Abstract

A particle-level simulation of flake pigment orientation in injection molding was proposed to predict appearance defects caused by disturbed flake orientations. The effects of fountain flow and resin solidification were considered in order to reproduce the formation process for the orientation near the product surface, which has a large impact on the product appearance. In addition, an efficient method using a reverse-time calculation to predict the orientation in a surface layer was developed. The proposed method was verified by applying it to two types of center-gated disks, with different numbers of obstacles consisting of a hole and a thin-walled area, which were injection molded using polypropylene and aluminum flakes. For both disks, the proposed simulation reasonably predicted the location of the flow line defects generated downstream of the obstacles. We also performed an X-ray micro-computed tomography analysis to reveal the characteristic orientation distribution in the flow line.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.