Development, Simulation of Temperatures, and Experimentation in Injection Molds Obtained through Additive Manufacturing with Photocurable Polymeric Resins

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a relatively new option in mold manufacturing for rapid tooling (RT) in injection processes. This paper presents the results of experiments with mold inserts and specimens obtained by stereolithography (SLA), which is a kind of AM. A mold insert obtained by AM and a mold produced by traditional subtractive manufacturing were compared to evaluate the performance of the injected parts. In particular, mechanical tests (in accordance with ASTM D638) and temperature distribution performance tests were carried out. The tensile test results of specimens obtained in a 3D printed mold insert were better (almost 15%) than those produced in the duralumin mold. The simulated temperature distribution closely matched its experimental counterpart—the difference in average temperatures was merely 5.36 °C. These findings support the use of AM in injection molding and RT as an excellent alternative for small and medium-sized production runs in the global injection industry.