Study of conventional and conformal cooling systems on 3Dx injection mold tooling

This class will detail how Moldflow Insight software was used to evaluate and optimize conformal cooling designs within 3D-printed injection mold tooling. Three sets of 3D-printed tooling were manufactured using an ultraviolet-curable photopolymer via PolyJet printing. One set of tooling was cooled via cooling channels in the steel mold base; the second set was cooled via straight cooling channels in the mold inserts; and the last set was cooled via conformal cooling channels in the mold inserts. Moldflow simulations were performed to investigate the temperature gradients within the inserts, which were correlated with measured temperatures taken during molding trials. Results showed lower, more-uniform surface temperatures for the inserts with conformal channels. Optimal conformal cooling designs were then evaluated via Moldflow simulations, showing that further improvements are possible as the capabilities of 3D-printed technology continues to advance. This session features Moldflow Insight.