Mold Filling Analysis in Vacuum Infusion Molding Process Based on a High-Permeable Medium

The objective of this paper is to understand the flow mechanism through visualization experiments and discuss theinfluence of process parameters on mold filling process. A 2D leakage flow model is developed to simulate the moldingprocess, and the simulation results show good agreement with experiments.

Vacuum Infusion Molding Process Part 1:VIMP Based on a High-Permeable Medium

The visualization experiments were carried out to investigate the permeability of the high permeable medium (HPM) and the roles of the peel ply and the HPM in the mold filling.The influence of process parameters on mold filling is discussed.Furthermore,the whole vacuum infusion molding process (VIMP) procedure is introduced in detail taking the manufacture of a model boat for example.

Relationship between Microcellular Foaming Injection Molding Process Parameters and Cell Size

In order to study the relationship between the main process parameters and the cell size, the mathematical model of cell growth of microcellular foaming injection process is built. Then numeric simulation is employed as experimental method, and the Taguchi method is used to analyze significance of effect of process parameters on the cell size. At last the process parameters are focused on melt temperature, injection time, mold temperature and pretidied volume. The significance order from big to small of the effect of each process parameters on cell size is melt temperature, pre-filled volume, injection time, and mold temperature. On the basis of above research, the effect of each process parameter on cell size is further researched. Appropriate reduction of the melt temperature and increase of the pre-filled volume can optimize the cell size effectively, while the effects of injection time and mold temperature on cell size are less significant.

Comparison of rheological analytic model with numerical simulation in powder injection molding filling process

Mathematical model of filling disk-shaped mold cavity in steady state was studied.And the mathematical model under vibration field was developed from the model in steady state.According to the model of filling disk-shaped mold cavity in steady state,the filling time,the distribution of velocity field and the pressure field were obtained.The analysis results from rheological analytic model were compared with the numerical simulation results using Moldflow software in the powder injection molding filling process.Through the comparison,it is found that it is unreasonable to neglect the influence of temperature when calculated the pressure changing with the time at the cavity gate,while it can be neglected in other situations such as calculating the distribution of the velocity fields.This provides a theoretical reference for the establishment of correct model both in steady state and under vibration force field in the future.

Intelligent Setting and Optimization of Process Parameters for Plastic Injection Molding

An intelligent model employing case-based reasoning（CBR） and fuzzy inference was constructed in terms to the system characteristics of plastic injection molding and considering the molding personnel＇s thought during the molding trial-runs. The model describes the complex process of injection molding with a view to the characters and advantages of CBR and fuzzy theory. And it can be used to determine the initial process parameters and optimize the process parameters on-line. The key implementation technologies of the model are described in detail, including determining the initial process parameters based on CBR, correcting defects, optimizing process parameters based on fuzzy inference, etc. A corresponding intelligent system was developed which is integrated with injection machine by communicating with the controller.

Vacuum Infusion Molding Process (Part 2 VIMP Based on Grooves)

The optimal parameters for flow grooves and supply grooves were determined by a series of experiments,and the influences of various molding conditions on the mold filling process were analyzed.Furthermore,the whole VIMP procedure based on grooves was introduced in detail taking the manufacture of a sandwich panel as an example.

Research on the Forming Mechanism of Micro/Nano Features during the Cast Molding Process

Cast molding process has provided a reliable, simple and cost-effective way to fabricate micro structures since decades ago. In order to obtain structures with fine, dense and deep nano-size features by cast molding, it is necessary to study the forming mechanism in the process. In this paper, based on major steps of cast molding, filling models of liquid are established and solved; and the forming mechanism of liquid is revealed. Moreover, the scale effect between the liquid and the cavity on the filling velocity of liquid is studied.It is also interesting to find out that the wettability of liquid on the cavity may be changed from wetting to dewetting depends on the pressure difference. Finally, we experimentally verify some of our modeling results on the flowing and filling state of the liquid during the cast molding process.

OPTIMIZATION OF INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS BASED ON NUMERICAL SIMULATION AND BP NEURAL NETWORKS

Plastic injection molding is a very complex process and its process planning has a direct influence on product quality and production efficiency. This paper studied the optimization of injection molding process by combining the numerical simulation with back-propagation(BP) networks. The BP networks are trained by the results of numerical simulation. The trained BP networks may:(1) shorten time for process planning;(2) optimize process parameters;(3) be employed in on-line quality control;(4) be integrated with knowledge-based system(KBS) and case-based reasoning(CBR) to make intelligent process planning of injection molding.

Parameter Prediction of Stretch-Blow Molding Process of PET Using Neural Networks

This study presents a parameter selection strategy developed for the Stretch-Blow Molding (SBM) process to minimize the weight of preforms used. The method is based on a predictive model developed using Neural Networks. The temperature distribution model of the preform was predicted using a 3-layer NN model with supervised backpropagation learning. In addition, the model was used to predict the uniform air pressure applied inside the preform, taking into account the relationship between the internal air pressure and the volume of the preform. Parameters were validated using in situ tests and measurements performed on several weights and lengths of a 0.330 Liter Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) bottles. Tests showed that the model adequately predicts both the blowing kinematics, mainly zone temperatures and blowing and stretching pressures along the walls of the bottle while maintaining the bottle strength and top load requirements. In the second step, the model was combined to automatically compute the lowest preform weight that can be used for a particular 330 ml bottle design providing a uniform wall thickness distribution.

An experimental investigation of the fracturing behaviour of rock-like materials containing two V-shaped parallelogram flaws

The distribution characteristics and evolution law of rock mass fissures induced by mining are a key scientific issue in the study of deep rock mechanics.In this study,a series of uniaxial compression experiments was conducted on rock-like specimens containing double V-shaped prefabricated fissures at dip angles ofα=β=45°,α=45°<b=60°,α=β=60°,andα=60°<β=75°with a rock mechanics servocontrolled testing system.According to the experimental results,the effects of the dip angles of the double V-shaped prefabricated flaws with the same area on the mechanical parameters and fracturing process of the specimens were analysed in detail.Additionally,the crack initiation stress presented a nearly linear growth trend,which is generally similar to that of the crack peak stress with increasing flaw dip angle.By applying photographic monitoring to the crack initiation,propagation,coalescence,and failure modes in rock-like specimens,it was easily seen that the V-shaped flaw properties slightly influence the crack initiation positions but significantly influence the crack trajectories.The crack failure modes can be summarized into two distinct types.The study reported herein can provide a better understanding of the evolution of double V-shaped prefabricated fissures induced by coal mining.

Study on Numerical Simulation of Mold Filling and Heat Transfer in Die Casting Process

A 3-D mathematical model considering turbulence phenomena has been established based on a computational fluid dynamics technique, so called 3-D SOLA-VOF (Solution Algorithm-Volume of Fluid), to simulate the fluid flow of mold filling process of die casting. In addition, the mathematical model for simulating the heat transfer in die casting process has also been established. The computation program has been developed by the authors with the finite difference method (FDM) recently. As verification, the mold filling process of a S-shaped die casting has been simulated and the simulation results coincide with that of the benchmark test. Finally, as a practical application, the gating design of a motorcycle component was modified by the mold filling simulation and the dies design of another motorcycle component was optimized by the heat transfer simulation. All the optimized designs were verified by the production practice.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF CASTING'S MOLD FILLING PROCESS

Numerical simulation of casting＇s mold filling process is the main and the most important aspect of the foundry CAE technology. But it is time-consuming; it may take dozens of hours or several days. While with the development of computer hardware, numerical simulation of casting＇ s mold filling process has made rapid progress. The simulation results, therefore, have become more and more practical. This study tries to find some clues of the computational time of mold filling process. Firstly, this paper introduces mathematic model and the basic route of numerical simulation of casting＇s mold filling process. Then the computational time of mold filling process has been carefully studied, and some new and useful results have been gained from the study of the computational time. Finally, this paper has given some real applications of numerical simulation of casting＇s mold filling process.

Coating process of multi-material composite sand mold 3D printing

Sand mold 3 D printing technology is an advanced manufacturing technology which has great flexible manufacturing ability. A multi-material composite sand mold can control the temperature field of metallic parts during the pouring process, while the current sand mold 3 D printing technology can only fabricate a single material sand mold. The casting temperature field can not be adjusted by using single sand mold material with isotropous heat exchange ability during the pouring process. In this work, a kind of novel coating device was designed. Multi-material composite sand molds could be manufactured using the coating device according to the casting process demands of the final parts. The influences of curing agent content, coating velocity and scraper shape on compactness and surface roughness of the sand layer(silica sand and zircon sand) were studied. The shapes and sizes of transition intervals of two kinds of sand granules were also tested. The results show that, with the increase of the added volume of curing agent, the compactness of sand layer reduces and the surface roughness value rises. With the increase of the velocity of the coating device, the compactness of sand layer reduces and the surface roughness value rises similarly. In addition, the scraper with a dip angle of 72 degrees could increase the compactness value of the sand layer. The criteria of quality parmeters of the coating procedure are obtained. That is, the surface roughness(δ) of sand layer should be equal to or lesser than half of main size of the sand particles(Dm). The parameter H of the coating device which is the distance between the base of hopper and the surface of sand layer impacts the size of transition zone. The width of the transition zone is in direct proportion to the parameter H, qualitatively. Through the optimization of the coating device, high quality of multi-material sand layers can be obtained. This will provide a solution in manufacturing the multi-material composite sand mold.

Characteristics and influence factors of mold filling process in permanent mold with a slot gating system

The main problems caused by improper gating are entrained aluminum oxide films and entrapped gas.In this study,the slot gating system is employed to improve mold filling behavior and therefore,to improve the quality of aluminum castings produced in permanent molds.An equipment as well as operation procedures for real-time X-ray radiography of molten aluminum flowing into permanent molds have been developed.Graphite molds transparent to X-rays are utilized which make it possible to observe the flow pattern through a number of vertically oriented gating systems.The investigation discovers that there are many influencing factors on the mold filling process.This paper focuses its research on some of the factors,such as the dimensions of the vertical riser and slot thickness,as well as roughness of the coating layer.The results indicate that molten metal can smoothly fill into casting cavity with a proper slot gating system.A bigger vertical riser,proper slot thickness and rougher coating can provide not only a better mold filling pattern,but also hot melt into the top of the cavity.A proper temperature gradient is obtainable,higher at the bottom and lower at the top of the casting cavity,which is in favor of feeding during casting solidification.

Constitutive model and numerical simulation for injection molding of MgTiO_(3) ceramic parts

In order to predict the powder flow law of the injection molding process of MgTiO3 ceramic parts with complex structures,a constitutive model and numerical simulation method for MgTiO3 ceramic injection molding were established based on the Hunt method.The material parameters of MgTiO3 such as elastic modulus,Poisson ratio,glass transition temperature,thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity were measured.Based on the fitting curve and the material parameters measured,the cross-WLF viscosity model and P-V-T model required for MgTiO3 ceramic injection molding were optimized.Furthermore,the influence of process parameters on mold filling flow and distribution of parts defects was researched.It was found that the gate position,injection speed and melt temperature have greater influence on mold filling flow and the packing process has an obvious effect on parts’defects.On this basis,the MgTiO3 ceramic parts injection molding experiment verification was carried out.By comparing the experimental results with the simulated results,it is found that the deformation error is within 1.5%and the density error is within 1%.Therefore,this research provided theoretical guidance for the engineering application of MgTiO3 ceramic parts fabricated by injection molding.

Mensuration and simulation of mold filling process in semi-solid die-cast of aluminum alloy

To understand the flow trace of semi-solid slurry in mold cavity, some thermocouples were inserted in mold cavity, and the reaction timing of thermocouples showed the arrival of fluid. The filling time and rate were estimated by comparison between the experiment and calculation. The introduction of computer simulation technique based on ADSTEFAN was to predict injectionforming process and to prevent defects during trial manufacture of various parts. By comparing the formed appearance of parts in experiment and in simulation, and observing the relationship between internal defects inspected by X-ray or microscope and the flow field obtained in simulation, it was indicated that both have quite good agreement in simulation and experiment. Right predictions for cast defects resulted from mold rilling can be carried out and proper direction was also proposed. The realization of numerical visualization for filling process during semi-solid die-cast process will play an important role in optimizing technology plan.

Preparation of the Preform of Pure Carbon Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide by In-situ Consolidation Molding Method

A new kind of in-situ ceramic consolidation molding process was investigated on the basis of the characteristics of starch swelling in water and gelatinizing when heated. The SiC ceramic suspension containing about 50vol% solids loading and about 3wt% starch can be cast and molded into various complex-shape SiC ceramic parts in a water-thermostat. The dry shrinkage of the green body was less than 1.0% when the solid volume fraction of SiC suspension was up to 52.5%. The density and pore size were homogeneously distributed inside the biscuits. Soaked with melt silicon in a vacuum arc furnace, the biscuits were turn into SiC ceramic materials with homogeneous structure and high performances.

Virtual Mold Technique in Thermal Stress Analysis during Casting Process

It is important to analyse the casting product and the mold at the same time considering thermal contraction of the casting and thermal expansion of the mold. The analysis considering contact of the casting and the mold induces the precise prediction of stress distribution and the defect such as hot tearing. But it is difficult to generate FEM mesh for the interface of the casting and the mold. Moreover the mesh for the mold domain spends lots of computational time and memory for the analysis due to a number of meshes. Consequently we proposed the virtual mold technique which only uses mesh of the casting part for thermal stress analysis in casting process. The spring bar element in virtual mold technique is used to consider the contact of the casting and the mold. In general, a volume of the mold is much bigger than that of casting part, so the proposed technique decreases the number of mesh and saves the computational memory and time greatly. In this study, the proposed technique was verified by the comparison with the traditional contact technique on a specimen. And the proposed technique gave satisfactory results.

Drag material change in hot runner injection molding

Quick material change is often encountered for the different colors or kinds of polymer in hot runner injecting molding process. Time costing and incompleteness of material change process often affects the quality and productivity of products. In the practical production, multi injection or white material as the transition material is often adopted for quick material change. Based on the rheological behavior of the new and the previous plastic melt, the researches on the related problems were carried out. The concept of drag material change was originally presented. The physical and mathematical model on the simultaneous flow process of the new and the previous plastic melt in hot runner were built up, which can well explain the influence of the injection speed, pressure, viscosity difference, temperature and mold structure on the drag material change efficiency. When temperature in different position in the mold was increased and adjusted, the viscosity difference between the two kinds of melt can be controlled. Therefore the material change ability can be greatly improved during the whole material change process, getting rid of more and more difficult changing in the late stage.