pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S03 - Injection Molding and Micromolding
Oral Presentation
 
 

Influence of push-pull injection molding on weldlines appearance of metallized polypropylene

Lucchetta Giovanni (1)*, Scantamburlo Andrea (2), Sorgato Marco (2)

(1) University of Padova - PD - Italy, (2) University of Padova - Other - Italy

In this work two distinct injection units were used to generate a dynamic effect (push-pull) in the non-frozen layers of the polymer in the cavity during the packing phase. The objective of the work is to promote an imbalance between the flow fronts and reduce the effects of a frontal weld line by generating a motion field after the complete filling of the cavity and thus favoring an interpenetration of the fronts and a reorientation of the metallic filler in metallized polypropylene. In addition to the push-pull process, a rapid heat cycle molding was implemented to delay the material freezing in the cavity. As a result of the conventional injection molding process, both the weld lines and the meld lines were clearly visible and particularly marked. The thermal effect induced by rapid heat cycle molding was not able to eliminate the defects. The dynamic action generated by the push-pull process caused a change in the shape of the weld lines due to the partial interpenetration of the flow fronts. However, the defects remained clearly visible since the mold temperature does not allow a migration of the metallic filler from one flow front to the other. The combination of the two technologies instead allowed to completely eliminate both the weld lines and the meld lines.