CAE DS Mould Design

General environment
Tampere University of Technology Tuula Hk
This chapter discusses injection molding and high pressure die casting machines.
Most of the topics are important for the tool designers, but also the part designer
should be at least aware of the issues concerning production machines.
Plastic injection moulding and metal alloys high pressure die casting are basic technologies from which different advanced and new technologies have been developed.
The new technologies include squeeze casting, semi-solid casting, metal and ceramics
injection molding, gas assisted injection molding and multi-component injection
molding. Metal and ceramics injection molding utilize the same machines as the
common plastics injection molding. Metals are grinded into powder, mixed with a
polymer binder and molded. After molding the part is sintered to reach the full
strength and stiffness. Gas assisted injection moulding and multi-component injection
moulding along with other advanced technologies utilize the same basic machinery,
but there is a need to assemble different equipments either to the mould or to the
machine itself. Squeeze casting machines have a vertical casting chamber below the
die. The machine basic structure is similar to high pressure die casting and injection
moulding machines, but the casting unit is different. Semi-solid casting can be practiced with common high pressure die casting machines.
High pressure die casting is divided into two technologies: hot chamber and cold
chamber high pressure die casting. There are differences in the casting unit. These
differences are shown in the last chapter in this document.

Basic structure of the machines

Injection molding machines and high pressure die casting machines are similar in
structure. High pressure die casting machine average size is larger and the unit, which
moves the casting or molding material into the mould, is different. The main units are:

Closing unit:
- hydraulic closing cylinder or electric closing device in all-electric injection
molding and hot chamber die casting machines
- mould platens
- rear (back) platen
- in most machine types tie-bars, which support the platen movement; some
injection molding machines are designed without tie-bars, but this type is not
very common
Shot unit or injecting unit:
- injection molding machine injecting unit consists of a dosing unit, a screw, a
screw chamber and a nozzle
- high pressure die casting shot unit consists of a casting chamber, a plunger
and plunger hydraulics
Ejecting unit:
- ejection cylinder or electric device in all-electric injection molding machines
to produce the ejecting movement
- coupling devices or mechanisms to fit the mould ejector set to the machine

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Core pulling unit:

- hydraulic or electric outputs to force the mould core pulling unit movement
Cooling system:
- system, which circulates the cooling liquid inside the tool; sometimes a separate device

The new machines are equipped with a control unit, which adopts different regulation
and monitoring algorithms. These algorithms make the machine operator work easier
and give the possibility to gather processing data. Some machines utilize computer
network technologies with which it is possible to gather processing data from multiple machines into one process monitoring computer work station.

Closing unit
Injection molding machine and high pressure die casting machine closing units are
rather similar. The main parts are shown in the image below. The presented structure
is the most common. There are small injection molding machines without tie bars, but
that structure is too unsteady for large machine types.

Image 1. The most common base structure in injection molding and high pressure die casting
machines. There are four tie bars, which are attached between the back platen and the fixed
platen. Closing cylinder moves the moving platen back and forth. The moving platen travels on
the guide rails. The tie bars go through the moving platen guiding the movement. Machine
image: Arburg, http://www.arburg.com

Image 2. Cold chamber die casting

machine. The basic structure is
identical to the injection moulding
machine. Image: Frech,
http://www.frech.com
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Table 1. Some of the machine manufacturers

Injection moulding machine
manufacturers

High pressure die and squeeze

casting machine manufacturers

Arburg
http://www.arburg.com,
(125 - 5 000 kN)
Demag
http://www.dpg.com,
(500 - 20 000 kN)
Engel
http://www.engelglobal.com,
(280 - 55 000 kN)
Ferromatik Milacron
http://www.ferromatik.com,
(300 - 4 500 kN)
KrausMaffei
http://www.kraussmaffei.com,
(350 - 40 000 kN)
Toshiba
http://www.toshiba-machine.co.jp,
(200 - 35 000 kN)

Bhler
http://www.buhlergroup.com ,
(2 600 - 13 000 kN)
Frech
http://www.frech.com
(2 750 - 52 000)
Idra
http://www.idragroup.com
(2 500 - 36 000 kN)
Italpresse
http://www.italpresse.it
(300 - 47 000 kN)
Toshiba
http://www.toshiba-machine.co.jp
(800 - 40 000 kN)

The Table 1 lists the available machine sizes in kN. The size stands for the machine
closing force. Machine closing force is the force, which keeps the machine platens
closed during the mould or die filling phase. Closing force sets a limit to the size of the
produced part. The most influential characteristic from the closing force point of view
is a projected area of the part. The projected area (A) is the projected area of the part
on the parting surface. Filling operation pressurizes the melt inside the mould or die
cavity to a pressure (P). Melt plastic and metal alloys can be treated as liquids. Pressure disperses evenly to all direction inside a liquid and induces a mould opening
force (F), which is approximately F = P A. Machine closing unit must produce a notably larger force in order to keep the mould closed.

Machine size and

machine selection

The technical personnel in injection moulding company or high pressure die casting
foundry must select a suitable machine for a part to be processed. The high pressure
die casting machine selection is based mostly on the closing force. Another important
characteristic is the potential in the shot unit to produce the pressure needed in the
last phase of the casting shot. It is possible to change casting chamber and metal
ladling equipment capacity to process parts of different size in one single machine and
for that reason the part volume is not that important. Injection moulding machine
selection is based on the closing force, on screw capacity in melt volume and on the
maximum injecting pressure.
The mould is attached to the machine platens with bolts only, with bolts and clamps
or with some quick clamping system. The first two are the most typical. Injection
moulding machine platens are equipped with threaded fastening holes. These can be
seen in the image 1. High pressure die casting machine platens are equipped with Tslots. One of the quick clamping systems is magnetic clamping for injection moulding
machines.

Clamping

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The dimensions and position of the clamping holes and slots can be found from the
machine technical papers. The dimensions are important in designing the mould
clamping. There are three basic options in clamping with standard bolt and clamp
system. See the images and descriptions below. Even in the simplest case there is a
need to find out the positions of the clamping holes or slots. The tool designer should
be careful not to position cooling channel fittings or electrical connectors like hot
runner connectors to the place where there is a need to place clamping devices. This is
a rather common mistake, but sometimes a rather troublesome mistake to cope with in
the molding company.

Image 3. Left: High pressure die casting die clamping devices. Right: Injection moulding mould
clamping devices.

Image 4. The three options in clamping with bolts and clamps. The platen is a high pressure die
casting machine platen with T-slots. 1st image: Using a plain bolt. The designer must know the
clamping slot position exactly. 2nd image: The clamping plate is the same size as the cavity
plate. There is a machined pocket in the side of the mould. The position of the clamping slot has
to be known in some level. It is common to leave 10 20 mm free space to pocket sides. 3rd
image: Clamping with an extended clamping plate. The clamping slot position is not very
important, because placing the clamp is free. The mould designer has to consider the cooling
channel fittings and electrical connectors in some level. Avoid placing them to the same place
as clamps.

The die or mould designer should pay attention to the distance between machine tie
bars and the maximum opening, because they give restrictions to the maximum size
of the tool in a certain machine. The dimensions are shown on the technical drawing
of the machine platens and in other technical descriptions. The die or mould is usually
handled with a crane (See image next page). In that case the horizontal distance between the tie bars is important. It is possible to turn the mould or die, move the
machine back platen until the maximum opening is reached or take only one tool half
at a time. If the mould does not fit between the tie bars after these operations, it is still
possible to drive the bars out, but this should not be the normal course of action.
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Image 5. Lifting the die to its place. There are also more advanced mould handling methods, but
crane system is still very common.

Image 6. An example of a technical drawing of an injection molding machine platen. The

drawing is a moving platen of a Kraus Maffei injection molding machine. Also the distance
between safety doors is shown.

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There are also some advanced tool handling equipments, which make it possible to
place the mould or die between machine platens with horizontal movements. These
equipments make the vertical distance between tie bars important.
Sometimes the mould or die has some large components outside the platens. Typically
these are large core moving cylinders or other core moving equipments like slide
tables. The tool designer and also the injection molding or high pressure die casting
company technical personnel should check that these objects fit between the tie bars or
if they are very large, check that they fit inside the safety doors.

Ejecting unit
Machine ejecting unit is basically a hydraulic cylinder, which produces forward and
backward movements to the mould ejector set. In all electric injection molding and hot
chamber die casting machines the ejecting unit is electrical, but the operation is the
same. The ejecting cylinder is located behind the moving platen. It is equipped with a
coupling device or some other mechanical connecting unit to which the mould ejector
set is attached. High pressure die casting die ejector set is connected with a set of four
ejector bars to the machine. In injection molding machines there is only a one single
attachment point. (See images below.)

Image 7. Left: Typical injection molding machine ejecting unit. There is one single place for
attaching the mould ejector set to the ejecting cylinder. This machine is equipped with a quick
coupling device. Image: Arburg, http://www.arburg.com Right: High pressure die casting
machine ejecting unit. In this machine there are two ejector cylinders, which are placed behind
the moving platen. Cylinders are connected with a thick cast iron plate.

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Image 8. High pressure die casting machine ejecting unit is connected to the die ejector set with
four ejector bars. These bars go through loose holes in the moving platen. The hole positions are
shown in the technical drawings of the machine platens. The connecting mechanism is a simple
thread and nut system. The new machines are equipped with different quick coupling devices.

Image 9. Injection molding

machine ejecting unit and the
machine dimension from the side.
Machine: Kraus Maffei.
The tool designer should consider the maximum ejection stroke. In the Kraus Maffei
machine in the technical drawings the stroke is 100 mm. The stroke length varies
between machines.

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Core pulling unit

Machine core pulling unit is a group of electrical or hydraulic outputs, which are
connected to the machine control system. The outputs are activated in a correct phase
of the injection molding or high pressure die casting cycle to force the injection mould
or high pressure die casting die core pulling unit movement. In some machine types
the control units are able to give two or even more core moving outputs in a row and
take inputs from the mould core pulling device. This option gives the possibility to
pull two or more cores in different sequences, for example like in the following
options.
Option 1: The first core group out with the first output signal -> machine control unit
waits for a signal from the mould -> the second core group out with the second output
signal -> machine control unit waits for a signal from the mould -> cycle continues.
Option 2: The cores out with a one single output -> machine control unit waits for a
signal from the mould -> cycle continues.
The input from the core pulling unit is an important security step in the machine
cycle. If the core pulling is controlled with delay time, there is always the possibility
for some technical failure. The next phase in the machine cycle would be opening of
the mould/die or pulling out the next core group. If the previous operational phase is
not finished, the mould or die will break.

Cooling unit
The machine cooling unit circulates the cooling liquid inside the tool and maintains its
temperature within preset limits. The cooling liquid temperature can be set separately
for the fixed and moving halves. The moving half typically contains the cores, which
heat up intensely and need also more intense cooling than the fixed half. The cooling
liquid can be some heat transfer oil or water.
Cold chamber high pressure die casting machine casting chamber might need tempering if the die is equipped with vacuum casting devices. If the chamber heats up the fit
between the plunger and the chamber becomes loose and the die does not keep the
vacuum.
The cooling unit is not always a part of the machine. There are also some separate
equipments or central devices. Regardless of the device type, the cooling liquid circulates to the tool inside a tube. The tube fitting varies between casting / moulding
companies and between machine types. The tool designer should check the company
customs and the machine requirements.

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Injection moulding machine injection unit

Injection molding machine injecting unit consists of a dosing unit, a screw, a screw
chamber and a nozzle (See image below). The dosing unit drops a preset amount of
plastic raw material to the screw. After dosing the screw rotates and pushes the plastic
towards the mould. While flowing between the screw and the screw chamber the
plastic warms up and melts. The screw stay filled with the molten plastic between
injecting cycles and while the new dosed amount of plastic moves ahead, the already
melted plastic enters the mould. When the mould cavity is totally filled, screw keeps
pushing the plastic until it is solidified.

Image 10.
Injection molding
machine injection unit. Image: Arburg, http://www.arburg.com

The injection molding company technicians select the screw and the nozzle tip based
on the plastic material requirements. There are different kinds of nozzle tips: Heated,
unheated, open and shut-off nozzle tips. The mould is equipped with a locating ring
and a sprue bushing, which are the first parts in contact with the plastic melt. The
selection between these nozzles has an influence on the mould sprue bushing selection. If the nozzle tip is rounded, the sprue bushing has to be rounded as well. The
sprue bushing rounding is a little larger than the nozzle tip rounding.

Image 11.

Left: A heated, rounded nozzle tip. Right: An unheated, flat nozzle tip.

The injection molding mould sprue bushing is almost always located in the middle of
the mould set plates. The ejector set coupling is also almost always placed in the
middle of the plates. This balances the ejection forces and the forces from the plastic
melt injection.

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High pressure die casting machine shot unit

There are two different high pressure die casting machine types: a hot chamber die
casting machine and a cold chamber die casting machine. The machine types have
different casting units, but otherwise the structure is rather similar. Both contain the
closing, ejecting and core pulling units. The main structural difference is that the hot
chamber die casting machines a placed in an upward position from the casting chamber to the closing unit (See image 14.). The upward position makes sure that the
chamber runs off between the casting cycles. Hot chamber die casting machines are
smaller than the cold chamber die casting machines.

Image 12.
Basic structure of a high pressure die casting machine. The structure is
basically the same as in injection molding machines. Differences are: the structure of the shot
unit, coupling between the ejection unit and die ejection mechanism and the die clamping.
High pressure die casting machine platens are equipped with T-slots.

High pressure die casting shot unit consists of a plunger, casting chamber (cold chamber for cold chamber machines or a gooseneck for hot chamber die casting machines)
and plunger hydraulics. Hot chamber die casting die is equipped with a sprue bushing through which the molten metal enters the die. Hot chamber die casting machine
gooseneck is connected to the sprue bushing through a nozzle and a nozzle tip. Cold
chamber die casting machine casting chamber extends through the machine fixed
platen, die clamping plate and the fixed cavity plate. (See images next page.)
Cold chamber machine plunger stroke is limited. The tool designer should check the
stroke length when selecting the plates to the fixed die half. The maximum plunger
stroke should extend at least 10 20 mm further from the die parting surface. Selecting a little longer plunger rod does not make any difference. The stroke length is
presented in the machine technical papers.

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Image 13.
Cross section image of a cold chamber high pressure die casting machine. The
casting chamber extends through the fixed platen, die clamping plate and cavity plate. Plunger
stroke length is limited. Closing unit piston extends through the back plate.

Image 14.
Cross-section image of a hot chamber die casting machine. The machine is
placed in an upward position to allow the chamber to run off.

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Auxiliary equipments
Besides the machine there are also some equipments, which are not a part of the
casting / moulding machine, but part of the casting / moulding cell or auxiliary
equipment of the mould. These equipments include:

separate tempering / cooling devices

part removing equipment, typically a robot
temperature control devices for hot runner systems in plastic moulds
high pressure die casting die spraying devices
cutting devices for finishing the parts
automatic machining, ultrasonic welding, assembling etc. devices
equipments needed in in mould decorating (IMD), gas assisted injection
moulding, in mould assembling and other advanced technologies

The tool and part designers should be at least aware of the type and the function of
the devices, which are used in the production cell. In some cases they should find out
in detail the type of gripping elements and fixture, the order of functions in automatic
lines, the dimensions etc. In automatic assembling lines the dimensions between
cavities might for example make a difference.
Some of the listed devices are mechanically attached to the tool and sometimes also an
inseparable part of the tool. These include IMD and other equipments needed in
advanced technologies. These equipments might send output signals to the moulding
or casting machine and also receive signals from the machine. The companies have
different in factory standards and the machines use different signal voltages. It is
important to find out the details including the connector type.
The hot runner temperature control devices are separate equipments, which control
and regulate the temperature inside the runner system. The hot runner manufacturers
sell also the temperature control devices. The designer should check which hot runner
systems are most familiar in the injection moulding company and which types of
control equipments are in use.
Part removing, cutting devices for finishing the part, automatic machining lines,
ultrasonic welding and/or automatic assembling devices are not attached or connected
to the machine or tool, but they set some special requirements for shaping the part,
designing the runner system and selecting the dimensions between cavities both in
plastic moulds and in high pressure die casting dies.
If there is only a need for removing the part from the die and finish the parting line
with a cutting device, the case is simple: The part removing device grips high pressure
die casting typically from the section, which forms inside the casting chamber or
inside the sprue bushing. There is usually no need to design special surfaces or shapes
to for gripping. The injection moldings have this need even in this simple case if there
is no runner system to grip from.
If there is a need to make some automatic machining, welding, assembling etc. operations after the casting is removed from the mould or die, the case is more difficult. The
cutting device removes the runner system and after that there are no shapes to grip
from and these shapes need to be specially designed to the part.

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The part has to be fixed for machining operations. It makes no difference if the machining is done as a part of automatic casting cell operations, in a separate automatic
machining and assembling line or manually in a machining shop in a different side of
the world. The shapes and surfaced for fixing should be specially designed to the part.
These shapes can also function as reference surfaces to position the machine tool.
It would be good if the tool and part designers could visit the production plant and
see the production environment: Where the part removing device is located, what
kind of gripping system it uses and how the part is handled after removing it from the
tool. If there is a cutting device, it would be good to find out how the part is placed to
the cutter and how it is removed. Should all cavities be placed into the same direction
or are there some other special requirements, for example to the distance between the
cavities or to the stiffness of the runner system. There are also certain profiles which
are easy to cut and others, which are not. Find out the limitations.
The part designer creates most of the difficulties, which arise in spraying the high
pressure die casting die cavities. There should not be deep and narrow recessions
inside the die cavity. And also there should not be high projecting walls. These are
more difficult to spray than generously drafted, low projections and recessions. Adding a larger draft angle betters the situation.

Summary: Checklist for die and mould designers

It is important that both the tool designer and the technical personnel in the high
pressure die casting foundry or in the injection moulding company check the following details:

The tool is easy to handle with a crane and a truck loader

It is possible to clamp the tool to the casting / moulding machine into which it
was first intended. The machine platen dimensions and the dimensions
between tie bars etc. vary between machines
Clamps and clamping bolts can be attached without any blocking mould
parts. The fittings for cooling channels and electrical connectors are typical
equipments, which are forgotten.
The size and position of the high pressure die casting machine casting chamber has been checked. The position of the chamber is adjustable, but it is
possible that the adjustment is done with for example 50 mm steps.
The injection moulding machine nozzle fits the mould.
The tool fits between the tie bars during the assembling operation.
The tool fits between the tie bars after auxiliary equipments have been
assembled. Also the connectors and sensors for these equipments can be
assembled and used.
All moving parts have enough free space to move between the tie bars and inside the machine doors. These parts include core moving equipments and
auxiliary equipments.
The tool is equipped with eyebolts. Middle size and large moulds should have
at least two eyebolts / threaded holes for eyebolts on the top side of the fixed
half and four on the moving half. If the fixed half is high, then there should
also be four eyebolts. If the tool is very large, the plates should have threaded
holes also on the bottom side. This makes the tool maintenance easier.
There are no protrusions in the bottom of the tool. If it is absolutely necessary
to place special parts in the bottom side of the tool, equip the tool with a housing frame.
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It is possible to fit the tool ejector plates to the machine ejecting system. Check
the type and dimensions of the coupling devices and find out if there are
some special coupling systems in use. High pressure die casting machine ejection system is attached with four bars, which position is no standard. The
position and bar dimensions vary between machines and foundries.
There is documentation of the cooling channels; especially of the outside hosing, which connects the channels. But if possible, avoid connecting cooling
channels with pipes outside the tool.
The sensors, limit switches and electrical equipment connectors are designed
according to the foundry / injection moulding company request. These have
been checked.
If the tool has some unusual or complicated structures, attach documentation
for the tool maintenance personnel.
The tool parts are selected according to the raw material requirements. Some
plastics are corrosive and / or very erosive. Metal casting temperature varies
from 450 C to 980 C.

Summary: Checklist for part designers

Part designers have fewer details to pay attention to than the mould and die designers
have. These details are mainly related to the requirements of automation and machining.

Are the technical requirements like pressure tightness, surface quality, mechanical strength and stiffness documented clearly and sufficiently? Has there
been a sufficient and thorough discussion with the injection moulding
company or high pressure die casting foundry technical personnel?
Is the part designed in a way which makes the die spraying easy?
Are the requirements of automation and machining noticed in the shapes of
the casting or moulding? If the part will be machined, are there sufficient surfaces for gripping?
Are the requirements for machining, ultrasonic welding, etc. noticed? All
these methods need bosses, vertical surfaces or some other details for clamping the part to a fixture. Also the parts to be coated might need some shapes
from which they are hanged to a rack.

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