Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/211764

Title

Thermal-structural analysis of bi-metallic conformal cooling for injection moulds

Author(s)

Saifullah, A. B. M.;  Masood, S. H.;  Sbarski, I.

Abstract

In injection moulding process, cooling time greatly affects the total cycle time. As thermal conductivity is one of the main factors for conductive heat transfer in cooling phase of IMP, a cooling channel made by higher thermal conductive material will allow faster extraction of heat from the molten plastic materials, thus resulting in shorter cycle time and higher productivity. The main objective of this paper is to investigate bi-metallic conformal cooling channel design with high thermal conductive copper tube insert for injection moulds. Thermal-structural finite element analysis has been carried out with ANSYS workbench simulation software for a mould with bi-metallic conformal cooling channels and the performance is compared with a mould with conventional straight cooling channels for an industrial plastic part. Experimental verification has been carried out for the two moulds using two different types of plastics, polypropylene (PP) and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, in a mini injection moulding machine. Simulation and experimental results show that bi-metallic conformal cooling channel design gives better cycle time, which ultimately increases production rate as well as fatigue life of the mould.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Industrial Research Institute Swinburne

Source

International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 62, no. 1-4 (Sep 2012), pp. 123-133

Publication year

2012

FOR Code(s)

01 Mathematical Sciences;  08 Information and Computing Sciences;  09 Engineering

Keyword(s)

Bi-metallic conformal cooling;  Cooling time;  Copper tube;  Finite element analysis;  Injection moulding

Publisher

Springer

ISSN

0268-3768

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00170-011-3805-5

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 Springer-Verlag London Limited.

Peer reviewed