Fabrication of circular and Profiled Conformal Cooling Channels in aluminum filled epoxy injection mould tools

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khurram Altaf ◽  
Ahmad Majdi Abdul Rani ◽  
Vijay R. Raghavan
Keyword(s):  
Injection Mould ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels

Manufacture of Production Quality Injection Mold Tools Using SLS and HSM

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. M. Taylor ◽  
I. P. Ilyas ◽  
K. W. Dalgarno ◽  
J. Gosden
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Rapid Manufacturing ◽  
Injection Mold ◽  
Metal Composite ◽  
Injection Mould ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels ◽  
Near Net Shape ◽  
The Impact

The use of a rapid manufacturing method to create injection mould tools offers the opportunity to create conformal cooling channels in the core/cavity inserts. Conformal cooling channels allow for better thermal management of the injection mold tool through the cycle, with the potential to reduce cycle times and/or improve product quality. However, currently available rapid manufacturing methods do not deliver the levels of accuracy and surface finish required to meet typical injection mould tool specifications. This paper reports on a hybrid approach to developing the mold inserts, which uses the rapid manufacturing process of indirect selective laser sintering (SLS), using the 3D Systems LaserForm process, to create a near net shape insert with conformal cooling channels, and then produces the net shape inserts by using high speed machining (HSM) as a finishing process. This approach to injection mold tool development has been tested through three industrial case studies. In each study existing injection mold inserts have been redesigned to give a conformally cooled tool. These have then been manufactured to near net shape in a steel/bronze metal composite through indirect SLS, and finished to production specification using HSM, EDM and polishing. Within the case studies the main aim has been to improve productivity, and the inserts have been evaluated in industrial trials in order to assess their performance in terms of cycle time, energy usage, durability and quality. The results show that significant productivity improvements and energy use reductions in injection molding are possible through the implementation of conformal cooling. Consistency of part quality and material durability have been assessed through extended molding trials, and in some cases there is a clear economic benefit to using the inserts. However, the importance of up front modelling to understand the impact of conformal cooling channels, the need for careful planning in manufacture to ensure that the required internal geometry is created, and the need for multiple representations of the required geometry to inform the different stages of the manufacture process are highlighted.

SLM additive manufacture of H13 tool steel with conformal cooling and structural lattices

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 504-518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Mazur ◽  
Martin Leary ◽  
Matthew McMillan ◽  
Joe Elambasseril ◽  
Milan Brandt
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Additive Manufacture ◽  
Lattice Structures ◽  
Injection Mould ◽  
H13 Steel ◽  
Tool Manufacture ◽  
Conformal Cooling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cooling Channels ◽  
Conformal Cooling Channels

Purpose Additive manufacture (AM) such as selective laser melting (SLM) provides significant geometric design freedom in comparison with traditional manufacturing methods. Such freedom enables the construction of injection moulding tools with conformal cooling channels that optimize heat transfer while incorporating efficient internal lattice structures that can ground loads and provide thermal insulation. Despite the opportunities enabled by AM, there remain a number of design and processing uncertainties associated with the application of SLM to injection mould tool manufacture, in particular from H13/DIN 1.2344 steel as commonly used in injection moulds. This paper aims to address several associated uncertainties. Design/methodology/approach A number of physical and numerical experimental studies are conducted to quantify SLM-manufactured H13 material properties, part manufacturability and part characteristics. Findings Findings are presented which quantify the effect of SLM processing parameters on the density of H13 steel components; the manufacturability of standard and self-supporting conformal cooling channels, as well as structural lattices in H13; the surface roughness of SLM-manufactured cooling channels; the effect of cooling channel layout on the associated stress concentration factor and cooling uniformity; and the structural and thermal insulating properties of a number of structural lattices. Originality/value The contributions of this work with regards to SLM manufacture of H13 of injection mould tooling can be applied in the design of conformal cooling channels and lattice structures for increased thermal performance.

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