An Optimization Scheme Based on Flow Resistance to Locate Optimum Gate of Complex Part

Gate location is one important design variable in injection mold design since it largely affects the fill pattern in the cavity. An improper choice of gate location induces an unbalanced flow, which causes overpacking, high shear stress, and excessive warpage. In this paper, a general methodology called flow resistance search scheme (FR) is proposed to find the optimum gate location. A search direction associated with flow resistance is developed based on the physical nature of the mold filling process. By moving the gate along the direction with maximum flow resistance, the mold fill time can be reduced and a better flow pattern is achieved. This methodology is as efficient as gradient-based method, but it is favorable because it can be applied to part with complex geometry.