Polymer Engineering and Science, Vol.52, No.5, 1111-1120, 2012
Effect of cavity surface coating and molding parameters on pressure drop: Developing a new software for rapid calculations
Nowadays, many of the plastic components are aesthetic pieces, and they are fabric, thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), or film coated. In the case of upholstered pieces, they are injected onto a textile tissue introduced into the mold, and they are finished with an edging process. Simulation programs used to optimize the injection process are not able to simulate the injection over fabrics, and therefore, it is difficult to select an injection machine without knowing the pressure drop inside the mold and without knowing how the parameters affect to the injection cycle or to the aesthetic aspect of this kind of pieces. This article presents a software for rapid calculations during the filling phase without the need for complex modeling. The program will be able to calculate pressure drop and other flow parameters that are fundamental for a good design of an industrial mold used in in-mold decoration (IMD) technique. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers