Injection Molding
2.810
T. Gutowski
D. Roylance 1
V-6 air intake manifold
Water control valve
Brass Vs injection mold
www.mnrubber.com
2
Short history of plastics
1866 Celluloid
1891 Rayon
1907 Bakelite
1913 Cellophane
1926 PVC
1933 Polyethylene
1938 Teflon
1939 Nylon stockings
1957 velcro
1967 “The Graduate”
1970 Earth Day recycling
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Ref Kalpakjian and Schmid McCrum, Buckley, Bucknall 4
Outline
Basic operation
Cycle time and heat transfer
Flow and solidification
Part design
Tooling
New developments
Environment
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30 ton, 1.5 fl oz (45 cm3) Engel
Injection Molding Machine
for wheel fabrication
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Process & machine schematics
*
Schematic of thermoplastic Injection molding machine
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_process.htm 7
Process Operation
Temperature: barrel zones, tool, die zone
Pressures: injection max, hold
Times: injection, hold, tool opening
Shot size: screw travel
Processing window
Temp. Thermal
degradation
Flash
Short-
shot
Melt
Pressure 8
Typical pressure/temperature cycle
*
*
Time(sec) Time(sec)
Cooling time generally dominates cycle time
* Source: http://islnotes.cps.msu.edu/trp/inj/inj_time.html 9
Calculate clamp force, & shot size
F=P X A = 420 tons
3.8 lbs = 2245 cm3
=75 oz
Actual ; 2 cavity 800 ton
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Clamp force and machine cost
Boothroyd/Busch
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Heat transfer Note; aTool > apolymer
1-dimensional heat conduction equation :
qx qx + Dqx
Fourier’s law
Boundary Conditions:
The boundary condition of 1st kind applies to injection molding since the
tool is often maintained at a constant temperature
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Heat transfer
Tii Let Lch = H/2 (half thickness) = L ; tch = L2/a ;
t DTch = Ti – TW (initial temp. – wall temp.)
TW
Non-dimensionalize:
x
-L +L
Dimensionless equation:
Initial condition
Boundary condition
Separation of variables ;
matching B.C.; matching I.C.
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Temperature in a slab
Centerline, q = 0.1, Fo = at/L2 = 1
See Heat Transfer Text
By Lienhard on line Bi-1 =k/hL
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Reynolds Number
Reynolds Number:
For typical injection molding
For Die casting
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_process.htm
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Viscous Shearing of Fluids
F F/A
v
h µ
1
v/h
Newtonian Viscosity
Generalization:
Typical shear rate for
Injection molding Polymer processes (sec)-1
Extrusion 102~103
Calendering 10~102
“Shear Thinning” Injection molding 103~104
Comp. Molding 1~10
~ 1 sec-1 for PE 16
Viscous Heating
Rate of Heating
= Rate of Viscous Work
Rate of Temperature rise
Rate of Conduction out
Brinkman number
For injection molding, order of magnitude ~ 0.1 to 10
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Non-Isothermal Flow
Péclet No.
Flow rate: 1/t ~V/Lx
v
Heat transfer rate: 1/t ~a/(Lz/2)2
Small value
=> Short shot
For injection molding
For Die casting of aluminum
* Very small, therefore it requires thick runners
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Non-Isothermal Flow
Péclet No.
Flow rate: 1/t ~V/Lx
v
Heat transfer rate: 1/t ~a/(Lz/2)2
Small value
=> Short shot
For injection molding
For Die casting of aluminum
Very small value for aluminum requires thicker runners 19
Injection mold die cast mold
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Fountain Flow
*
**
* Source: http://islnotes.cps.msu.edu/trp/inj/flw_froz.html ; ** Z. Tadmore and C. Gogos, “Principles of Polymer Processing”
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Shrinkage distributions
sample Transverse direction
V=3.5cm/s
V=8cm/s
* Source: G. Menges and W. Wubken, “Influence of processing conditions on Molecular Orientation in Injection Molds”
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Gate Location and Warping
Shrinkage
2.0 Direction of flow – 0.020 in/in
60° 1.96
Sprue
60.32°
Perpendicular to flow – 0.012
2.0 1.976
Before shrinkage After shrinkage
Air entrapment
Gate
Center gate: radial flow – severe distortion Edge gate: warp free, air entrapment
Diagonal gate: radial flow – twisting End gates: linear flow – minimum warping
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Effects of mold temperature and
pressure on shrinkage
0.030 0.030 LDPE
LDPE PP Acetal
0.025
Acetal 0.025 PP with
Shrinkage
flow
0.020
Nylon 6/6 0.020
Shrinkage
0.015 0.015
PP across
flow Nylon
6/6
0.010 0.010
0.005 0.005
PMMA
PMMA
0.000 0.000
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 6000 10000 14000 18000
8000 12000 16000
Mold Temperature (F)
Pressure on injection plunger (psi)
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Where would you gate this part?
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Design Features
*
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_design_2.htm 26
Weld line, Sink mark
Gate
Weld line
Mold Filling Solidified part
Sink mark
Basic rules in designing ribs
to minimize sink marks
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_design_7.htm 27
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Where is injection
molding?
Controlled by shrinkage
and warping. Hence,
polymer, fillers, mold
geometry and processing
conditions can all
influence the final
tolerance.
Shrinkage is of order
10-100/1000 for unfilled
and
1-10/1000 for filled across
the thickness
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Where is injection
molding?
Controlled by shrinkage
and warping. Hence,
polymer, fillers, mold
geometry and processing
conditions
From Boothroyd et al can all
influence the final
tolerance.
Shrinkage is of order
10-100/1000 for unfilled
and
1-10/1000 for filled across
the thickness
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Tooling Basics
Nozzle
Sprue
Cavity Plate Core Plate
Moulding
Core
Cavity
Cavity Basic mould consisting of cavity and core plate
Runner
Gate
Melt Delivery
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Tooling for a plastic cup
Nozzle
Knob
Runner
Cavity
Part
Stripper plate
Core
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Tooling for a plastic cup
Nozzle
Nozzle Knob
Runner
Runner
Cavity
Cavity Cavity
Part
Part Part
Stripper
plate
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Side pull
part
Side pull in position
Toy tooling example
from Protomold
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Tooling *
*
*
* **
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* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/; ** http://www.hzs.co.jp/english/products/e_trainer/mold/basic/basic.htm (E-trainer by HZS Co.,Ltd.)
Tooling Alternatives
Kalpakjian & Schmid
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Injection Molding Homework Undercut features to hold tape on
Evidence of tooling
feature
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Part design rules
Simple shapes to reduce tooling cost
n No undercuts, etc.
Draft angle to remove part
n In some cases, small angles (1/4°) will do
n Problem for gears
Even wall thickness
Minimum wall thickness ~ 0.025 in
Avoid sharp corners
Hide weld lines
n Holes may be molded 2/3 of the way through the
wall only, with final drilling to eliminate weld lines
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Novel development- Gas
assisted injection molding
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Novel development ; injection
molding with cores
Injection Molded Housing
Cores used in Injection Molding
Cores and
Part Molded in Clear Plastic
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Micro injection molding
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Conformal Cooling Channels
Tooling built using
Additive Manufacturing
Innomis.cz
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Environmental issues
Energy
n Polymer production
n Compounding
n Machine types
Recycling
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Polymer Production
Largest Player in the Injection Molding LCI
What is a polymer:
How much energy does it take to make 1 kg of polymer = a lot !!!
Values are in MJ per kg of polymer produced. Thiriez 45
‘06
Gold ~ 250 GJ/kg
Ashby 2009
46
Compounding - extrusion
An extruder is used to mix additives with a polymer base, to
bestow the polymer with the required characteristics.
Similar to an injection molding machine, but without a mold
and continuous production.
Thus it has a similar energy consumption profile.
Environmentally Unfriendly Additives:
•Fluorinated blowing agents (GHG’s)
•Phalates (some toxic to human
liver, kidney and testicles)
•Organotin stabilizers (toxic and
damage marine wildlife)
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Injection Molding Process
Source:
http://cache.husky.ca/pdf/br
ochures/br-hylectric03a.pdf
Machine types: Hydraulic, electric, hydro-electric
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All-electric vs. hybrid
Source: [Thiriez]
The hydraulic plot would be even higher than the hybrid curve
49
For Hydraulics and Hybrids as throughput
increases, SEC à k.
Does not account for the electric grid. Source: [Thiriez]
Enthalpy value to melt plastics is just 0.1 to 0.7 MJ/kg !!! 50
All-electrics have very low fixed energy costs (small
idling power). SEC is constant as throughput
increases.
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Source: [Thiriez]
Driers
Used to dry internal moisture in hygroscopic polymers and external
moisture in non-hygroscopic ones.
It is done before extruding and injection molding.
Source: [Thiriez]
Same as
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LCI Summarized Results
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Source: [Thiriez]
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Do Polymers get recycled?
Ref Ashby 2009
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The printer goes in the hopper…
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And comes out….
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Readings (first 3) & Refs
Tadmore and Gogos
n Molding and Casting pp 584 -610
Boothroyd Dewhurst
n Design for Injection Molding pp 319 - 359
Kalpakjian Ch 7 & 19
Thiriez et al, "An Environmental Analysis of Injection
Molding“
"Injection Molding Case Study“ (Gas Assist)
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