An experimental analysis on thermal performance of interloping threaded cooling channels in injection mold cavity

Abstract

Injection molding is a mass manufacturing process, which facilitates the production of specially designed products in diverse shapes and sizes using various materials, serving industries from daily necessities to aerospace components. The cooling process in injection molding takes up a significant portion of an overall cycle time. In this study, a thermal analysis of conventional and threaded cooling channels in injection mold cavity was conducted using infrared thermal imaging. The experiments measured the temperature distributions in the mold cavity as they reached steady states during both heating and cooling phases. The temperature–time dynamics within the injection mold cavity revealed that the threaded design was significantly more efficient, heating up 23.4 s faster and cooling down 33.3 s quicker than the conventional cooling channel. Additionally, the threaded cooling channel maintained a more uniform temperature distribution of 1.64 °C lower than that in conventional cooling. The threaded configuration achieved peak temperatures 5.88% more rapidly and returned faster to near-ambient levels by 5.55%, highlighting its enhanced efficiency. Findings showed a higher quality of mold products and a reduction in cooling time, with the threaded cooling channel producing parts characterized by a high-gloss and refined surface finish. This enhanced performance of the threaded cooling channel could lead to significant energy savings and productivity gains in industrial applications.

Graphical abstract