The Effects of Cooling and Shrinkage on the Life of Polymer 3D Printed Injection Moulds.

3D Printed Injection Moulds (3DIM), commonly used for low volume production and prototyping purposes, are known to fail abruptly and have a comparatively shorter life than conventional moulds. Investigating the underlying critical factors affecting failure may help in reducing the risk of abrupt failures and possibly prolong the 3DIM tool life. A hypothesis that the cooling time of the Injection Moulding (IM) process is a critical factor for 3DIM tool failure has been proposed.

Analysis of Raised Feature Failures on 3D Printed Injection Moulds.

Background: Polymer-based 3D Printed Injection Mould (3DIM) inserts are used as a cost-effective method for low volume injection moulding (50-500 parts). However, abrupt failure leading to a short tool life is a common shortcoming of 3DIM. Need: The underlying causes of raised feature failures on 3DIM are not well known.