Advances in Production Engineering & Management
Volume 8 | Number 2 | June 2013 | pp 107–115
http://dx.doi.org/10.14743/apem2013.2.158
Investigation on conformal cooling system design in injection molding
Hsu, F.H.; Wang, K.; Huang, C.T.; Chang, R.Y.
ABSTRACT AND REFERENCES (PDF) |
FULL ARTICLE TEXT (PDF)
A B S T R A C T
Most advanced technologies developed nowadays focus on issues such as
minimizing manufacturing cost and improving product quality. Cooling system
design is one of the most critical factors to reduce cycle time. Conformal cooling
is the concept which can reduce cooling time and improve product quality
as well. However, cooling system layout is restricted by traditional molding
method. For cavities with irregular geometry, the distance between cooling
channels and cavity may vary throughout the part. This causes local heat accumulation
and some product defects such as sink mark and warpage. By
using some non-conventional methods such as laser sintering, cooling channels
can get closer to the cavity surface than using traditional method. This
leads to a shorter cooling time. The current study uses a true three dimensional
simulator to predict cooling time and compare the results from a conventional
and a conformal cooling design. The results also show flow behavior
inside cooling channels which provide important indices for cooling system
design revision. With a shorter cycle time and an improved product quality,
conformal cooling has a great potential in injection molding industry.
A R T I C L E I N F O
Keywords • Injection molding, Conformal cooling, Cooling design, Simulation
Corresponding author • Hsu, F.H.
Published on-line • 29 June 2013
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