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Scale effect on filling stage in micro-injection molding for thin slit cavities

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Abstract

Micro-injection molding is the main method molding complex micro plastic parts accurately at one process. It is more complex than traditional injection molding because of the micro-scale effect. The polymeric flow in micro channels differs from those in macro ones significantly, and the molding theories of traditional injection molding can not be used in micro-injection molding. In this study, the effects of micro-scale, such as micro-viscosity and wall slip, were considered based on the flow characteristics of micro-injection molding, and the mathematical model and the numerical model were built. The simulation of filling stage in micro-injection molding was implemented by hybrid finite element/finite difference/control volume method accordingly. The influence of micro-viscosity and wall slip on filling stage was investigated by numerical analysis. The results indicated that the micro-scale effects have important influence on the filling stage of micro-injection molding, and the micro-scale effects become more and more significant as the gap thickness drops.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the National Engineering Research Center for Advance Polymer Processing Technology and School of Mechanics and Engineering Science of Zhengzhou University in China, for the funding support of ‘Major Research Plan of Henan public projects (HNZB[2010]N91)’ and the special pre-research project of the 973 Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering and Research Center for Advanced Polymer Processing Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450002, People’s Republic of China

    Lixia Wang, Qian Li, Wenna Zhu & Changyu Shen

  2. School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, People’s Republic of China

    Lixia Wang & Qian Li

Authors
  1. Lixia Wang
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  2. Qian Li
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  3. Wenna Zhu
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  4. Changyu Shen
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Correspondence to Lixia Wang.

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Wang, L., Li, Q., Zhu, W. et al. Scale effect on filling stage in micro-injection molding for thin slit cavities. Microsyst Technol 18, 2085–2091 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-012-1545-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00542-012-1545-6

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