Characterisation of Blowing Agent Loaded Plastic Melts for Improved Filling Simulation of the Foam Injection Moulding Process

Abstract

Foam injection moulding provides manufacturers of injection-moulded parts with many advantages, such as material savings, cycle time reduction or lower warpage of parts. The ability to predict the properties of a foamed plastic moulding using simulation software is currently limited. By characterising blowing agent loaded plastic melts, material cards can be generated which further improve the results of a mould-filling simulation, especially in determining the local density of an injection-moulded part.

Numerical analysis of chemically foamed thick-walled PA66 GF30 moldings

“…The foaming process of polymeric materials is often used in the plastics processing industry due to the numerous advantages of these materials and economic production aspects [1]. Component weight reduction, low processing shrinkage, and slight warpage contribute to better dimensional stability of the components.…”

“…Component weight reduction, low processing shrinkage, and slight warpage contribute to better dimensional stability of the components. These materials also have low thermal conductivity and absorb sound [1][2][3]. The favorable properties of porous materials enable their use in the automotive industry, e.g.…”

“…Packaging for food and other products, as well as sports accessories, are also made of materials with a foam structure [2][3][4]. The use of foam injection molding allows to significantly reduce the cycle time and reduce energy consumption [1].…”