Injection Molding

2.810 Fall 2002

Professor Tim Gutowski
Short history of plastics
1862 first synthetic plastic
1866 Celluloid
1891 Rayon
1907 Bakelite
1913 Cellophane
1926 PVC
1933 Polyethylene
1938 Teflon
1939 Nylon stockings
1957 velcro
1967 The Graduate
Outline
Basic operation
Cycle time and heat transfer
Flow and solidification
Part design
Tooling
New developments
Environment

Readings
Tadmore and Gogos
Molding and Casting pp584 -610
Boothroyd Dewhurst
Design for Injection Molding pp 319 - 359
Kalpakjian see Ch 18
Injection molding case study;Washing machine
augers; see on web page

30 ton, 1.5 oz (45 cm3) Engel
Injection Molding Machine
for wheel fabrication
Process & machine schematics
*
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_process.htm
*
Schematic of thermoplastic Injection molding machine
Process Operation
Temperature: barrel zones, tool, die zone
Pressures: injection max, hold
Times: injection, hold, tool opening
Shot size: screw travel
Flash
Melt
Thermal
degradation
Short-
shot
Temp.
Pressure
Processing window
Typical pressure/temperature cycle
( )
polymers for sec 10
thickness half
3 3
2
cm
t
cool

=
=
o
o
Time(sec)
Cooling time generally dominates cycle time
Time(sec)
* Source: http://islnotes.cps.msu.edu/trp/inj/inj_time.html
*
*
Calculate clamp force, & shot size
F=P X A = 420 tons
3.8 lbs = 2245 cm
3
=75 oz
Actual ; 2 cavity 800 ton
Clamp force and machine cost
Heat transfer Note; o
Tool
> o
polymer

y x
x
q
y x T c
t
x
p
A A
c
c
= A A
c
c
) (
) ( ) ' ( kind 3rd
constant ) ' ( kind 2nd
constant ) ' ( kind 1st

= =
c
c

= =
c
c

= =
T T h x x
x
T
k
x x
x
T
k
x x T Boundary Conditions:
1-dimensional heat conduction equation :
The boundary condition of 1
st
kind applies to injection molding since the
tool is often maintained at a constant temperature

x
T
k q
x
c
c
=
q
x
q
x
+ Aq
x

2
2
2
2
or
x
T
t
T
x
T
k
t
T
c
p
c
c
=
c
c
c
c
=
c
c
o
Fouriers law
Heat transfer
T
W

T
ii

t
x
+L -L
Let L
ch
= H/2 (half thickness) = L ; t
ch
= L
2
/o ;
AT
ch
= T
i
T
W
(initial temp. wall temp.)
Non-dimensionalize:
2
; 1 ;
L
t
F
L
x
T T
T T
O
W i
W

= + =

=
o
u
2
2

u u
c
c
=
c
c
O
F
Dimensionless equation:
Initial condition 1 0 = = u
O
F
Boundary condition
0 2
0 0
= =
= =
u
u
Separation of variables ;
matching B.C.; matching I.C.

= ) ( ) ( ) , ( u g F f F
O O
Centerline, u = 0.1, F
o
= ot/L
2
= 1
Temperature in a slab
Bi
-1
=k/hL
Reynolds Number
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_process.htm

VL
L
V
L
V
= =
s viscou
inertia
Re
2
2
Reynolds Number:
For typical injection molding
2 3
1
3 2 4 3 3
10 ;
1
10
time Fill
length Part
ess thickn 10 ; 10 1
m s N
s
V
m L s m N cm g
Z
= = ~
= = =

4
10 Re

=
For Die casting
300
10
10 10 10 3
Re
3
3 1 3
=

~

Viscous Shearing of Fluids
v
F
h
h
v
A
F

F/A
v/h
1

Newtonian Viscosity
h
v
t =
Generalization: t

=
) ( q

Injection molding
rate shear :
Typical shear rate for
Polymer processes (sec)
-1


Extrusion 10
2
~10
3

Calendering 10~10
2

Injection molding 10
3
~10
4

Comp. Molding 1~10
Shear Thinning
~ 1 sec
-1
for PE
Viscous Heating
Rate of Heating
= Rate of Viscous Work
2
|
.
|

\
|
= =

=
h
v
h
v
A
F
Vol
v F
Vol
P

Rate of Temperature rise

2 2
or
|
.
|

\
|

=
|
.
|

\
|
=
h
v
c dt
dT
h
v
dt
dT
c
p
p

Rate of Conduction out
2 2
2
~
h
T
c
k
dx
T d
c
k
dt
dT
p p
A

=

T k
v
A
=
2
Conduction
heating Viscous
Brinkman number
For injection molding, order of magnitude ~ 0.1 to 10
Non-Isothermal Flow
v
Flow rate: 1/t ~V/L
x

Heat transfer rate: 1/t ~a/(L
z
/2)
2

x
z z
x
z
L
L VL
L
L V
=

o o 4
1
4
~
rate Heat xfer
rate Flow
2
For injection molding
5 . 2
10
1 . 0
/ 10
1 . 0 / 10
4
1
~
rate Heat xfer
rate Flow
2 3
=

cm
cm
s cm
cm s cm
For Die casting of aluminum
2
2
10
10
1 . 0
/ 3 . 0
1 . 0 / 10
4
1
~
rate Heat xfer
rate Flow

cm
cm
s cm
cm s cm
* Very small, therefore it requires thick runners
Small value
=> Short shot
Injection mold die cast mold
Fountain Flow
* Source: http://islnotes.cps.msu.edu/trp/inj/flw_froz.html ; ** Z. Tadmore and C. Gogos, Principles of Polymer Processing
*
**
Shrinkage distributions
* Source: G. Menges and W. Wubken, Influence of processing conditions on Molecular Orientation in Injection Molds
V=3.5cm/s
V=8cm/s
sample
Transverse direction
Gate Location and Warping
Center gate: radial flow severe distortion
Diagonal gate: radial flow twisting End gates: linear flow minimum warping
Gate
Air entrapment
Edge gate: warp free, air entrapment
Sprue
2.0
2.0
60
Before shrinkage
60.32
1.96
1.976
After shrinkage
Shrinkage
Direction of flow 0.020 in/in
Perpendicular to flow 0.012
Effects of mold temperature and
pressure on shrinkage
0.030
0.000
0.010
0.005
0.015
0.020
0.025
100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240
Mold Temperature (F)
LDPE PP
Nylon 6/6
PMMA
Acetal
S
h
r
i
n
k
a
g
e

0.030
0.000
0.010
0.005
0.015
0.020
0.025
S
h
r
i
n
k
a
g
e

6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Pressure on injection plunger (psi)
Acetal
LDPE
Nylon
6/6
PP with
flow
18000
PP across
flow
PMMA
Where would you gate this part?
Weld line, Sink mark
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_design_7.htm
Weld line
Mold Filling
Gate
Solidified part
Sink mark
Basic rules in designing ribs
to minimize sink marks
Injection Molding
*
*
* Source: http://www.idsa-mp.org/proc/plastic/injection/injection_design_2.htm
Where is injection
molding?
AL
total
= AL
mold
+ AL
shrinkage
Effects of mold temperature and
pressure on shrinkage
0.030
0.000
0.010
0.005
0.015
0.020
0.025
S
h
r
i
n
k
a
g
e

6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
Pressure on injection plunger (psi)
Acetal
LDPE
Nylon
6/6
PP with
flow
18000
PP across
flow
PMMA
Tooling Basics
Cavity Plate
Cavity
Moulding
Core
Core Plate
Basic mould consisting of cavity and core plate
Runner
Cavity
Gate
Nozzle
Sprue
Melt Delivery
Part
Cavity
Core
Stripper plate
Tooling for a plastic cup
Runner
Knob
Nozzle
Tooling for a plastic cup
Runner
Part
Cavity
Nozzle
Part
Cavity
Knob
Stripper
plate
Runner
Part
Cavity
Nozzle
Tooling
* 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.)
*
*
*
*
*
* **
Part design rules
Simple shapes to reduce tooling cost
No undercuts, etc.
Draft angle to remove part
In some cases, small angles (1/4) will do
Problem for gears
Even wall thickness
Minimum wall thickness ~ 0.025 in
Avoid sharp corners
Hide weld lines
Holes may be molded 2/3 of the way through the
wall only, with final drilling to eliminate weld lines
New developments- Gas
assisted injection molding
New developments ; injection
molding with cores
Cores and Part Molded in Clear Plastic
Cores used in Injection Molding
Injection Molded Housing shown in class
Environmental issues
Petroleum and refining
Primary processing
Out gassing & energy during processing
End of life

Environmental loads by
manufacturing sector
Carbon Dioxide and Toxic Materials per Value of Shipments
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
4.5
5
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M
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E
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T
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Manufacturing industries
W
e
i
g
h
t
/
D
o
l
l
a
r
s
CO2 (metric ton/$10,000)
Toxic Mat'ls (lb/$1000)
EPA 2001, DOE 2001
The estimated environmental performance of various
mfg processes (not including auxiliary requirements)
*Energy per wt. normalized
by the melt energy
** total raw matl normalized
by the part wt.
The printer goes in the hopper
And comes out.
The problem with plastics is
Or remanufacture.
Summary
Basic operation
Cycle time and heat transfer
Flow and solidification
Part design
Tooling
New developments
Environment