Metal additive manufacturing techniques are frequently applied to the manufacturing of injection molds with a conformal cooling channel (CCC) in order to shorten the cooling time in the injection molding process. Reducing the cooling time in the cooling stage is essential to reducing the energy consumption in mass production. However, the distinct disadvantages include higher manufacturing costs and longer processing time in the fabrication of injection mold with CCC. Rapid tooling technology (RTT) is a widely utilized technology to shorten mold development time in the mold industry. In principle, the cooling time of injection molded products is affected by both injection mold material and coolant medium. However, little work has been carried out to investigate the effects of different mold materials and coolant media on the cooling performance of epoxy-based injection molds quantitatively. In this study, the effects of four different coolant media on the cooling performance of ten sets of injection molds fabricated with different mixtures were investigated experimentally. It was found that cooling water with ultrafine bubble is the best cooling medium based on the cooling efficiency of the injection molded parts (since the cooling efficiency is increased further by about 12.4% compared to the conventional cooling water). Mold material has a greater influence on the cooling efficiency than the cooling medium, since cooling time range of different mold materials is 99 s while the cooling time range for different cooling media is 92 s. Based on the total production cost of injection mold and cooling efficiency, the epoxy resin filled with 41 vol.% aluminum powder is the optimal formula for making an injection mold since saving in the total production cost about 24% is obtained compared to injection mold made with commercially available materials.

/pdf/effects-of-different-mold-materials-and-coolant-media-on-the-2xsgbjej.pdf

Effects of Different Mold Materials and Coolant Media on the Cooling Performance of Epoxy-Based Injection Molds

Optimal Process Conditions for Powder Bed Fusion and Analysis of Properties of Maraging Steel

A comprehensive review of injection mold cooling by using conformal cooling channels and thermally enhanced molds

This research aims to enhance the design of an injection mold in order to minimize ejection time and increase temperature uniformity by repositioning cooling channels. For 3D transient thermal simulations, the ANSYS finite element method (FEM) program was employed, while the MATLAB program was used for optimization. It was discovered that the method could be used successfully to optimize the design of Conformal Cooling Channels (CCCs) in injection molds. The objective function value of the optimized model represents a near 40% improvement in relation to the initial model. The combined parameterization, simulation, and optimization method has proven beneficial for enhancing the arrangement of channels in an injection machine mold. The methodology is generalizable. As such, it can be employed in any industrial applications involving injection molding machines, for the improvement of the quality of the manufactured part. 

Design optimization of conformal cooling channels for injection molds: 3D transient heat transfer analysis

Optimization design of cooling system for injection molding mold of non-pneumatic tire

Direct metal printing is a promising technique for manufacturing injection molds with complex conformal cooling channels from maraging steel powder, which is widely applied in automotive or aerospace industries. However, two major disadvantages of direct metal printing are the narrow process window and length of time consumed. The fabrication of high-density injection molds is frequently applied to prevent coolant leakage during the cooling stage. In this study, we propose a simple method of reducing coolant leakage for a direct-metal-printed injection mold with conformal cooling channels by combining injection mold fabrication with general process parameters, as well as solution and aging treatment (SAT). This study comprehensively investigates the microstructural evolution of the injection mold after SAT using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We found that the surface hardness of the injection mold was enhanced from HV 189 to HV 546 as the Ni-Mo precipitates increased from 12.8 to 18.5%. The size of the pores was reduced significantly due to iron oxide precipitates because the relative density of the injection mold increased from 99.18 to 99.72%. The total production time of the wax injection mold without coolant leakage during the cooling stage was only 62% that of the production time of the wax injection mold fabricated with high-density process parameters. A significant savings of up to 46% of the production cost of the injection mold was obtained.

A Simple Method of Reducing Coolant Leakage for Direct Metal Printed Injection Mold with Conformal Cooling Channels Using General Process Parameters and Heat Treatment

Chil-Chyuan Kuo

Papers

A Simple Method of Reducing Coolant Leakage for Direct Metal Printed Injection Mold with Conformal Cooling Channels Using General Process Parameters and Heat Treatment