Number of Mold Cavities

Because cycle time to inject, flow, set, open, eject, and close is finite, and the face area or platen size is limited, the effective mol ding area is increased by increasing the number of mold cavities so that the number of finished pieces per cycle may be multipHed many times. 

There can be no clear-cut answer to the question of optimum number of mold cavities, since it depends on factors such as the complexity of the molding, the size and type of the machine, cycle time. 

Number of mold cavities Many to a hundred One or two, usually... 

Phase 1 At this point the parting plane is determined, the location and number of slides is defined and the mold cavities, the mold insert, and the mold core in its basic form are specified. The number of mold cavities should also be coordinated with the customer, if this is not already given. Finally, in this phase, the position of the mold cavities is defined. 

Centrifuge casting a number of molds are arranged radially around a central sprue. Molten metal is poured into the sprue and is forced into the mold cavities by centrifugal force due to high-speed rotation. Used for small gears mainly and parts of intricate detail. 

Number of cavities, layout and size of cavities/runners/gates/cooling lines/side actions/knockout pins/etc. Relate layout to maximize proper performance of melt and cooling flow patterns to meet part performance requirements preengineer design to minimize wear and deformation of mold (use proper steels) lay out cooling lines to meet temperature to time cooling rate of plastics (particularly crystalline types). 

Cost of processing can start by taking the thickest portion of the product that will determine the processing time required. With a contemplated yearly activity and an ordering frequency of say every 45 days, one can tentatively decide on the number of cavities needed when molds are involved. The number of cavities should be such that it would take the 45-day requirement to produce in two hundred hours. Thus the number of... 

Whiskers can be incorporated into the metallic matrix using a number of compositeprocessing techniques. Melt infiltration is a common technique used for the production of SiC whisker-aluminum matrix MMCs. In one version of the infiltration technique, the whiskers are blended with binders to form a thick slurry, which is poured into a cavity and vacuum-molded to form a pre-impregnation body, or pre-preg, of the desired shape. The cured slurry is then fired at elevated temperature to remove moisture and binders. After firing, the preform consists of a partially bonded collection of interlocked whiskers that have a very open structure that is ideal for molten metal penetration. The whisker preform is heated to promote easy metal flow, or infiltration, which is usually performed at low pressures. The infiltration process can be done in air, but is usually performed in vacuum. 

Regardless of the variant of LCM the process can be subdivided into a number of steps. The first step is preforming, which means that dry reinforcement is tailored to the shape of the mold. This can be done in many different ways depending on the complexity of the geometry and the requirements on mechanical performance of the part. The preform is then placed in a mold cavity that is subsequently closed. The preform is usually compressed slightly by the mold. The next step is resin injection into the mold cavity until the preform is fully impregnated. The final step is in-mold cure (i.e., curing inside the mold until the part is sufficiently stiff to be demolded). A controlled postcure is sometimes performed to ensure that optimum properties are obtained. 

Figs. 4.63 - 4.66 illustrate the location of lines of constant values of temperature, degree of conversion, velocity and viscosity for five consecutive positions of the front of a stream, which correspond to the following values of the axial coordinate xf 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0. These lines of constant values of the process variables are calculated for the flow and property values designated by the point D in Fig. 4.61. In this case, the mold temperature Tm = 70°C, the initial temperature of the reactive mix To = 40°C, and the initial temperature of the insert Ti = 20°C. An area above the horizontal line of symmetry of the mold cavity (i.e., the upper part of the cavity) contacts the "hot" surface of the mold and the lower part is in contact with the surface of the cooler metal insert. Thus, we can conclude that the distributions of temperature, degree of conversion, viscosity and velocity of movement of the reactive mix along the mold are related to the ratios between the transfer rate and the chemical reaction, which are characterized by the values of the Da and Gz Numbers. 

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