Visualization of Injection Molding

Even though it is considered a mature technology, the commercial importance of injection molding continues to drive research on how processing parameters impact final part characteristics. In particular, the influence of flow phenomena, which largely control molecular orientation within the mold cavity, is not fully understood. Results are presented from a study of polymer flow during injection molding using a clear mold that allows optical access from three sides, in a standard commercial machine, under standard molding conditions for polystyrene. Comparisons are drawn between the experimental results and the predictions of a commercial code for global mold filling properties.