Gas

Assisted
Injection
Molding
1.How can we reduce ‘Molded-in Part Stresses’ due to Injection
Molding?
2.How can we eliminate / reduce Warpage in Injection Molded Parts?
2.How can we eliminate / reduce Warpage in
Injection Molded Parts?
3. How can we eliminate / reduce Sink Marks
in Injection Molded Parts?
4. How can we obtain more freedom to design
Injection Molded Parts?
5. How can we improve the ‘Part integration
Possibilities’ in Injection Molded Parts?
6. How can we improve the surface appearance
in Injection Molded Parts?
6. How can we reduce the part filling time in
Injection Molded Parts?
8. How can we increase the flow length in
Injection Molded Parts?
9. How can we improve the Stiffness to weight
ratio of Injection Molded Parts?
10. How can we reduce the cycle time of
Injection Molded Parts?
11. How can we reduce the clamping tonnage
of Injection Molded Parts?
12. How can we reduce the injection pressure
for Injection Molded Parts?
13. How can we reduce the tooling cost of
Injection Molded Parts?
 14. How can we provide ribs having a
thickness equal to 100% of part wall thickness
to improve stiffness of Injection Molded Parts,
without creating any sink marks at all?
15. How can we get closer tolerances & better
control of Injection Molded Parts?
There is one & only one answer to the previous
15 questions!
GAIN is an Acronym for …….?
 GAIN is an Acronym for
•Gas
•Assist
•INjection-Molding
Which is the one & only one answer for all the
previous 15 questions!
 Gas-assist
Injection Molding
Disadvantages of GAIN?

•Licensing Costs
•Machine Costs
•Use of consumable N2 Gas
•Gas Nozzle Design & Location
•Polymer must cover gas nozzle prior to gas
introduction or blow out will occur.
•Some nozzle design will foul / plug during
gas injection / venting;
•Maintenance costs higher
 An Overview of
GAIN
(Gas Assist Injection Molding)
Relation between polymer skin thickness & gas
penetration length for fixed prefilled polymer volume
Polymer
Skin
Thickness

Gas Penetration Length

 Comparison between Blow-Molding & GAIN
# Particulars Blow GAIN
Molding
1 Wall Thickness Low High
2 Core Size Large Small
3 Skin : Core Section area ~ 20:80 ~ 80:20
4 Purpose Contain Reduce
weight
GAIN details… contd

•Involves the injection of a short shot of resin into cavity

•Gas
•Takes path of least resistance into areas of part with
low pressure & high temperature
•Cores out thick sections by displacing molten material
•Becomes packing pressure, taking up volumetric
shrinkage of material
 Gas Assist Injection Molding

Constant Volume Constant Pressure

Contained Channel

Open Channel
1. Material is injected to given volume
2. Injection of gas begins as material injection
finishes
3. Gas fills component cavity
4. Gas Pressurizes designed volume
5. When material has become solid, withdrawal of
gas injection nozzle allows gas to be released
Passenger Handle
in
Mitsubishi Lancer
Gas Assisted Injection Molding
Multiple nozzles can be used on Multiple molds on
common platen
•Molding multiple parts with different shapes and weights in a single cycle
•Extremely difficult due to unbalanced flow and fill patterns.
•Multiple nozzle processing can overcome these problems by permitting each mold
cavity to be filled individually with different shot sizes and gas pressures
(a) Resin Injection
2.Gas Injection

(b) Gas is injected through multiple nozzles to fill out part &
hold pressure
3.Gas venting
For large parts GAIN reduces
•Flow length
•Injection Pressure
•Cavity pressure
REACTION
INJECTION
MOLDING
(RIM)
RIM PROCESS
• Reaction injection molding- Similar to injection
molding but advanced processing method for
composite manufacturing with little modification.
• Two highly reactive liquid ingredients (monomers) are
carefully metered, brought together in a mix head,
mixed by impingement and immediately injected into a
heated mold under low pressure.
• Chemical reaction starts immediately after mixing the
materials and polymerization takes place and
completes in few seconds.
RIM PROCESS
• Major portion of RIM process acts as a high pressure
pump.
• This process is suitable only for thermosetting resin where
a curing reaction takes place within the mold cavity.
• Reacting ingredients such as isocyanates, polyurethanes
and polyamides do fast polymerization process.
• cycle time of process is reduced and production rate is
substantially enhanced.
SCHEMATIC OF RIM PROCESS
SCHEMATIC OF RIM PROCESS
RIM VARIATIONS

• Reinforced Reaction Injection Molding (RRIM)

• fillers (including chopped glass, carbon/graphite fibers) can be incorporated
into one or both monomers

• Structural Reaction Injection Molding (SRIM)

• reinforcement placed in mold before injecting the reactive liquid monomers
STRUCTURAL REACTION INJECTION MOLDING

Variation of RIM
• Instead of chopped, short fibers and fillers, continuous woven
fiber mat or chopped strand mat can be used.
• These fabrics are placed into the mold cavity similar to resin
transfer molding and resin mixture is injected over it.
• When resin rapidly reacts, polymerizes and cures to process
composite product.
RESINS USED IN RIM PROCESS

• polyurethane (most common)

• two liquid monomer components
• polyol
• isocyanate
• high CTE (unreinforced 60 - 90 x 10-6 in/in/°F)
• low modulus (flexural, 20 - 300 ksi)
• dicyclopentadiene (dcpd)
REINFORCEMENT USED IN RIM PROCESS

• RRIM
• chopped, milled fibers (glass, carbon/graphite)
• usually added to polyol
• SRIM
• glass, carbon/graphite, aramid
• fabric (woven, unidirectional, multiaxial)
• mat
• preform
RIM PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT

• DAY TANKS
• store unfilled components and filled (reinforced) components
• slowly and continuously agitate by mixing impellers to prevent settling of fibers
• may have heating jackets for temp control
• pressurized at 15 - 60 psi
• METERING CYLINDERS FILL WITH COMPONENTS FROM DAY TANKS
• components could be moved directly from the pressurized tanks with air
pressure, however usually transferred with the assistance of feeder pumps
• feeder pumps can provide continuous recirculation (maintain filler in
suspension and uniform temp)
MIXING OF COMPONENTS

• after metering cylinders filled, they are driven forward by hydraulic pressure to
deliver components to mixhead at a known rate.
• (delivery of the two components must be closely synchronized to ensure a
uniform reaction and consistent properties in cured part)
• during first part of plunger travel, valve to mixing chamber is closed -
components are recirculated through head into return lines and back to day
tanks
• after preliminary recirculation - mixhead valve is opened, components enter the
chamber to be mixed
• mix chamber is usually small cylinder - components enter from opposite sides of
chamber
• mixhead is designed to develop turbulence in the mix chamber to intimately mix
the two components
• turbulence created by stream impingement at high pressure (1,500 - 3,000 psi)
• streams should have equal momentum at the time they meet
FILLING THE MOLD

• after metering the shot, mixhead valve is closed, components

recirculated back into day tanks
• metered shot is cleared from mixing chamber by a close fitting ram
and flows directly into mold
• mold normally filled from bottom so air can be easily push out
ahead of flow
• shot fills mold to about 90% and expansion during chemical
reaction of the polyol and isocyanate completes the fill
CURING AND DEMOLDING

• components react and gel within 2 - 10 secs from the start of

injection
• mold remains closed for a period of time to allow sufficient cure so
part can be removed and handled without damage (30 - 90 secs)
• knockout pins, automatic slides, or pneumatic devices in the mold
used to assist with demolding
• for small flexible parts may use rubber spatula to pry part loose or
insert air nozzle and blow off
• for most resin formulations, parts are post-cured in an oven
REACTION INJECTION MOLDING vs INJECTION MOLDING

• Injection molding is the process of forcing melted plastic into a

mold.
• In reaction injection molding, two liquid components are mixed in
a high-or low pressure mixing head and pumped into a mold.
Criterion Thermoplastic Injection Molding Reaction Injection Molding
Input for of Grains Liquid form
Material
Processing 176- 240 Deg C Low temperature- 32-40 Dec
Temperature C
Mold 60-135 Deg C 35- 40 Deg C
Temperature
Floor space Equipment/ Tools needs bigger Equipment needs relatively
floor space low space
Mold Clamping High Tonnage required Works with low tonnages
Core and cavity needs high quality Tool steels Low strength materials can
elements be used- Eg. Aluminum,
Kirksite and etc
Heating of Needs high energy for melting Needs very less energy for
plastic plastic processing
Investment High Investment is required Low investments
ADVANTAGES OF RIM PROCESS
• Due to less heating and low clamping tonnage requirements,
Process needs Less energy per part
• All types of polymers (thermosetting resin and thermoplastics) can
be processed with injection molding process.
• RIM resin builds viscosity rapidly (higher average viscosity during
mold filling)
• Highly reactive nature of RIM resin systems leads to cycle times
currently faster than achieved with RTM process
• Fibers tend to become aligned during injection-optimize directional
properties. Small to large complex geometries can be produced.
• Structural RIM- high volume at low cost
• No heat is required and mold cost is also low.
• Mix ratios of RIM resin systems nearly 1:1 in volume
• ideally suited to impingement mixing process
• self-cleaning mix element.
DISADVANTAGES OF RIM

• Mainly suitable for chopped fiber reinforcement

• The initial capital investment is high
• Due too high shearing action into barrel and nozzle, extensive damage to the
fibers may be place.
Sandwich Molding

• The sandwich injection molding is defined, that two or more

polymers are injected one after the other through the same
gate in one or more cavities.
• A thin boundary layer of the first injected material solidifies.
• The core remains plastic. The second now injected material
fills the core.
• The first material takes over the function of the skin. The
process can be used for all thermoplastic materials.
• The sandwich can be used as decorative or marbled molded
parts.
Application of Sandwich Molding

Core material Skin material Advantages

(inside) (outside)
Recycled material Virgin material Material cost saving

Foamed polymer Smooth surface Material and weight

saving

Glass filled polymer Paintable surface Increased stability and

strength

Colored material Transparent material Decorative effects

PE weld able PA not weld able Combination of

characteristics
Injection Compression Molding

It is the process of introduction of thermoplastic melt into a

slightly open mould with simultaneous or subsequent pressing
(= compression moulding) via an additional closing stroke.

This additional closing stroke can either be performed by the

machine or by a coining punch in the mould.

The resulting cavity pressure is distributed more evenly over the

part surface, usually with the aim of improving the molding
accuracy and dimensional stability of the parts.
Injection Compression Molding

Injection-compression moulding is a low-pressure process, so

that inserts such as decorations or metal inserts are protected
from damage.

Particularly in lighting applications, low injection and holding

pressures can minimize internal stresses and thus significantly
influence the optical properties.

A suitable injection moulding machine must therefore not only

have a high degree of flexibility, but also have very precise and
repeatable movements.
• Flexible
• Precise
• Repeatable
• Error-free
Stages in Injection Compression Molding

• Closing of the tool to the embossing gap

• Injection of the thermoplastic melt

• Coining of the injected melt

• Cooling and demoulding

Applications of Injection Compression Molding

• Optical applications (e.g. lenses, diffusing lenses, headlights, displays, etc.)

• Long-fibre reinforced moulded parts (e.g. door modules, underbody protection,

etc.)

• Decorated components (e.g. decorative panels, side panels, mobile phone

shells, etc.)

• Components with surface structures (e.g. Fresnel structures, Lotus surfaces,

etc.)

• Foamed components (e.g. insulation components, lightweight construction, etc.)

• Components with problem areas (e.g. blowholes, sink marks at the end of the
flow path, etc.)
Features of Injection Compression Molding

• Flexible processes, precise starting and control of the clamp in different profiles
and positions

• Linear holding pressure behaviour (improvement of dimensional accuracy, sink

marks and distortion)

• Mould filling > 100% in the injection phase

• Possible reduction of injection pressure and clamping force

• Reduction of fibre alignment and internal stresses

• Less material shear

• Improved cavity venting

• A feature that can be switched on, switched off and retrofitted to all standard
injection moulding machines
THANK
YOU