SmartMold Performs
1
Part design for plastic reduction through:
Initial Part Design
Part design for plastic reduction through:
- thickness reduction
- volume reduction
2
Selection
Selection and characterization of the most effective functional coatings, taylored on the customer’s specific polymer.
3
Analysis
Analysis of plastic reduction potentials through accurate numerical simulations of the customer’s injection molding process.
4
New Part Design
Accurate structural analyses of the new part design to guarantee the required mechanical performance.
Thickness reduction
BenefitsA significant wall thickness reduction will bring several benefits:
- Lower plastic consumption
- Shorter cycle time
- Lighter parts
- Overall cost reduction
Thickness reduction
BenefitsA significant wall thickness reduction will bring several benefits:
- Lower plastic consumption
- Shorter cycle time
- Lighter parts
- Overall cost reduction
Thickness reduction
Limitations
Given a maximum available injection pressure in the original design, a significant wall thickness reduction causes higher pressure drop and short shots
Given a maximum available injection pressure in the original design, a significant wall thickness reduction causes higher pressure drop and short shots
Thickness reduction
SolutionSmart Mold develops and employs functional coatings that not only improve wear resistance and part ejection but facilitate cavity filling.
They produce a cooling delay during the filling phase, which significantly decrease the polymer viscosity and slightly increase the cycle time.
They enable wall thickness and cycle time reduction.
Volume reduction
Volume reduction is a very effective strategy but produces several weld lines that severely weaken the part structure.
Smart Mold selectively coats the mold cavity to create an unbalanced filling flow that shifts the weld line position and increase its strength.
Volume reduction
Volume reduction is a very effective strategy but produces several weld lines that severely weaken the part structure.
Smart Mold selectively coats the mold cavity to create an unbalanced filling flow that shifts the weld line position and increase its strength.
Easier processing of PCR plastics
Post-consumer recycled polypropylene is difficult to mold due to its high viscosity.
Smart Mold’s functional coatings facilitate cavity filling, enabling to mold higher fractions of high-viscosity PCR.
Easier processing of PCR plastics
Post-consumer recycled polypropylene is difficult to mold due to its high viscosity.
Smart Mold’s functional coatings facilitate cavity filling, enabling to mold higher fractions of high-viscosity PCR.
Smart Mold functional coatings
Working principle
Smart Mold functional coatings concentrate high thermal insulation power in a very thin layer, which delays the polymer cooling long enough to decrease its viscosity during the filling phase.
Increase weld line strength
Using the surface treatments as flow-leader, the flow inside the cavity is unbalanced. The so called in-flow effect (a pressure gradient) modified the weld line interface, increasing the shape, position and increasing their strength.
Facilitate cavity filling
Reducing the injection pressure during the filling stage, the polymer better fill the cavity. A better filling results in a better part quality (the pressure is even distributed inside the cavity, reducing the shrinkage of the part).
Reduce Number of gates
