Introduction

Introduction to
to
Injection Molding
Flow Behavior
Design Principles
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
All Rights Reserved

Injection
Injection Molding
Molding Machine
Machine
Nozzle between
barrel and mold
(not shown)
Heater
bands

Hopper

Clamping
Unit

Hydraulic
Unit

Barrel
Mold cooling fed
from external unit

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Screw
(Ram)

Injection
Injection Molding
Molding Cycle
Cycle
Mold Open Time

Fill Time

Cooling Time
Hold Time

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Injection
Injection Molding
Molding Cycle
Cycle
Cycle Time
Fill Time
Hold Time
Cooling Time
Mold Open Time

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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22
Sec.
1
9
10
2

Injection
Injection Molding
Molding Process
Process
Hopper

Filling
Mold closes, screw rapidly
moves forward, frozen
polymer skin forms at mold
walls

Barrel

Screw
Mold

Packing Time (Holding)

Cavity filled, packing
begins, cooling occurring

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Screw is applying a specified

pressure to the polymer melt
in order to pack more plastic
into the cavity. Also called
compensation stage.

Injection
Injection Molding
Molding Process
Process

Cooling
Packing complete,
gate freezes off,
cooling continues
Screw moves back
and begins
plasticating resin for
next shot

Mold Open
Cooling completes,
mold opens

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The
The Injection
Injection Mold
Mold

a.k.a.
Stationary Half

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a.k.a.
Moving Half

Flow
Flow Behavior
Behavior
What Does a Plastic Molecule Do in
an Injection Mold?

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Phases
Phases of
of Molding
Molding

Filling Phase
Pressurization Phase
Compensation Phase

Filling, Volumetrically fill the cavity

Pressurization, Build up pressure in the cavity
Compensation, Add extra material to reduce

shrinkage

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Fountain
Fountain Flow
Flow

Describes the phenomena of how

plastics flows in a mold
Material that first enters shows up
at the surface near the gate
Material that enters the cavity last,
shows up in the center downstream
Has direct influence on molecular
and fiber orientation at the part
surface

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Melt

Cross-Sectional
Cross-Sectional Flow
Flow
Molecular
Molecular Orientation
Orientation

tensile force

tensile force

Low orientation
High orientation

Shear rate

min

max

Molecular Orientation is caused by shear flow. The high amount of

shear is inside the frozen layer, therefore the highest orientation
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
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Cross-Sectional
Cross-Sectional
Heat
Heat Transfer
Transfer
Hot Plastic Melt
Plastic
Flow

Heat

High
Shear
Rate

Heat Loss
into the Tool

Input
Frozen Layer

Slower
Injection
Rate

Cold Mold

VS.

Faster
Injection
Rate

There should be a balance between heat input from shear

and heat loss to the tool.

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Injection
Injection Time
Time //
Frozen
Frozen layer
layer thickness
thickness
Faster injection times will produce a thinner frozen layer, and a thicker
flow channel.

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

All Rights Reserved

Pressure-Volume-Temperature
Pressure-Volume-Temperature

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Shrinkage
Shrinkage
Gate
along
edge

Final Part

Shrinkage in the direction of flow is usually much

greater than across the flow for un-filled materials.

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Mold

Design
Design Principles
Principles
Use Design Principles and Moldflow
technology so you dont have to do this:

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

All Rights Reserved

Moldflow
Moldflow Design
Design Philosophy
Philosophy

Number of gates
The number of gates used is based on the pressure to fill the cavity. In
general, one selects the minimum number of gates to fill the cavity.

Position of gates
The position of the gate is determined by the flow balancing principle.

Flow pattern
The mold should fill with a straight fill pattern with no changes in
direction during filling.

Runner Design
The runner system is designed to achieve the required filling pattern in
the cavity.

Sequence of Analysis
The procedure of the mold design always starts with the cavity.

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Project
Project Design
Design Procedure
Procedure
Using
Using Moldflow
Moldflow

Determine the design criteria for the project

Use previous experience of analyst
Discuss the project with all disciplines involved in the project
Use Moldflow Design Principles
Use Moldflow Design Rules with the software
Interpret results and make changes where necessary
Discuss changes with all disciplines involved in the project
Repeat Moldflow analysis to ensure acceptable results
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
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Flow
Flow Concepts
Concepts

Unidirectional and
Controlled Flow Pattern
Flow Balancing
Constant Pressure Gradient
Maximum Shear Stress
Uniform Cooling
Positioning Weld lines and
Meld lines

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Positioning Weld lines and

Meld lines
Avoid Hesitation Effects
Avoid Underflow
Balancing with Flow
Leaders and Flow Deflectors
Acceptable runner/cavity
ratio

Uni-Directions
Uni-Directions and
and Controlled
Controlled Flow
Flow Pattern
Pattern
The uni-directional flow principle says that the plastic should flow in one
direction with a straight flow front throughout filling. This gives a unidirectional orientation pattern.

BAD!!, Orientation is

different Directions, flow

marks, high stresses, &
warping.

MUCH BETTER!!,

Orientation in one direction,

Uniform, shrinkage, &
stresses.

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

All Rights Reserved

Flow
Flow Balancing
Balancing
The flow balancing principle says that all flow paths within a mold should be
balanced, i.e. fill in equal time with equal pressure.

Naturally balanced runner

system
Same distance and conditions
between the nozzle and all the
cavities
All cavities filling at the same
time pressure and temperature

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Artificially balanced runner

system
Sizes of the runners are
different in order to deliver
plastic melt to all cavities at
the same pressure so that all
the cavities fill at the same
time

Flow
Flow Balancing
Balancing

Artificially balanced
runners
Limitations
Very small parts
Parts which contain very
thin sections
Parts where sink marks
are important
Where the ratio of runner
lengths to be balanced is
too great

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Before

After

Constant
Constant Pressure
Pressure Gradient
Gradient
The constant pressure gradient principle says that the most efficient
filling pattern is when the pressure gradient, i.e. pressure per unit
length, is constant along the flow path.

Pressure Spiking
at end of Fill

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Maximum
Maximum Shear
Shear Stress
Stress
The shear stress during filling should be less than a critical level. The
value of this critical level depends on the material and application.

Material:
ABS
Stress Limit: 0.3 MPa

Stress plotted
above the
material limit
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
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Uniform
Uniform Cooling
Cooling
Hot Side

Hot Side

Tensile Stress

Frozen and Shrunk

Cold Side

Cold Side

When plastic is in contact with the mold, and one side

is cold and the other is hot, differential cooling takes
place. This causes a bowing to the hot side, as the hot
side has a longer time to cool and shrink.
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
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Uniform
Uniform Cooling
Cooling
Cavity
Cold

Core
Hot

Heat is concentrated in
the corner of the core

HOT Corner
(shrinks relative to frozen
sections, causing warpage)

Part cross-section should cool evenly, cavity to core. If it does

not in a corner, the corner will pull in to less than 90 degrees
producing the typical bowed box warpage.
Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation
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Positioning
Positioning Weld
Weld and
and Meld
Meld Lines
Lines
Position weld and meld lines in the least sensitive areas, if they cant
be eliminated.

Weld Lines are formed when two

flow fronts meet head on

Meld Lines are formed when two flow fronts

meet and flow in the same direction

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Avoid
Avoid Hesitation
Hesitation Effects
Effects
Gate

Position gates as
far away as
possible from
where the flow
divides into thick
and thin flow
paths to avoid
hesitation effects.

Rib did not fill

Gate
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Avoid
Avoid Hesitation
Hesitation Effects
Effects
GATES make poor flow control devices
HESITATION
EFFECT
Material freezes off in
the gate closest to the
sprue

TRADITIONAL
APPROACH
First gate opened
0.010 in thickness and
width, from 0.030 to
0.040

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Low pressure drop in

runners
Middle cavity
hesitating more
than right cavity

Now first cavity filling

much faster than other
cavities

Avoid
Avoid Underflow
Underflow
A change in flow direction between the
time an area fills and the end of fill

Good

Blue Velocity
Angle arrows
should be
perpendicular
to the multi
color fill
contour lines
Not Good!

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Avoid
Avoid Underflow
Underflow

Weld Line
moves inside
frozen layer

Flow front
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FLOI4

Arrows
show
direction
plastic
moving at
the instant
of fill

Balancing
Balancing with
with Flow
Flow Leaders
Leaders
and
and Flow
Flow Deflectors
Deflectors
Subtly increase
(leader) or decrease
(deflector) the wall
thickness to influence
the filling pattern to
create a balanced fill
within the part.

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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Uniform Thickness

Unbalanced Filling

Balanced Thickness

Balanced Filling

Acceptable
Acceptable Runner/Cavity
Runner/Cavity Ratio
Ratio
Design runner systems for high pressure drops, thus minimizing material
in the runner, in order to give a low ratio of runner to cavity volume.
Volume of parts
192.0 cc
Volume of feed system
13.4 cc
Feed system 7.0% of part volume

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

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QUESTIONS?
QUESTIONS?

Copyright 2000 Moldflow Corporation

All Rights Reserved