Athlone Institute of Technology

Institiúid Teicneolaíochta Bhaile Átha Luain

Department of Mechanical & Polymer Engineering

Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) in Mechanical & Polymer

Engineering

Year: 2019/2020

Module: Polymer Technology & Mould Design

Continuous Assessment

Student Name: Ciara Stynes Student No A00261787

Date: 27/02/2020
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submission of this report
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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
A00261787 Window Engineering

Table of Contents
Introduction............................................................................................................................3

Objective................................................................................................................................4

Methodology...........................................................................................................................4

Results...................................................................................................................................6

Discussion..............................................................................................................................7

Conclusion.............................................................................................................................8

References.............................................................................................................................8

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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
A00261787 Window Engineering

Determining the Process Window – Process Window

Study (Moulding Area Diagram)
Introduction
Injection moulding is a processes of injecting molten polymer into a mould cavity and when
the polymer has cooled ejecting it from the mould. This processes can be used with a
variety of polymers into a variety of shapes. When validating a processes the parameter
have to be defined by creating a processing window some of these parameters can be
defined. Some of these parameters can be found during injection

During injection there are two main phases, injection and holding. During injection a high
pressure is used to obtain a set speed and fill out the part. This speed is maintained until a
certain volume has been injected into the mould cavity.

Once the cavity is filled the polymer begins to cool and shrink, if the high pressure is
maintained it puts the part under unnecessary stress. This is when a lower pressure is put
on for a set amount of time. This holding pressure is put on until the gate freeze of as after
this the parts can no longer be effected by the pressure and the pressure will only be
packing out the sprue and runner system.

During the injection phase the material injected should be 95-97% of the final part. This
means that the part and the material is not put under an unnecessary stress. If the part
was 100% filled by injection then the final product may have a reduction in properties due
to the internal stresses.

When setting up a process window an appropriate temperature profile has to chosen. This
can often be found from the supplier of the material. At this temperature profile the shot
size must first be determined, this means that a plasticising delay and no holding pressure
is used to get a 95-97% filled part. This means that the part is only being filled by the
injection phase.

Once a shot size has been chosen the plasticising delay is removed and a holding
pressure is put on. The holding pressure is then increased until an acceptable part is
made, this will be the lower holding pressure at this temperature profile. The holding
pressure is the increased even further until the holding is no longer making acceptable
parts, this can usually be seen by the presence of flash. This new holding pressure is the
upper pressure for this temperature profile.

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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
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This processes is then repeated for a different temperature and a lower and upper holding
pressure is noted. These limited pressures are then used on a graph of temperature vs
pressure and a process window can be created. In this window acceptable part can be
made.

Objective
To determine process window for an amorphous polymer (HIPS).

Methodology
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) was put into the hopper. A set temperature profile
(Temperature Profile 1) and purging cycle parameter for the material was selected and
material was purged from the barrel.

Figure 1 Purging Cycle Parameters

Part were injected starting with a shot size of 15mm and increasing by 1mm until the parts
were 95-97% filled. During this there was a 5 second plasticising delay and no holding
pressure. At 27mm there was a spike in pressure indicating the part was being over
stressed.

Figure 2 Spike in pressure when increasing the shot size

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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
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After examining the parts made a shot size of 25.5mm was selected as they were still
slightly sunken in, 10 of these parts were made and an average mass was calculated.

Figure 3 Increasing the shot size

The original cooling time was 10 seconds but this was increased to 20 seconds to reduce
the amount bending that occurred in the parts.

Figure 4 Cooling 10 sec Vs 20 sec

The plasticising delay was removed and a holding pressure was put on. The holding
pressure started at 50 bar and increasing by 25 bar until an acceptable parts is made. The
holding pressure had a profile of going from injection pressure to holding in 1 second then
have holding on for 5 seconds.

At pressure of 175 bars the parts were acceptable. The average weight of these parts
were 12.09 g. The pressure was then increased until acceptable parts were not being
made. This occurred at 325 bar, these parts had an average weight of 12.26g.

The temperature profile of the barrel was change to a high temperature. The same
procedure was followed to get an upper a lower limit for holding pressure. These value
were 100 bar and 275 bar.

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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
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Using the two temperature profiles and their respective upper and lower holding pressure
a processing window was created.

Results
Table 1 Temperature Profiles

Lower Upper
Nozzle Z4 Z3 Z2 Z1 Throat
Holding Holding

Temp. 22 19
220 210 200 40 175 325
Profile 1 0 0

Temp. 24 21
240 230 220 40 100 275
Profile 2 0 0

Using the values of the temperature profiles and the upper and lower holding pressures
that obtained acceptable parts the following processing window is obtained. In this window
acceptable parts can be made, the bigger the window the more robust the processes.

Process Window HIPS

350

300

250
Holding Pressure (Bar)

200

150

100

50

0
215 220 225 230 235 240 245
Nozzel Temp. (C)

Graph 1 Process Window

Table 2 Average Masses in Temp. Profile 1

Holding Pressure Average mass of the samples

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 Ciara Stynes Processing Mechanical & Polymer
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at Temp. Profile 1

0 Bar Holding 11.6g

11.6/12.09 = 0.9595
175 Bar holding 12.09g
95.95%

11.6/12.26 = 0.9462
325 Bar holding 12.26g
94.62%

Using the average value for the mass of the samples before and after holding the
percentage filled the part is before holding can be calculated. This data shows that before
holding the sample is approximately 95% filled which is the goal during the injection phase.
This means that the sample was not over stressed during the injection phase.

Discussion
Setting up a process window is critically important when setting up a processes as it gives
parameters at which acceptable parts can be made. When setting up a window it is
important to make it as big as possible to give room to make mirror changes in the future
without have to redo the window again.

During this lab it showed how important it was to have a plasticising delay as without it the
result will be skewed and the shot size would have to be revaluated before continuing. An
issue that presented itself was the amount of cooling time the parts required as with 10
seconds the parts were bending when exiting the mould, this improved when the cooling
time was increased to 20 seconds.

When using this processes any position in the window can be used, this allows for slight
variation in the processes without compromising the acceptability of the final product.

Conclusion
This labs show how the parameters that are used during a processes are achieved, by
using a set procedure a window can be created with a variety of polymers with variety of
moulds.

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