END-TO-END SIMULATION FRAMEWORK FOR INJECTION MOLDING PROCESS OPTIMIZATION

Injection molding is a highly efficient manufacturing technique, particularly suited for a large volume of production due to its low cycle time, elevated productivity, and minimal waste generation. Numerical simulation of the injection molding process plays a pivotal role during the product designing phase. However, most available studies in this domain predominantly focus on simulating flow behavior of the plastic within the mold cavity, often overlooking the other stages material undergoes during the life cycle of the product manufacturing. This study attempts to develop an end-to-end simulation framework which spans the entire manufacturing process, as well as can predict the mechanical performance of the part, post-production. The developed simulation framework initiates from the extrusion process, where the behavior of the plastic within the extruder is surveyed. Using computational fluid dynamic tools, the flow of the plastic in the mold cavity is then studied. Subsequently, cooling and solidification processes are modelled using a thermo-mechanical analysis approach, followed by modelling of warpage and shrinkage arising due to differential cooling. Finally, employing the homogenization approach, the material properties of the manufactured parts are predicted, and the mechanical performance is extensively examined under service loading conditions. Wherever feasible, the simulation framework is validated against experimental data. The developed simulation framework not only diminishes the need of the repetitive experimental trials during design optimization phase, but also serves as a foundation to investigate the impact of varying processing conditions on the performance of the part.