scholarly journals Adaptive Conformal Cooling of Injection Molds Using Additively Manufactured TPMS Structures

Polymers ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Seo-Hyeon Oh ◽  
Jong-Wook Ha ◽  
Keun Park
Keyword(s):  
Injection Molding ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Mold Surface ◽  
Heated Region ◽  
Digital Light Processing ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Periodic Minimal Surface ◽  
Triply Periodic Minimal Surface ◽  
Conventional Cooling

In injection molding, cooling channels are usually manufactured with a straight shape, and thus have low cooling efficiency for a curved mold. Recently, additive manufacturing (AM) was used to fabricate conformal cooling channels that could maintain a consistent distance from the curved surface of the mold. Because this conformal cooling channel was designed to obtain a uniform temperature on the mold surface, it could not efficiently cool locally heated regions (hot spots). This study developed an adaptive conformal cooling method that supports localized-yet-uniform cooling for the heated region by employing micro-cellular cooling structures instead of the typical cooling channels. An injection molding simulation was conducted to predict the locally heated region, and a mold core was designed to include a triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structure near the heated region. Two biomimetic TPMS structures, Schwarz-diamond and gyroid structures, were designed and fabricated using a digital light processing (DLP)-type polymer AM process. Various design parameters of the TPMS structures, the TPMS shapes and base coordinates, were investigated in terms of the conformal cooling performance. The mold core with the best TPMS design was fabricated using a powder-bed fusion (PBF)-type metal AM process, and injection molding experiments were conducted using the additively manufactured mold core. The developed mold with TPMS cooling achieved a 15 s cooling time to satisfy the dimensional tolerance, which corresponds to a 40% reduction in comparison with that of the conventional cooling (25 s).

scholarly journals Design, Optimization and Validation of Conformal Cooling Technique for Additively Manufactured Mold Insert

2021 ◽  
Vol 2070 (1) ◽  
pp. 012225
Author(s):  
G.Dongre Ganesh ◽  
S.Chaitanya Sarang ◽  
M.Jonnalagadda Sai
Keyword(s):  
Injection Molding ◽  
Mold Insert ◽  
Cooling Time ◽  
Cyclic Process ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Circuit ◽  
Cycle Times ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conventional Cooling ◽  
Time Required

Abstract Injection molding is a cyclic process comprising of cooling phase as the largest part of this cycle. Providing efficient cooling in lesser cycle times is of significant importance in the molding industry. Conformal cooling is a proven technique for reduction in cycle times for injection molding. In this study, we have replaced a conventional cooling circuit with an optimized conformal cooling circuit in an injection molding tool (mold). The required heat transfer rate, coolant flow rate and diameter of channel was analytically calculated. Hybrid Laser powder bed fusion technique was used to manufacture this mold tool with conformal channels. The material used for manufacturing mold was maraging steel (M300). Thermal efficiency of the conformal channels was experimentally calculated using thermal imaging. Autodesk MoldFlow software was used to simulate and predict the cooling time required using conformal cooling channels. The results showed a decrease in cooling time and increase in cooling efficiency with the help of conformal cooling in additively manufactured mold insert.

scholarly journals Dynamic conformal cooling improves injection molding

2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 107-116
Author(s):  
Andreas Kirchheim ◽  
Yogeshkumar Katrodiya ◽  
Livia Zumofen ◽  
Frank Ehrig ◽  
Curdin Wick
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Injection Molding ◽  
Injection Molding Process ◽  
Layer By Layer ◽  
Mold Surface ◽  
Molding Process ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels

AbstractTo achieve a certain visual quality or acceptable surface appearance in injection-molded components, a higher mold surface temperature is needed. In order to achieve this, injection molds can be dynamically tempered by integrating an active heating and cooling process inside the mold halves. This heating and cooling of the mold halves becomes more efficient when the temperature change occurs closer to the mold surface. Complex channels that carry cold or hot liquids can be manufactured close to the mold surface by using the layer by layer principle of additive manufacturing. Laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF), as an additive manufacturing process, has special advantages; in particular, so-called hybrid tools can be manufactured. For example, complex tool inserts with conformal cooling channels can be additively built on simple, machined baseplates. This paper outlines the thermal simulation carried out to optimize the injection molding process by use of dynamic conformal cooling. Based on the results of this simulation, a mold with conformal cooling channels was designed and additively manufactured in maraging steel (1.2709) and then experimentally tested.

scholarly journals A Thermomechanical Analysis of Conformal Cooling Channels in 3D Printed Plastic Injection Molds

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suchana Jahan ◽  
Hazim El-Mounayri
Keyword(s):  
Injection Molding ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Thermomechanical Analysis ◽  
Die Design ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Optimized Design ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels ◽  
Plastic Injection

Plastic injection molding is a versatile process, and a major part of the present plastic manufacturing industry. The traditional die design is limited to straight (drilled) cooling channels, which don’t impart optimal thermal (or thermomechanical) performance. With the advent of additive manufacturing technology, injection molding tools with conformal cooling channels are now possible. However, optimum conformal channels based on thermomechanical performance are not found in the literature. This paper proposes a design methodology to generate optimized design configurations of such channels in plastic injection molds. The design of experiments (DOEs) technique is used to study the effect of the critical design parameters of conformal channels, as well as their cross-section geometries. In addition, designs for the “best” thermomechanical performance are identified. Finally, guidelines for selecting optimum design solutions given the plastic part thickness are provided.

scholarly journals Integrated Optimum Layout of Conformal Cooling Channels and Optimal Injection Molding Process Parameters for Optical Lenses

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (20) ◽  
pp. 4341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chen-Yuan Chung
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Injection Molding ◽  
Process Parameters ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Melt Temperature ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Highly Efficient ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels ◽  
Filling Time

Plastic lenses are light and can be mass-produced. Large-diameter aspheric plastic lenses play a substantial role in the optical industry. Injection molding is a popular technology for plastic optical manufacturing because it can achieve a high production rate. Highly efficient cooling channels are required for obtaining a uniform temperature distribution in mold cavities. With the recent advent of laser additive manufacturing, highly efficient three-dimensional spiral channels can be realized for conformal cooling technique. However, the design of conformal cooling channels is very complex and requires optimization analyses. In this study, finite element analysis is combined with a gradient-based algorithm and robust genetic algorithm to determine the optimum layout of cooling channels. According to the simulation results, the use of conformal cooling channels can reduce the surface temperature difference of the melt, ejection time, and warpage. Moreover, the optimal process parameters (such as melt temperature, mold temperature, filling time, and packing time) obtained from the design of experiments improved the fringe pattern and eliminated the local variation of birefringence. Thus, this study indicates how the optical properties of plastic lenses can be improved. The major contribution of present proposed methods can be applied to a mold core containing the conformal cooling channels by metal additive manufacturing.

Conformal Cooling Versus Conventional Cooling: An Injection Molding Case Study With P-20 and 3DP™-Processed Tooling

2000 ◽  
Vol 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayde R. Schmidt ◽  
Ronald D. White ◽  
Connie E. Bird ◽  
Joseph V. Bak
Keyword(s):  
Injection Molding ◽  
Design Approach ◽  
Mold Design ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Designed Experiments ◽  
Tool Fabrication ◽  
Conventional Cooling

AbstractA series of designed experiments was performed in an attempt to evaluate and quantify the historically “anecdotal” benefits of conformal cooling for injection molding tooling. The study considered different generic part geometries, gating schemes, mold materials, plastic resins and cooling approaches. This paper provides an overview of the mold design approach, cooling simulation, tool fabrication via the 3DP™ process, as well as part molding and inspection results.

Analysis and Manufacturing of Conformal Cooling Channels in Injection Mold

2014 ◽  
Vol 651-653 ◽  
pp. 630-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo Qiang Gao ◽  
Yu Shan Liu ◽  
Yu Jun Cai
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Injection Mold ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Three Dimensional Printing ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Conventional Cooling ◽  
Dimensional Printing

In view of the cooling difficulty in complex injection mold, the difference between conventional cooling channels and Conformal Cooling Channels (CCC) is researched. CCC is superior to conventional cooling channels on cooling effect according to the simulation analysis of plastic flow based on Autodesk Moldflow Insight software. Considered the manufacturing difficulty of CCC, an approach which uses three-dimensional printing and investment casting is put forward in the end.

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