An analytical method for estimating the bulk melt temperature in the injection molding process by means of in-mold temperature sensors was presented in Part A of this article. This method was validated using a transient cooling simulation of an injection molding process. The simulation considered the heat flux and heat accumulation in the mold starting from process startup until steady state was achieved. For the simulation, a full 3D model of the mold geometry was developed. The average coolant temperature and the initial cavity wall temperature were evaluated as boundary conditions. The first was found to provide a more accurate prediction of the bulk melt temperature although it increases the sensitivity of the method to the temperature measurement. Overall, the trends correlated well for both simulated and experimental data as well as the bulk temperature measurements.
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