the results are presented in terms of normalized variables based on the properties of bisphenol-A polycarbonate, they can be interpreted for other amorphous thermoplastics such as modified polyphenylene oxide, polyetherimide, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.     

Optimization of filling process in RTM using a genetic algorithm and experimental design method

In the resin transfer molding (RTM) process, preplaced fiber mat is set up in a mold and thermoset resin is injected into the mold. An important issue in RTM processing is minimizing the cycle time without sacrificing part quality or increasing the cost. In this study, a numerical simulation and optimization process for the filling stage was conducted in order to determine the optimum gate locations. The control volume finite element method (CVFEM), modeled as a 2‐dimensional flow, was used in this numerical analysis along with the coordinate transformation method to analyze a complex 3‐dimensional structure. Experiments were performed to monitor the flow front to validate the simulation results. The results of the numerical simulation corresponded with that of the experimental quite well for every single, simultaneous, and sequential injection procedure. The optimization analysis of the sequential injection procedure was performed to minimize fill time. The complex geometry of an automobile bumper core was chosen. A genetic algorithm was used to determine the optimum gate locations in the 3‐step sequential injection case. Taguchi's experimental design method was also used for determining the pressure contribution of each gate. These results could provide the information on the optimum gate locations and injection pressure in each injection step and predict the filling time and flow front.     

Solidification of thermoviscoelastic melts. Part 3: Effects of mold surface temperature differences on warpage and residual stresses

The solidification of a molten layer of amorphous thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part warpage in the injection-molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The model allows material to be added to fill the space created by the pressure applied during solidification so that this model can be used to assess packing-pressure effects in injection molding. Parametric results are presented on the effects of the mold temperatures and the packing pressure—the pressure applied during solidification to counteract the effects of volumetric shrinkage of the thermoplastic—on the in-plane and through-thickness shrinkages, on warpage, and on residual stresses in plaque-like geometries. The packing pressure is shown to have a significant effect on part warpage. While the results are presented in terms of normalized variables based on the properties of bisphenol-A polycarbonate, they can be interpreted for other amorphous thermoplastics, such as modified polyphenylene oxide, polyetherimide, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.     

Real‐time diagnosing polymer processing in injection molding using ultrasound

Ultrasonic diagnosing technique with a new high‐temperature ultrasonic transducer is developed to real‐time diagnose polymer processing and its morphology changes in injection molding processing. Compared with the previous researches, the new technique can provide more and accurate information. In this study, ultrasound diagnosis shows that longitudinal wave can real‐time characterize the data of the injection process and polymer morphology changes, including melt flow arrival time, the part ejection time, filling and packing stages, polymer solidification process, and the morphology changes during polymer crystallization. Shear waves can real‐time diagnose Young's and shear storage modulus, anisotropy property of polymer in injection molding. During our research, real‐time ultrasonic diagnosis shows that the storage modulus along the vertical direction is larger than that of the parallel to the melt flow direction under our setup injection conditions. Scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis measurements present that it is because the crystalline lamellas of HDPE are parallel arrangement and grow in a vertical to melt flow direction owing to injection shear force under a certain injection conditions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Injection mold flashing of liquid crystalline polymers

Thermotropic polyesters, such as Vectra (Hoechst Celanese), have excellent moldability for intricate parts that require high precision of form, such as electronic connectors. Two apparently contradictory aspects of molding behavior contribute to the moldability. On the one hand, the low viscosity of the liquid crystalline polymer (LCP) at high shear rates favors ease of filling molds that contain long, thin paths. On the other, parts molded from LCP have little or no flash to interfere with the functioning of the parts. There has apparently been little work on the rheological aspects of flash formation. An approximate analysis is made by considering that the flash is the result of melt being extruded from the mold cavity into a slit at the mold parting line. The driving force for the extrusion is the injection pressure. The flow is assumed to be isothermal until solidification occurs, at a time that depends on the thickness of the slit, on the thermal diffusivity of the melt, the melt and mold temperatures, and on the solidification temperature of the material. The viscosity is assumed to have power-law dependence on shear rate. It is found that when the aspect ratio (length to thickness) of the flash is small, its length is strongly dependent on the magnitude of the pressure drop at the contraction from the cavity to the slit. At the minimum pressure required to fill a mold, the flash length is predicted to be independent of the rheological and thermal properties of the melt, except for the power-law exponent. Differences in end correction can, however, account for different tendencies to flash at equal moldability. Comparison of the model with Richardson's analysis of freezing in a cavity suggests a correlation of the thermal properties of the melt with his parameter c, which is related to mold filling ability. Tests of the model and possible refinements are suggested.     

Solidification of thermoviscoelastic melts. Part II: Effects of processing conditions on shrinkage and residual stresses

The solidification of a molten layer of thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part shrinkage and the buildup of residual stresses in the injection-molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The model allows material to be added to fill the space created by the pressure applied during solidification, so that this model can be used to assess packing-pressure effects in injection molding. Parametric results are presented on the effects of the mold and melt temperatures, the part thickness, and the packing pressure—the pressure applied during solidification to counteract the effects of volumetric shrinkage of the thermoplastic—on the in-plane and through-thickness shrinkages, and on residual stresses in plaque-like geometries. The packing pressure is shown to have a significant effect on part shrinkage, but a smaller effect on residual stresses. Packing pressure applied later in the solidification cycle has a larger effect. Mold and melt temperatures are shown to have a much smaller effect. The processing parameters appear to affect the through-thickness shrinkage more than the in-plane shrinkage. While the results are presented in terms of normalized variables based on the properties of bisphenol-A polycarbonate, they can be interpreted for other amorphous thermoplastics such as modified polyphenylene oxide, polyetherimide, and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene.     

Estimates for material shrinkage in molded parts caused by time‐varying cavity pressures

The phenomenology of shrinkage is established through injection molding experiments in which shrinkage was measured at 25‐mm intervals along the length and width of rectangular plaques, molded in an instrumented mold. A simple solidification model, which assumes the solidified material to be elastic, is developed for the effect of time‐varying temperature and pressure histories on part shrinkage. This model predicts a linear dependence of shrinkage on an “effective pressure,” which combines the thermal diffusivity of the material, the wall thickness, and the time‐varying cavity pressure into a single parameter that is uniquely related to the shrinkage. The effective pressure is shown to effectively correlate in‐plane shrinkage data. The solidification model characterizes two material parameters, which can be estimated from the pressure‐volume‐temperature (PVT) diagram for the material, that describe the sensitivity of the shrinkage to the local cavity pressure history. The residual stresses predicted by this model are rather crude. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:1648–1656 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers     

面罩镜片注塑制品及工艺条件对比优化设计

本文针对一面罩镜片缶以及注射机的工艺条件进行了优化对比设计，通过定注射机，工艺条件下，对比不同种类性能相似的材料找出最适合注塑材料；定材料，工艺条件下，对比不同锁模力注射机找出最适宜注射机，利用“可行注射工艺窗”找出最小制品厚度，利用“优化注射工艺窗”设计较佳的注射温度和注射压力，通过优化冷却条件制定冷却时间和适宜模具温度，并由材料ＰＶＴ关系设计合理浇口尺寸，保压压力和保压时间等工艺参数。     

Injection molding quality control by integrating weight feedback into a cascade closed‐loop control system

Quality control plays a crucial role in injection molding control to meet stringent tolerance requirements and to facilitate automation. Previous work has tackled this challenging subject mainly through consistent machine operations or process variable control. In this paper, a direct quality feedback control system has been proposed and developed. The system has a cascade structure and combines both feedback and feedforward controls. An important quality index, namely, part weight, is measured in each molding cycle. The difference between this measurement and a quality target is used to adjust the mold separation at the process level. The mold separation is controlled via both a cycle‐to‐cycle mass‐based switchover point and a within‐cycle holding pressure control. Molding experiments have been conducted using different mold geometries and resins. Compared with the cavity pressure based control system currently used in industry, the control system in this study results in a significant improvement of both long‐term and short‐term consistencies in part quality. In addition, this direct quality feedback control has other benefits, such as 100% quality inspection and automatic process tuning. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 47:852–862, 2007. © 2007 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Solidification of thermoviscoelastic melts. Part I: Formulation of model problem

The solidification of a molten layer of amorphous thermoplastic between cooled parallel plates is used to model the mechanics of part shrinkage and warpage and the buildup of residual stresses in the injection molding process. Flow effects are neglected, and a thermorheologically simple thermoviscoelastic material model is assumed. The equilibrium thermomechanical properties of the material and the shift function can be temperature- and pressure-dependent. The model allows material to be added to fill the space created by the packing pressure applied during solidification; therefore, this model can be used to assess packing-pressure effects in injection molding. The model also accounts for freeze-off effects in which the cavity pressure is controlled by the solidification process and must therefore be determined as a part of the solution.     

Development of resin transfer molding process using scaling down strategy

The virtually developed resin transfer molding (RTM) manufacturing process for the large and complex composite part can be validated easily with the trial experiments on the scaled down mold. The scaling down strategy was developed using Darcy's law from the comparisons of mold fill time and mold fill pattern between full‐scale product and scaled down prototype. From the analysis, it was found that the injection pressure used in the scaled down mold should be the full‐scale injection pressure by the times of square of geometrical scale down factor, provided the identical injection strategy and raw material parameters were applied on both the scales. In this work, the RTM process was developed using process simulations for a large and complex high‐speed train cab front and it was validated by conducting experiments using a geometrically scaled down mold. The injection pressure as per the scaling down strategy was imposed on the scale downed high‐speed train cab front mold and a very close agreement was observed between the flow fronts of experimental and simulated results, which validates the scaling down strategy and the virtually developed RTM process for the full‐scale product. POLYM. COMPOS., 35:1683–1689, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers