Optimization of sustainability in the process of plastic injection molding through the implementation of advanced conformal cooling

Abstract

In the manufacturing process of a plastic part, using injection molds, different phases intervene that determine the manufacturing cycle and, therefore, its associated cycle time. Of all of them, the cooling phase is currently the one that has the greatest influence on energy expenditure, economic expenditure and environmental impact. Therefore, from the point of view of sustainability and energy efficiency, it is the phase with greater impact and importance. Currently, the traditional design of the cooling elements and systems, which are directly involved in this phase, is limited in the thermal exchange that takes place between the cooling fluid and the injection mold cavity. This limitation is directly related to the progressive increase, in recent years, in the design
requirements of plastic parts that, more frequently, incorporate complex geometries and deep cores. In this line, the performance of traditional cooling systems decreases due to the limitations associated with the traditional machining process with which their main elements are manufactured. As a solution to these limitations and thanks to the development of new additive manufacturing technologies, conformal cooling channels are presented. In this line, the conformal cooling channels provide greater flexibility to the design, achieving optimization of the thermal exchange and making it more efficient, homogeneous and uniform between the cooling fluid and the cavity of the injection mold. The present research work describes the application of a new conformal type cooling system for the cooling of a plastic part with complex geometries, great depths and high requirements of design, where the use of traditional cooling is inefficient. The results of this research work significantly improve the uniformity of the temperature map on the surface of the plastic part, reducing the cycle time by more than 36%, compared to the traditional design. These results align perfectly to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of the manufacturing process.