Viscosity Measuring Methods for Feedstocks directly on Injection Molding Machines

摘要

There are various methods for testing the viscosity of MIM feedstocks and described in the literature, e.g. melt-indexer, capillary viscosimeter, etc. Typical factors taken into consideration for choosing a proper method for feedstock characterization are the costs and the time needed for measuring. The paper presents three methods which have been developed to check the feedstock consistency directly on the injection molding machine. The first method is based on a slit-die rheometer. The second method considers the energy which is needed for conveying the melt inside of the plastification unit. And the third method is similar to a melt indexer but also in this case the measurement is done directly on the injection molding machine. These novel methods are suitable to detect inconsistencies in feedstock preparation.