Towards Optimization of μ-Injection Molding Process for a New V-Shaped Geometrical Component Using X-ray CT-Based Quality Characterization

摘要

The influence of micro-injection molding process parameters on a molded component’squality is very prominent. Depending on the functional performance of the part, the desiredquality is defined by several criteria which may include dimensional tolerances, shrinkage/warpage,fiber characteristics, and internal defects. A correlation of process parameters with the defined qualityattributes needs to be investigated for a new geometrical component. In this work, a micro-componentwith a new V-shaped geometry is chosen, as this type of geometry finds potential applications inthe medical industry. The parts are manufactured with polyoxymethylene resin with a full-factorialdesign of experimental plan with investigating parameters of mold temperature, melt temperature,injection speed, and packing pressure. The number of internal pores and amount of volumetricshrinkage are identified as the critical quality criteria and the effect of the process parameters isstudied with respect to those criteria. The measurement results indicated that the presence of pores isinevitable within the chosen process window; however, the amount can be minimized with carefulselection of process settings. Moreover, the statistical analyses demonstrated the significance levels ofthe process parameters.