Setting process conditions
Importance of process conditions
The quality of the molded part is greatly influenced by the conditions under which it
is processed. See, for example, the process window shown in Figure 1. As you lower
the temperature, higher pressure is needed to deliver the polymer melt into the
cavity. If the temperature is too high, you risk causing material degradation. If the
injection pressure is too low, a short shot could result. If the pressure is too high,
you will flash the mold.
FIGURE 1. Process window shows the influence of pressure versus temperature
After Dr. CMOLD evaluates the sensitivity of a process to various design parameters, it can
produce a machine setup sheet to assist process engineers in setting injection molding
machine controls. See Figure ?. The numbers in the Suggested Value column are parameters
optimized by Dr. CMOLD. In the Set Value column, you may enter the actual machine
control settings you used, based on Dr. CMOLD's values.
Setting machine process conditions
Before setting process conditions, you should make sure the molding machine is in proper
working order, and that the mold you plan to use was designed for the particular machine you
plan to use. Follow the stepbystep procedure provided below to control the settings on your
machine.
1Set the melt temperature
2Set the mold temperature
3Set the switchover position
4Set the screw rotation speed
5Set the back pressure
6Set the injection pressure to the machine maximum
7Set the holding pressure at 0 MPa
8Set the injection velocity to the machine maximum
9Set the holding time
10Set ample remaining cooling time
11Set the mold open time
12Mold a shortshot series by increasing injection volume
13Switch to automatic operation
14Set the mold opening stroke
15Set the ejector stroke, start position, and velocity
16Set the injection volume to 99% mold filled
17Increase the holding pressure in steps
18Minimize the holding time
19Minimize the remaining cooling time Step 1
Step Set the melt temperature
Melt temperature is one of the most important factors in molding plastic parts. If it is too low,
the resin might not be completely melted or it might be too sticky to flow. If the melt
temperature is too high, the resin could degrade, especially if the resin is POM or PVC.
Suggested melt and mold temperatures for specific materials are available from the resin
supplier. Appropriate melt and mold temperatures for several materials are listed in Resin
data table. The resin table also contains links to descriptions of resins, their general
properties, and typical applications.
Setting heater band temperatures
Most melting of the resin occurs because of the frictional heating from the screw rotation
inside the barrel. The barrel heater bands serve mainly to keep the resin at the appropriate
temperature. Typically there are three to five temperature zones or heater bands on the
cylinder. The rules for setting the heater band temperatures are as follows:
The temperature should gradually decrease from the nozzle zone to the zone nearest the
hopper.
The last temperature zone, nearest the hopper, should be about 40º to 50ºC (72º to 80ºF)
lower than the calculated melt temperature, to give better transport of plastic pellets
during plasticization.
The heater band at the nozzle zone should be set to the calculated melt temperature, and
should keep the temperature uniform. Improper heater band temperature settings may cause
drooling at the nozzle, and degradation or color change, especially for PA
materials.Following the rules above, here is an example of how a process engineer would use
Dr. CMOLD's prediction of melt temperature set heater band temperatures. Dr. CMOLD
predicts 235ºC (455ºF) as the melt temperature for PS, as shown in Figure ?. A process
engineer can use this melt temperature to set the heater band temperature as follows:
235ºC (455ºF) at the nozzle zone
235ºC (455ºF) at the front zone
210ºC (410ºF) at the first middle zone
195ºC (383ºF) at the second middle zone
180ºC (356ºF) at the rear zone
Airshot temperature
The actual melt temperature, or airshot temperature, is usually higher than the heater band
controller setting. This difference is due to the influence of back pressure and screw rotation
on frictional heating and the melt temperature, as mentioned above. (You can measure the
actual melt temperature by quickly sticking a probe thermometer into an air shot with the
nozzle backed away from the mold.)
Step 2
Step Set the mold temperature
Suggested melt and mold temperatures for specific materials are available from the resin
supplier. Appropriate melt and mold temperatures for many generic, base resins are listed in
Resin data table.
The mold temperature can be measured by using a thermometer. As illustrated below, the
average cavity surface temperature will be higher than the temperature of the coolant during
production. Thus, you should set the coolant temperature to be 10º to 20ºC (18º to 36ºF)
lower than the required mold temperature (provided on Dr. CMOLD's setup sheet). If the
mold temperature is 40º to 50ºC (72º to 80ºF) or more, consider insulation plates between the
mold and the clamping plates, for energy savings and process stabilization.
FIGURE 2. Temperaturetime curve at various locations in the mold. a) Mold cavity surface. b)
Cooling channel wall. c) Cooling channel outlet. d) Cooling channel inlet.
Use the lowest temperature setting to achieve the shortest cycle time. However, you might try
using higher temperatures to improve the appearance of the part. A higher mold temperature
produces a higher gloss and more crystallization.
Considering temperature difference
For parts with a deep core, a lower coolant temperature is needed for the core (moving plate)
in order to minimize the temperature difference between the mold surfaces on the core and
cavity. A lower surface temperature difference will produce parts with higher quality, at a
lower cost. By a rule of thumb, the coolant temperature for fixed and moving plates should
not differ by more than 20ºC (36ºF). This is related to thermal expansion, which can be
determined only by the user. A large temperature difference results in differential mold plate
thermal expansion, which may cause alignment problems in guide pins, especially in large
molds. The mold will sometimes lock up for this reason. The cycle time can be increased to
reduce the required coolant temperature difference.
Step 3
Step Set the switchover position
The switchover position is the ram position where the filling (injection) stage switches to the
postfilling (packing or holding) stage. The cushion distance is the distance from the switch
over position to the farthest position that the end of the screw can reach, as shown in Figure
3. Thus, the switchover position determines the cushion distance. The cushion should
contain adequate material for postfilling the part. An insufficient cushion could cause sink
marks. The typical cushion distance is about 5 to 10 mm.
At this step, set the switchover position to fill about twothirds of the mold. This prevents
damage to the press or the mold. In Step 12, the injection volume will be increased to fill the
cavity.
FIGURE 3. Screw positions at various stages
Step 4
Step Set the screw rotation speed
Set the Screw rotation speed to the level required to plasticize the resin. Plasticizing should
not prolong the cycle time. If it does, increase the speed. The ideal speed causes plasticizing
to complete at the latest possible point in the cycle without prolonging the cycle time. Resin
vendors supply the suggested screw rotation speed for specific resins.
Step 5
Step Set the back pressure
The recommended Back pressure is about 5 to 10 MPa. Back pressure that is too low can
result in inconsistent parts. Increasing the back pressure will increase the frictional
contribution to the melt temperature and decrease the plasticization time. Use a higher back
pressure to achieve a shot volume that is a larger percentage of the injection machine's
capacity, in order to speed up plasticization. Use a lower back pressure for a smaller
percentage shot volume because the material will remain in the barrel longer (for many
cycles) before it reaches the screw head.
Step 6
Step Set the injection pressure to the machine maximum
The injection pressure is the pressure of the melt in front of the screw. The injection pressure
should be as low as possible to reduce part internal stress. On the machine, set the injection
pressure to the machine maximum. The purpose is to completely exploit the injection
velocity of the machine, so that the pressure setting valve does not limit the velocity. Because
the switchover to holding pressure occurs before the mold is completely filled, no damage
will be done to the mold.
Step 7
Step Set the holding pressure at 0 MPa
For now, set the holding pressure at 0 MPa, so the screw will stop when it reaches the switch
over position. This will prevent mold or press damage. In Step 17, the holding pressure is
increased to its final setting.
Step 8
Step Set the injection velocity to the machine maximum
With the highest possible injection velocity, you can expect less flow resistance, longer flow
length, and improved strength in weld lines. However, you may need to create vents once
you do this.
Proper venting minimizes defects
Insufficient venting causes compression of air trapped in the cavity. This results in very high
temperatures and pressures in the cavity, causing burn marks, material degradation, and short
shots. You should design a venting system to avoid or minimize the defects caused by
trapped air in the mold. CMOLD shows you where weld lines, meld lines, and air trap
locations will occur; use these predictions improve your design. Remember that it is
necessary to clean the mold surface and venting system regularly, especially for PVC or
ABS/PVC materials.
The filling time estimated by Dr. CMOLD is based on the maximum injection velocity for
the selected machine size, part volume, and the injection pressure. A higher injection
pressure requirement will slow the injection velocity, thus resulting in a longer filling time.
The actual filling time on the shop floor may be shorter if there is a booster or accumulator
attached to the injection unit, or may be longer if the injection velocity is not set to the
maximum. Also note that the shop floor filling time often refers to "the time while the screw
is moving," which includes filling time and holding time. The actual filling time should stop
at the switchover position.
Step 9
Step Set the holding time
The ideal holding time setting is the gate freezing (sealing) time or the part freezing time,
whichever is shorter. The gate and part freezing times can be calculated or estimated. For
your first trials, you can estimate the holding time to be 10 times the filling time predicted by
CMOLD.
Dr. CMOLD calculates the holding time for your design. The holding time calculated by Dr.
CMOLD is the gate freeze time or the part freeze time, whichever is shorter. Use this as
your initial holding time setting. It can be further refined in Step 18.
Step 10
Step Set ample remaining cooling time
Cooling time can be calculated or estimated. The cooling time consists of the holding time
and the remaining cooling time, as shown in Figure 4. Your first estimate of the cooling time
can be 10 times the filling time. For example, if the predicted filling time is .85 seconds, the
initial holding time would be 8.5 seconds and the additional cooling time would be 8.5
seconds. This ensures that the part and runner system will be sufficiently solid for ejection.
Cooling time is estimated by Dr. CMOLD and included on the machine setup sheet. The
cooling time consists of the holding time and the remaining cooling time. See Figure ?. Dr.
CMOLD estimates the cooling times for the cavity. In practice, a part may have to wait until
the runner is solidified before ejection. Use the estimated cooling time from Dr. CMOLD
first. Increase the cooling time if needed.
FIGURE 4. Cycle time and its components
Step 11
Step Set the mold open time
The mold open time is usually set at 2 to 5 seconds. This includes mold opening, ejection of
parts from the mold, then mold closing, as shown in Figure 4. The cycle time is the sum of
the filling time, cooling time, and mold open time.
Step 12
Step Mold a shortshot series by increasing injection volume
CMOLD provides the part weight and sprue/runner/gate weight. From this information,
along with the screw diameter or barrel inner diameter, the total injection volume and the
feeding position (see Screw positions at various stages) can be estimated for each shot.
For now, fill only twothirds of the mold. The holding pressure should already be set at 0
MPa, so that mold filling stops when the screw reaches the switchover position, thus
protecting the mold structure and the press. Next, increase the volume in increments of 5 to
10 percent, up to 95 percent of mold filling.
In order to prevent material from escaping from the open nozzle, relieve the back pressure
created during plasticizing by drawing back the screw a few millimeters, immediately after
the rotation has stopped.
Step 13
Step Switch to automatic operation
The purpose of an automatic operation is to obtain stability in the process.
Step 14
Step Set the mold opening stroke
The mold opening stroke is comprised of the core height, the part height, and the capsize
space, as shown in Figure 5. You should minimize the mold opening stroke. The mold
opening speed should be slow at the very beginning, then accelerate, then slow down again at
the end of the stroke. The sequence of the mold closing speed is similar to the mold opening
speed: slow, fast, slow.
FIGURE 5. Required mold opening
Step 15
Step Set the ejector stroke, start position, and velocity
Relieve any slides first. The ejector travel should be, at a maximum, the core height. If the
machine is equipped with a hydraulic ejector, set the start position at the point where the part
is clear of stationary mold parts. (When the ejector velocity is equal to the opening speed, the
part remains where it was in relation to the stationary mold part.)
Step 16
Step Set the injection volume to 99% mold filled
When the process has stabilized (when the same parts are produced each time), adjust the
switchover position to 99 percent of filling. This will exploit the maximum injection speed
in as large a part of the injection as possible.
Step 17
Step Increase the holding pressure in steps
Increase the holding pressure in steps of approximately 10 MPa in the melt. If the first step
does not fill the mold completely, increase the injection volume.
Demold and remove the part. Write the holding pressure on it. This holding pressure series
forms a good basis for a more thorough examination. You can then discuss the possibilities
and limitations with the customer.
Dr. CMOLD provides a holding pressure that results in minimum shrinkage, without
flashing or demolding problems. This estimated holding pressure is typically the maximum
value, and you should not set holding pressure higher than the value provided by Dr. C
MOLD.
Choose the lowest acceptable holding pressure, as this minimizes the internal stresses in the
part and saves material, as well as operating costs. A high holding pressure can cause
excessive residual stresses that could warp the part. Moldedin residual stresses can be
released somewhat by annealing at around 10ºC (18ºF) below the heat deflection
temperature.
If the material cushion is completely used (see Screw positions at various stages), the last
part of the holding pressure time will not be effective. This calls for a change in the injection
stroke position, in order to increase the injection volume.
Calculating injection pressure
The hydraulic pressure in the injection cylinder can be read on the machine manometer.
However, the injection pressure in front of the screw is more important. To calculate the
injection pressure you will need to multiply the hydraulic pressure by the resin/hydraulic
pressure ratio. (See Factors that influence injection pressure requirements.) This ratio is
usually found on the molding machine near the injection unit or in the instruction manual for
the machine. The ratio is usually in the range of 7 to 15, as shown in below.
FIGURE 6. Resin/hydraulic pressure ratio for a Ø 30 mm screw is 11.1
Step 18
Step Minimize the holding time
A quick way to find the minimum holding time is by setting a longer holding time, then
reducing the holding time until sink marks appear.
If consistent part dimensions are essential, use the following more accurate determination of
the holding pressure time. From a curve of part weight versus holding time, determine when
the gate or the part freezes. For example, Figure 7 shows that the holding pressure does not
influence the part weight after nine seconds. This is your minimum holding time.
FIGURE 7. Determination of the gate/part freezing time by weighing parts manufactured at
various holding pressure times
Step 19
Step Minimize the remaining cooling time
Reduce the remaining cooling time until the maximum surface temperature of the part
reaches the heat deflection temperature of the material. The heat deflection temperature can
be provided by the resin supplier.
