a) Determine the most common type of polymer used to produce this part and explain why

such polymer is used.

The most common type of polymer used to produce this part is polycarbonate, which has
high impact resistance, relatively good temperature resistance, and its also extremely flexible.
From the research done, polycarbonate can be as much as 300 times stronger than average
plastic. Polycarbonate is one of those strange "premium materials" because it's not always
apparent by sight and touch that it is higher quality. With glass and metal, we know automatically
that we're dealing with premium materials. But, polycarbonate can look and feel just like regular
plastic, even though it is far stronger and more durable. Polycarbonates are also a transparent
engineering thermoplastics that can maintain rigidity up to 140C and toughness down to -20C
or special grades even lower. The material is amorphous (thereby displaying excellent
mechanical properties and high dimensional stability), is thermally resistant up to 135C and
rated as slow burning. Unlike most thermoplastics, polycarbonate can undergo large plastic
deformations without cracking or breaking. As a result, it can be processed and formed at room
temperature using sheet metal techniques, such as bending on a brake. Even for sharp angle
bends with a tight radius, heating may not be necessary. This makes it valuable in prototyping
applications where transparent or electrically non-conductive parts are needed, which cannot be
made from sheet metal. As the market becomes squeezed by decreasing profit margins, the low
price of polycarbonate relative to glass or metal is also a significant advantage that can't be
overlooked. Many polycarbonate phone manufacturers also offer additives or optional coatings
to prevent scratching or degradation from UV ray exposure. Despite the durability of
polycarbonate, its a light-weight material that wont weigh down your pocket or purse.

b) Explain the sequence of operations in producing this part.

The plastic injection moulding process produces large numbers of parts of high quality with great
accuracy, very quickly. Plastic material which is polycarbonate in the form of granules is melted
until soft enough to be injected under pressure to fill a mould. The result is that the shape is
exactly copied. Once the plastic moulding has cooled sufficiently to harden the mould opens
releasing the part. The whole injection moulding process then repeats.

1. Clamping - Prior to the injection of the material into the mold, the two halves of the mold
must first be securely closed by the clamping unit. Each half of the mold is attached to the
injection molding machine and one half is allowed to slide. The hydraulically powered
clamping unit pushes the mold halves together and exerts sufficient force to keep the mold
securely closed while the material is injected. The time required to close and clamp the mold
is dependent upon the machine - larger machines (those with greater clamping forces) will
require more time. This time can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine.

2. Injection - The raw plastic material, usually in the form of pellets, is fed into the injection
molding machine, and advanced towards the mold by the injection unit. During this process,
the material is melted by heat and pressure. The molten plastic is then injected into the mold
very quickly and the buildup of pressure packs and holds the material. The amount of
material that is injected is referred to as the shot. The injection time is difficult to calculate
accurately due to the complex and changing flow of the molten plastic into the mold.
However, the injection time can be estimated by the shot volume, injection pressure, and
injection power.

3. Dwelling - after the molten plastic has been injected into the mould pressure is applied to
ensure all cavities are filled.

4. Cooling - The molten plastic that is inside the mold begins to cool as soon as it makes
contact with the interior mold surfaces. As the plastic cools, it will solidify into the shape of
the desired part. However, during cooling some shrinkage of the part may occur. The packing
of material in the injection stage allows additional material to flow into the mold and reduce
the amount of visible shrinkage. The mold cannot be opened until the required cooling time
has elapsed. The cooling time can be estimated from several thermodynamic properties of the
plastic and the maximum wall thickness of the part.

5. Opening - the moving platen moves away from the fixed platen (see next section) separating
the mould tool.

6. Ejection - After sufficient time has passed, the cooled part may be ejected from the mold by
the ejection system, which is attached to the rear half of the mold. When the mold is opened,
a mechanism is used to push the part out of the mold. Force must be applied to eject the part
because during cooling the part shrinks and adheres to the mold. In order to facilitate the
ejection of the part, a mold release agent can be sprayed onto the surfaces of the mold cavity
prior to injection of the material. The time that is required to open the mold and eject the part
can be estimated from the dry cycle time of the machine and should include time for the part
to fall free of the mold. Once the part is ejected, the mold can be clamped shut for the next
shot to be injected..

c) Discuss the common defects that might be occurred for this part, the cause of the defects
and how to prevent the defects from occurring.

Flash

Normal

Flash

Charactaristic - Excess molding material that penetrates into

mold gaps (i.e., between parting faces, slide push-out faces, and
inserts, etc.) in a molten state.

Causes

Molding Machine
Conditions
Insufficient mold

clamping pressure in the

molding machine
Aging of the die

CounterIf there is
measures
insufficient
clamping pressure,

Die Conditions

Material
Conditions
Plastic has
low viscosity

Insufficient

mold clamping
pressure
Insufficient
precision at the
die's mating faces
The molded
product is
arranged in a
cantilever-type
setup as a result
of die design
If the problem is
Switch to a
related to the
suitable molding
plastic's viscosity,
machine.

estimate the correct

pressure using the
following equation
and choose an
appropriate
molding machine.

If the
problem is related
to mating faces, a
joint examination
must be carried
out with the die
machining
company.

either lower the

temperature of the
plastic or switch to
a grade with higher
flowability.

Die clamping
pressure =
Projected surface
area x die-internal
effective injection
pressure / 1,000 kg
In the case of ABS,
a rough value for
400 kg/cm2 can be
used in this
calculation for the
die-internal
effective injection
pressure

Flow Marks
The term "flow mark" is used to describe the phenomenon where a striped pattern is
formed around the gates when plastic has flowed through the die.

Characteristic
Cause

Uneven luster in locations where the material thickness

varies.

Immediately after molten plastic has passed through a

change in die thickness, factors such as the flow speed,
cooling speed, and pressure applied to the die surface
will change, and luster differs as a result of this.
Countermeasures
Raise the die temperature

Increase the speed of the injection flow

Raise the runners and gates

Review the shaped of the molded component and round

off corners on steps between areas of different thickness so
that smoother flow may be realized.

Warping or Twisting
The permanent bending of a part that occurs when certain section of the part shrink faster
than others, as result of a non-uniform cooling rate.

Cause(1)
Molded
componen
t shape

Cause(2)
Die

Cause(3)
Molding
machine
and
accessorie
s
Cause(4)
Molding
conditions

Distribution of wall thickness: Areas with non-uniform

distribution are included.
Insufficient structural stiffness: The structural stiffness of ribs
and the like is insufficient. Ribs can actually contribute to warping,
and therefore, a detailed examination of thickness and height
factors must be undertaken.
Cooling circuit: Die temperature distribution is non-uniform,
the cooling circuit is too long (i.e., large temperature difference
between in and out points), control is inadequate, or the cooling
method is not suitable.
Die material : Low thermal conductivity (i.e., low cooling
efficiency)
Gate and runner: Non-uniform distribution of pressure in the
dwelling process due to an insufficient number of gates or poor
positioning.
Push-out mechanism: Poor push-out balance or excessive
ejection load with respect to the pin surface area.
Parting: Insufficient polishing in the core extraction direction,
inadequate extraction angle.
Insufficient die clamping force : Inability to setup suitable
clamping conditions (i.e., pressure and time)
Die temperature regulator: Flow volume of cooling agent is
insufficient (i.e., Reynolds number is not large enough for
turbulent flow), insufficient performance in terms of die thermal
capacity.
Resin temperature: Pressure transmissibility drops when the
viscosity is high; consequently, uniformity in the degree of
shrinkage is not possible in the dwelling process.
Die temperature: When excessively low, the viscosity
increases and the pressure transmissibility drops; consequently,
uniformity in the degree of shrinkage is not possible in the
dwelling process. Crystallization (or solidification) takes place
before directional or stress relaxation can take place, and
anisotropic residual stress remain.
Injection pressure : Either too high or low (i.e., flow length in
excess of the plastic's flow characteristic)
Dwelling pressure : Either too high or low (Over-packing in
the vicinity of the gates, or back-flow as a result of poor gate
sealing)

Dwelling time : Either too long or short (Over-packing in the

vicinity of the gates, or back-flow as a result of poor gate sealing)
Cooling time : Too short (dependence of material strength on
temperature)

Sink Mark
Sink marks or shrink marks are hollows or indentations that occur on the outer surfaces
of molded components.

Product

Factor
Material
thickness

Gate position
and method
Molding
Resin
conditions
temperature
/
Die temperature
Molding
Injection speed
machine
VP switching
performance Dwelling
pressure
Dwelling time
Back pressure
Screw speed
Amount of
cushioning

Die

Measurement
Die clamping
pressure
Nozzle holes
Sprues
Runners
Gates
Cooling circuit

Cause
Thick or uneven
(thin)
Inadequate (design
restrictions)
High (or low)

Countermeasure
Removal of material,
standardizing thickness,
thickening
Addition of gates,
modification of method
Reduce (or increase)

High (or low)

High (or low)
Fast
Low

Reduce (or increase)

Reduce (or increase)
Slower position
Increase

Short
Low (measurement
disparity)
Temperature
increase due to
rotation
Insufficient,
disparity
Mechanical backflow
Insufficient
Insufficient
(presence of flash)
Small cross section
Small cross section
Small cross section
Small cross section
Insufficient
(temperature
disparity)
Unsuitable method
(i.e., efficiency)
Small flow

Lengthen
Increase
Reduce
Increase (excess is
unacceptable)
Replace with normal
component
Increase
Increase
Increase
Increase
Increase
Increase
Increase, standardize
Change method
Improve efficiency

Die material

volume / high
pressure loss
Insufficient cooling
ability

Usage of material with

good thermal conductivity