Injection Molding

2.810
T. Gutowski

D. Roylance 1
V-6 air intake manifold

Water control valve

Brass Vs injection mold
www.mnrubber.com
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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 m
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 18

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
◼ 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
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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
◼ Polymer production
◼ Compounding
◼ 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
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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
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For Hydraulics and Hybrids as throughput
increases, SEC → 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
◼ Molding and Casting pp 584 -610

Boothroyd Dewhurst
◼ 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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