The Elastic Mold Deformation During the Filling and Packing Stage of the Injection Molding Process

The accurate numerical prediction of the mold filling process of long and thin walled parts is dependent on numerous factors. This paper investigates the effect of various influencing variables on the filling pattern by means of simulation and experimental validation. It was found that mold temperature, process settings and venting conditions have little effect on the predicted filling pattern. However, in the actual case study, the filling behavior observed during the experiments was significantly different compared to the numerical prediction. A structural finite element analysis of the moving mold half showed an unacceptable large deformation of the mold plates under injection pressure. A very good correlation between simulation and experiment was attained after improving the stiffness of the mold. Therefore it can be concluded, that the elasticity of the mold may have a significant influence on the filling pattern when long and thin walled products are considered. Furthermore, it was shown, that even an apparently stiff mold can exhibit a distinct deformation during filling and packing stage.