The Injection Molding of Quality Parts

ATI 1147e Process Engineering Alternatives

and Process Selection

Plastics
Business Group
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Contents Page

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Factors influencing process selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Presentation and comparison of the processes of sheet extrusion,

profile extrusion and low-pressure injection molding, taking the
example of a strip light cover in Makrolon® (PC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Presentation and comparison of the processes of blow molding,

gas-assist injection molding, the fusible core technique and
two-shell overmolding for the production of hollow molded parts . . . . . . . . . . 10

Presentation and comparison of the special processes of

multi-component injection molding and film insert molding,
taking the example of a tail-light cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

2
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Introduction With the development of these processes,

selecting the best production process has
Factors influencing
Thermoplastics and the different molding now become an integral part of product de- process selection
processes used to shape them have captured velopment. And, given that production costs The following table (Fig. 1) shows a selec-
a very large market, since they offer a sim- are essentially dictated by the choice of tion of the processes that can be used to pro-
ple means of producing parts with near-to- process, it is becoming increasingly impor- duce thermoplastic moldings. Most molded
final dimensions. A large number of these tant to establish the most appropriate process parts can be produced by more than one of
molded parts are produced by the standard for a specific part from amongst the full these processes. So product developers need
injection molding process. Other processes range of standard and special processes that to be aware of the advantages and draw-
in widespread use include the production of are currently available. backs of the individual processes, along with
semi-finished products by extrusion, or the their fields of application and their limita-
application of the blow molding process to tions, so as to ensure that they make the right
produce high-capacity vessels with thin choice.
walls. Slight modifications to these basic
processes have created special techniques
which meet the demand for further cost re-
duction, integrated functions, and special
surface finishes.

Injection molding Extrusion Surface refinement Joining and separating Other

● fusible core ● sheet extrusion ● electroplating ● sawing ● thermoforming
technique ● profile extrusion ● flocking ● cutting ● twin-sheet
● two-shell ● coextrusion ● covering ● water jet cutting ● cold forming
overmolding ● two-component, ● lamination ● punching ● coloring by the
● insert/outsert hybrid two-color extrusion ● painting ● laser beam cutting processor
technique ● blow molding ● melt strand
● metallization ● milling
● cascade injection - 3D blow molding deposition
molding ● printing ● riveting
- sequential ● hot embossing ● screw connections ● rotational molding
● multicomponent coextrusion
injection molding ● laser marking ● welding
● film blowing ● ●
● decorative surfaces laser metallization gluing
(IMD, film/textile) ● snap-fit connections
● gas-assist/
water-assist
● incorporation of long
glass fibers
● foaming, structural
foam molding
● injection-
compression molding

Fig. 1: Plastics processing and machining methods

3
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The key factors influencing process selec-

tion are set out in Fig. 2, and the decision as
through the production employees’ knowl-
edge of the individual processes.
Presentation and comparison
to the most appropriate process can certain- of the processes of sheet
The advantages and drawbacks of a number
ly work out differently even when there are
of processes are set out with examples in the extrusion, profile extrusion
just slight changes to the requirements. The
planned number of articles, for example, has
chapters that follow, and decision aids are and low-pressure injection
given for selecting the most suitable pro-
a major influence on the cost-efficiency of
duction process. Since only a brief outline
molding, taking the example
the individual process variants, and the req-
uisite degree of automation is a key deci-
can be included of the different processes of a strip light cover in
sion parameter here. The requirements
in this brochure, the individual chapters in- Makrolon® (PC)
clude references to more detailed informa-
placed on molded part quality are similarly Covers for strip lights are long, thin and
tion in the Application Technology Infor-
taken into account in the decision. The sur- transparent moldings with very thin walls,
mation (ATI) and Practical Information (PI)
face finish attainable with blow molding, which are subject to stringent optical re-
brochures published by Bayer.
for example, will generally be poorer than quirements. Between the two end sections,
that for injection molding. The machinery the cover displays a continuous geometry
available within a company will also affect without any changes. The size of the series
the decision, firstly through any investments to be produced for an individual cover will
that may need to be made and, secondly, depend very largely on the requirements for
the specific case. It is frequently necessary
to supply families of covers, which have the
same basic geometry but come in different
lengths. Suitable production processes here
are sheet extrusion, profile extrusion or
Molded part Permitted costs No. of articles low-pressure injection molding (e.g. cas-
cade injection molding, injection-compres-
sion molding). The choice of process will
depend on the shaping required and the size
of the series. Before considering this fur-
ther, a brief outline will be given of the in-
dividual processes, together with their ad-
Production process vantages and drawbacks.

Available machinery Specifications Material

Fig. 2: Factors influencing process selection

4
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Sheet extrusion
A sheet extrusion plant (Fig. 3) is made up
of one or more extruders (generally with a
vented barrel so that no drying is necessary),
a slot die to shape the melt, a calender for
smoothing or profiling the extrudate, a cool-
ing section, the take-off and a unit for cutting
the extrudate to the desired length (saw,
punch or cutter unit). Flat sheets are obtained Slot die Roller gap
by way of an intermediate product, which
then need to be formed after they have been
cut to length. Slot dies can be used to pro-
duce sheets up to 3.5 m wide and between
0.5 and 15 mm thick. In addition to the stan-
dard monolayer structure, it is possible to
use coex adapters (Fig. 4, left) to extrude
different layers one on top of another.
A whole series of functional layers can be Polishing stack Cutting to length
produced in this way, including soft/hard
combinations, glossy/matte layers, UV Fig. 3: Components of a sheet extrusion unit
screening layers, and scratch-resistant coat-
ings. It is also possible for films to be lam-
inated onto the sheet between the die and
the polishing stack.
The rolls on the polishing stack are generally
highly polished and essentially dictate the
quality of the sheet. By using embossing
rollers (Fig. 4, right) any desired structure
can be created on the surface (e.g. grained, Embossing roller
textured, profiled). Coextrusion
Depending on the requirements, the em-
bossing roller will be positioned either in Lamination Texture
the first roller gap or further downstream,
where sheet that has already partially solid-
ified will be embossed (using a hot em- Die
bossing roller, where appropriate). Instead Function
of embossing the sheet over its full surface,
it is also possible to emboss just partial ar- Laminating
eas. A textured sheet can be obtained in this
way, and subsequently thermoformed into Fig. 4: Coextrusion – lamination – roller embossing
a strip-light profile, for example.

5
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Profile extrusion profile extrusion. In the case of complex The speed will be conditioned by the wall
window profiles, the calibration section can thickness, the cooling section and the ma-
For profile extrusion, use is made of a pro- be up to 20 m long. A profile extrusion line terials employed. Wall thicknesses of up to
file die instead of a slot die. A calibrator is thus calls for a correspondingly high level 5 mm are possible. Once the profile has
then positioned immediately downstream of of investment. cooled, it can be further processed inline
the die, which cools the profile in a defined (stamping, drilling, milling, printing, in-
manner. The remainder of the line is the As with sheet extrusion, it is also possible
scribing). The profile extrusion process can
same as for sheet extrusion (cooling section, for sections of the profile to be embossed in
similarly be employed to produce a strip-
take-off unit and cutting-to-length station). profile extrusion (Fig. 5, top). Earth cables,
light cover. In contrast to sheet extrusion,
Using the appropriate die and calibrator, it is see-through strips, hard/soft combinations
the thermoforming stage can then be dis-
possible to produce a wide range of differ- (e.g. sealing lips) and flexible connections
pensed with.
ent geometries (open, closed, etc.). Contrary can be achieved by means of two-color or
to the case for sheet extrusion, calibration two-component coextrusion (Fig. 5, bot-
constitutes a highly elaborate operation in tom). In addition to this, sheathing and stiff-
ening (e.g. steel inserts) can be achieved
through coextrusion. The lines permit take-
off speeds of up to 2.5 m/min.

Fig. 5: Profile extrusion – stamping – coextrusion

6
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Cascade injection molding

The cascade injection molding process is a
variant of low-pressure injection molding
and is used to produce large-area moldings
with more than one injection point and with-
out any visible weld lines. The injection Mold Conventional filling: weld lines
mold is filled via a hot runner system and a Hot runner nozzles
cavity
number of needle-valve nozzles that are op- Cascade filling: without weld lines
erated by either a displacement- or a time-
based control system (Fig. 6). Some control
units permit individual control of the noz-
zles.
Once the mold has closed, cavity filling
Fig. 6: Cascade injection molding
commences through a single nozzle to be-
gin with; this will generally be the middle
nozzle. Once the melt has flowed over the
following gate, the nozzles that have been
covered over will be opened. The first noz-
zle can then be closed again, depending on
the pressure distribution, and the require-
ments placed on the molded part. In this
way, the cavity can be completely filled
without any major weld lines resulting. In
addition, weld lines that cannot be avoided
can be selectively placed in non-problemat-
ic areas of the molded part (Fig. 7). By re-
opening the closed nozzles, the molding
compound can be compressed through all
the nozzles and the holding pressure applied.
Cascade injection molding is used, among
other things, to produce large injection
molded parts with thin walls (long parts us-
Filling pattern after 4.0, 6.8, 8.0 sec
ing the thin-wall technique). This makes it
suitable for the production of strip-light cov- Fig. 7:
ers. Cascade technique, Moldflow simulation (radiator grille for a truck in Bayblend (T65))

7
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Injection-compression molding
The injection-compression molding process Melt injection Emboss/Compress
is also aimed at permitting low-pressure
mold filling. In the first instance, the two
halves of the mold are not fully closed, but
separated by a fixed gap (equivalent to ap-
proximately half the wall thickness). This
requires the edge of the cavity to be sealed
by means of vertical flash faces or similar.
The plasticated compound is injected into
the cavity at low pressure, either as a short Fig. 8: The injection-compression molding process
shot or so as to completely fill the mold. Af-
ter this, the clamping unit builds up a high
pressure (Fig. 8), and the mold is fully
closed. It is only during this compression
phase that the molded part acquires its full Process selection for an additional stage. Both extrusion process-
shape. the strip-light cover es require the end sections to be produced
Once the part has been fully shaped, the separately by injection molding. These end
The molded part for the strip light (Fig. 9)
thermal shrinkage of the molding compound sections also have to be joined to the pro-
can essentially be produced by all four
is offset during the compression stage. This file by gluing, welding or a snap-fit con-
processes that have been described. The ad-
serves to reduce the orientation and inher- nection.
vantages and drawbacks of the individual
ent stresses that impair quality. At the same processes are set out in Table 1. The extru- The injection molding process, by contrast,
time, however, the holding pressure places sion processes (sheet, profile) can be used produces a finished molded part that already
stringent requirements on the pressure con- to produce the open profiles shown on the incorporates the end sections. To produce a
trol in complex areas such as ribs or screw left-hand side of Fig. 9. With sheet extru- light in a different length or with a different
bosses, since the material required for this sion, however, it is necessary to make al- surface texture, however, it is necessary to
additional shrinkage compensation has to lowance for a thermoforming operation as use a different mold.
be displaced from the surrounding areas.
It is not generally worthwhile combining
cascade injection molding with injection-
compression molding, since the advantages
of injection-compression molding can only
be exploited to the full with a single gate.
Injection-compression molding is used, for
example, to produce optical lenses or DVDs
that are subject to high quality requirements,
and also for large thin-walled parts.

Fig. 9: Example of a strip light (light cover in Makrolon® 2207)

8
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The bigger the production run for an indi- This discussion summarizes the require- consideration must also be given to the de-
vidual series, the more cost-efficient the in- ments that are imposed on the planner and sired shaping of the molded part and the way
jection molding process will be by compar- designer, since considerable additional costs in which this can be achieved in the process,
ison with extrusion. This is also highlighted can be incurred if the wrong process is se- as well as to the availability of the produc-
by a rough cost estimate like the one set out lected. Apart from the points listed here, tion plant required.
in Fig. 10. This estimate was worked out for
strip-light covers approximately 1 meter in
length and with a wall thickness of 2.5 mm. Injection Molding Darstellung
Extrusion und Vergleich
The use of end sections was planned for both ● a separate injection mold required der Verfahren
● only Blasformen,
one set of tools for all lengths
sheet and profile extrusion. This gives the for each length
following options for the strip light: ● 3 machines required (extrusion unit,
● several (big) injection molding injection molding machine, welding
● production of small series with limited machines may be necessary unit)
freedom of design by means of the sheet ● best possible surface finish ● less functional integration
extrusion process, with the downstream ● greater functional integration ● different surfaces/textures attainable
steps of cutting-to-length, forming and possible ● low tool costs
application of the end sections
● different surfaces possible
hence
● production of medium to large series ● high mold costs
with high freedom of design in respect ● flexible production
of the lamp length and surface structure hence ● reduced stocks
employing profile extrusion, with the ● careful planning of production ● wide range of types possible for a
downstream steps of cutting-to-length batches low outlay
and application of the end sections. There ● extensive stocks ● separate joining operation
is less scope for integrating functions ● a high outlay for a wide range of
(e.g. injected-on hinges) with this process types
than with injection molding ● no finishing work
● large series can be produced most cheap- Table 1: Comparison of injection molding/extrusion taking the example of a strip light
ly by injection molding, since the parts
that come out of the mold do not require
any finishing work Comparison of production costs taking the example of a cover for a strip light
5
€
4
Production costs

0
0 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000
Articles per year

Sheet extrusion Profile extrusion Injection molding

Fig. 10: Production cost estimate for a strip light

9
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Presentation and comparison The following extrusion and injection mold-

ing processes can be employed to produce
Blow molding
of the processes of blow the spoiler: The individual stages of the process se-
quence for blow molding are shown in Fig.
molding, gas-assist injection 12. A continuous flow of melt is plasticated
molding, the fusible core Extrusion Injection molding with the aid of an extruder and output via
technique and two-shell ● blow ● gas-assist injection the parison die. This flow of melt will be
delivered either continuously or in batches
overmolding for the produc- molding molding
via an accumulator head. As soon as the ex-
tion of hollow molded parts ● fusible core truded parison has achieved the required
technique length, the mold closes around it and a knife
Different processes for the production of ● two-shell cuts off the tube. In the next step, the mold
hollow articles are presented and discussed overmolding is conveyed to the blowing station, where
taking the example of a spoiler (Fig. 11). the blowing mandrel is inserted and the blow
The individual processes are described along molding process proper commences. This
with their advantages and drawbacks. To These four processes are described in what
follows and their main features are com- involves compressed air being introduced
sum up, the advantages and drawbacks of through the blowing mandrel. After cool-
the individual processes are discussed with pared in a table.
ing, the mold opens and the finished article
respect to the production of the spoiler. is demolded. The mold then moves back in-
to position beneath the crosshead die to re-
ceive a new parison.

Fig. 11: The spoiler

10
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Extruder
Elbow

Parison die

Open blow mold

Extrusion of the parison Blow-up process Cooling phase

Die Flash chamber

Die gap Mandrel Pinch-off edge for base Bottom flash
Parison Blow mold half Bottom weld
Cooling channels Mold cavity Bottom weld
Closing direction Closing direction

Blow mold half Cooling channels Parison Cooling channels

Neck cut-off edge Calibrating blowing Calibrating blowing Neck flash
Flash chamber mandrel mandrel
Blowing air supply

Fig.12: The principle of the blow molding process

Employing the coextrusion process it is pos- The different materials are conveyed into
sible to generate a number of layers one on the crosshead die and emerge as a multilay-
top of the other, using different materials, er tube once the different flows have
in order to make up selective barrier layers, merged. The parison is then conveyed to the
to form different-colored strips alongside mold in the manner described above.
each other, or to produce see-through strips.
11
 Verfahrenstechnische Alternativen
und Verfahrensauswahl

It is also possible for mountings or other

functional components to be placed in the
blow mold and for mounting lugs to be
molded onto the part (Figs. 13-15).

One drawback to conventional blow mold-

ing, however, is the percentage of parison
waste, which can be as high as 80 % of the
gross weight. The term parison waste is used
to describe the edge trim that forms on the
pinch-off edges as the mold is closed.

Fig. 13: Plastic insert with sonically-inserted brass bushes

Figs. 14 and 15: Molded-on mounting lug

with a sonically-inserted brass bush
12
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

In order to reduce the amount of waste in- Another new development is sequential co-
curred in blow-molding, the 3D blow mold- extrusion. This involves the individual com-
ing process has been developed where the ponents (hard or soft components) being ex-
tube is manipulated by movable mold ele- truded into different accumulator heads and
ments. Figure 16 illustrates the principle be- then being injected in one after the other (se-
hind this for a specific application. quentially) before being blow molded:

Fig. 16: Tube manipulation with moved molded parts (Krupp Kautex)

Fig. 17: Sequential blow molding (Krupp Kautex)

Left: blow molded part incorporating different elements
Right: Structure of the parison die with two extruders and two accumulator heads
13
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The blow molding process is suitable for Gas-assist injection molding walled areas during the injection phase. Gas-
producing the following parts: assist injection molding is thus particularly
Gas-assist injection molding can be used to suitable for thick-walled, rod-shaped parts,
● parts with a large volume (tanks, barrels,
produce molded parts that are either very or for flat molded parts with thick-walled
etc.)
difficult or impossible to produce by stan- areas. More recent applications exploit the
● thick-walled parts (e.g. handles) dard injection molding. In this process, an potential of gas-assist injection molding to
inert gas (generally N2) is used to displace mold complex-shaped media lines (Fig. 18).
● large-area parts with twin walls, offer-
the still molten plastic center from thick-
ing a high level of stiffness and with at-
tachment points on the flat surface
● 3D curved pipes
One of the main drawbacks to blow mold-
ing compared with injection molding is
the attainable surface finish. While surface
graining and texturing are feasible, they
will be of a poor quality on account of the
low internal pressure (blowing pressure of
4-8 bar) and the low melt temperature
compared with injection molding (> 300
bar holding pressure). The quality of the
inside surface will depend on the quality
of the extrudate. Unlike standard injection
molding, the molded part cools down on
one side only, via the temperature-con-
trolled mold wall, giving longer cooling
times as a function of the attainable wall
thickness. Processes such as the purging
air method and intensive cooling have
been developed to shorten cooling times
in blow molding.

Fig. 18:
A Bayer injection mold for media lines produced by gas-assist injection molding

14
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The most popular method involves the gas

being injected into the mold. A distinction is
drawn between standard gas-assist injection
molding (the blow-up process) and the melt 1. Injection of the
blow-out process, depending on the way in thermoplastic
which the gas is introduced into the mold.
In the standard gas-assist process, the gas
can either be injected into the gate or in- N2
jected directly into the molded part inside
the pre-filled cavity; the molded part is then
shaped as its still-fluid center is displaced. 2. Introduction
Sufficient material must be introduced into of the gas
the mold in the short shot to ensure that the
cavity will be precisely filled when the gas
is injected in. In the melt blow-out process, Fig. 19: The standard gas-assist process
the cavity is completely filled with melt as
the first step. Once volumetric filling has
been completed, the melt is either displaced
by the gas into a spillover cavity, which is
opened once the injection phase for the ther-
moplastic is complete, or is pushed back in-
to the space in front of the screw. 1. Injection of the
thermoplastic

N2

2. Blow-out
of the melt

Fig. 20: Melt blow-out process

15
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The basic time sequence for standard gas-

assist injection molding is set out in Fig. 21. Gas-assist injection molding cycle
Once the short shot has been completed, the (gas injected through thermoplastic nozzle)
gas is injected in. If an excessively long de-
lay occurs between the end of the short shot Injection Switch- Shaping Solidification Plasticating
and the start of gas introduction, the melt over Demolding
will stagnate and produce switchover marks
Pressure, displacement

on the molded part. The level of the gas

pressure and the cross-section of the gas
nozzles influence the volume flow rate of
the gas and hence the propagation speed of
the gas bubble. Rapid gas bubble propaga-
tion generally leads to improved repro-
ducibility and to somewhat lower wall thick-
nesses. The residual wall thickness is pri-
marily conditioned by the material and the
geometry of the molded part (Fig. 22).
Cycle time
During the solidification phase, the gas pres-
sure assumes the function of the holding Nozzle pressure Screw displacement
pressure. A higher pressure reduces mold- Gas pressure feed line Cavity pressure
ing shrinkage and the tendency to warp. All
the gas must escape from the molded part Fig. 21: Pressure and displacement profile in the gas-assist injection molding cycle
at the end of the holding pressure phase in
order to stop the part from bursting when
the mold is opened. It is best for the gas not
to be evacuated too rapidly, otherwise foam
6.0
will form on the inside of the molded part.
This can be avoided by employing a graded mm
profile (to check the flow). Processing pa- 5.0
rameters like mold temperature essentially
influence the solidification behavior and the 4.0
Wall thickness

surface finish.
3.0

2.0

1.0

0.0
0 10 20 30 mm 40
Geometric dimension
® ® ® ® ®
Makrolon Novodur Durethan Pocan Bayblend

Fig. 22: Residual wall thickness as a function of the wall thickness and material of
the molded part
16
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Advantages/drawbacks of gas- Sheet-shaped molded parts: warpage. The larger ribs mean that there is
assist compared with standard no advantage in weight terms.
Sheet-shaped moldings produced by stan-
injection molding dard injection molding frequently tend to Sheet-shaped molded parts with design-de-
warp on account of a high level of frozen-in pendent wall thickness accumulations at cer-
Dividing up molded parts into the follow-
stress. Design guidelines (rib-to-wall-thick- tain points cannot be produced by standard
ing groups will permit a better assessment
ness ratio – visible sink marks) also fre- injection molding without a sacrifice in qual-
of the possibilities and benefits of gas-
quently impose limits on the attainable sta- ity. Using gas-assist injection molding, it is
assist injection molding:
bility and stiffness of the molded parts. possible to counter the formation of sink
● rod-shaped molded parts marks through locally-formed hollow
In order to conduct the gas, the ribs must be
spaces. A further advantage is the simpli-
● sheet-shaped molded parts. designed as gas channels with a sufficient-
fied design of the injection mold, since it is
ly large cross-section. In addition to con-
not necessary to employ elaborate slides in
ducting the gas, the ribs also increase the
order to avoid sink marks
Rod-shaped molded parts: stiffness of the molded parts. Since the gas
(Fig. 23).
acts right up to the end of the flow path by
Typical applications for ‘rod-shaped’ or
virtue of the channels, this ensures a) re-
‘pipe-shaped’ parts include handles, pedals
duced sink marks and b) the production
and, more recently, media lines. These parts
of parts with a low
can be produced particularly efficiently by
pressure and low
gas-assist injection molding, with the fol-
lowing advantages:
● weight reduction of up to 50 %
● reduction in cooling time
● no sink marks
● low-warpage molded parts.

Fig. 23: Example of a sheet-

shaped part (registration
plate support)

Fig. 22: Example of a pipe-shaped part (clutch pedal)

17
Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

To sum up, the following advantages will

be achieved over standard injection mold-
Hollow articles with a Fusible core technique
ing, depending on the design of the part: defined wall thickness The fusible core technique can be used to
produce hollow parts that cannot be pro-
● freedom of design (thick-walled, rod- (fusible core technique/ duced by conventional injection molding,
shaped parts, or thin-walled molded parts two-shell overmolding) since they incorporate undercuts that will
with thick-walled areas are possible) not permit them to be demolded.
In contrast to blow molding and gas-assist
● high stiffness through bigger, closed injection molding, the fusible core and two- A metal core is produced in a low-melting
cross-sections shell overmolding processes can be used to tin/bismuth alloy employing the diecasting
● more uniform shrinkage and hence less produce parts with precisely definable wall process, for example, so that it matches the
warpage thickness profiles, smooth inside surfaces inside contour of the molded part. The com-
and tight tolerances. position of the alloy can be specifically se-
● a reduction in sink marks lected for the desired melt temperature. A
● a lower clamping force requirement for special feature of this alloy is its low shrink-
large-area parts on account of the lower age.
filling pressures
● long flow paths through large cross-sec-
tions (only a few gates and hence fewer
weld lines)
● weight savings of up to 50 % (rod-
shaped parts) Tin/bismuth alloy Finished part
● shorter cycle times than for thick-walled melting point 136 °C/138 °C
solid parts
Alloy losses
The main drawbacks compared with stan-
dard injection molding are:
Fusible-core
● additional costs for license fees, pres-
alloy store
surized gas system and injection unit
● higher run-in losses with difficult parts Core melted out

● risk of surface defects

Core manufacture
● shape of the void conditioned by the
geometry of the molded part Removal of finished
part and transport
● a higher outlay on development to ma- to melting unit
turity for series production. Possible assembly
of individual cores
Further information can be found in the Ap- Injection of polymer
plication Technology Information brochures melt around core
(ATIs). Insertion in
injection mold

Fig. 24: Process stages in the fusible core technique

18
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Depending on the complexity of the con- Applications for the fusible core technique the development of glass fiber reinforced
tours, it is possible for the overall core to be include automotive air-intake systems and polyamides with a higher structural viscos-
made up of a number of individual cores. water pump housings. ity, such as Durethan KU2-2140, and the
The metal core, which is fairly heavy (den- improved possibilities that exist for precisely
Since the overall outlay for the production of
sity approx. 8 kg/dm 3) is placed in the in- calculating warpage in fiber-reinforced ma-
molded parts by the fusible core technique
jection mold by a handling unit, and the ther- terials. All of these have served to promote
is very high, this process has become estab-
moplastic is injected around it. After re- the use of two-shell overmolding (further
lished in very few applications. The main
moval from the injection mold, the finished information can be found in our ATIs).
reasons that can be given for this are the fur-
part with the metal core is immersed in an
ther development of welding technology,
oil bath. The core is then melted out of the
part and the molten metal fed back into the
production cycle. After cleaning, the mold-
ed part can be sent for final assembly. The
different production stages are set out in Fig.
4 in diagram form.

Fig. 25: Two-part core in a

tin/bismuth alloy

Fig. 26: Finished part in

Durethan AKV 30

19
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Two-shell overmolding
Two-shell overmolding was developed in
parallel to the fusible core technique in or-
der to provide an alternative process. It in-
volves two or more shells being injection
molded in the conventional manner and then
joined together. The parts are joined by vi-
bration welding (Fig. 27) in most cases, with
alternatives being encapsulation by injec-
tion molding (Fig. 28), gluing, riveting or
the application of beading in the form of a
metal strip over the joint; it is also possible
to employ a combination of these different
processes (see ATI 0914e, ATI 0970e).
A precise fit between the individual parts is
Fig. 27: Air-intake manifold for the DaimlerChrysler A-Class made up of 3 polyamide
essential in all cases. This calls for a mate-
shells joined by friction welding
rial with as uniform and constant a materi-
al shrinkage as possible. The materials de-
veloped for this application offer not only
improved thermal stability but also the more
pronounced non-Newtonian behavior which
is necessary for good weldability. The best
joining process is thus the inexpensive and
reproducible process of welding the indi-
vidual shells. A correspondingly high out-
lay is required for molded part and mold de-
sign, however, as well as for process opti-
mization and control (further information
can be found in ATI 0970e).

Fig. 28: Two-shell technique

Right: plastic air-intake manifold, joint encased in plastic
Left: aluminum air-intake manifold
20
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Comparison of the processes drawbacks of the individual processes are second step is the costing; this can be per-
presented set out in Table 2. The requirements on the formed on a precise basis taking the specif-
molded part must be precisely defined be- ic molded part design required for the
The most appropriate processes for the fore the most favorable process can be se- process in question.
“spoiler” molded part are blow molding, lected. A check against the possibilities of-
gas-assist injection molding and two-shell fered by the individual processes will then
overmolding. The specific advantages and permit an initial selection to be made. The

Characteristic Gas-assist Two-shell Blow molding

Wall thickness distribution little scope for highly precise, can be readily influenced
influence, depends on modified through through (partial) wall
material and process alterations to mold thickness control
Wall thickness virtually no scope for mold modifications setting on the machine
modifiable through modification complex
Integration very high very high very high
Hard/soft combination yes; sandwich and composite yes; composite injection yes; coex; Seco
injection molding molding
Maximum part weight no limit no limit no limit
Maximum diameter approx. 30 – 40 mm no limit no limit
Freedom in geometric design very high limited very high
Production tolerances precise very precise higher tolerances required
(finishing work)
Inside surface depends on material extremely high-grade depends on material
Outside surface extremely high-grade extremely high-grade high-grade
Finishing work removal of sprue and overflow possibly sprue, welding parison waste, cutting off
lost head
Branches possible possible possible through squeezing,
not in 3D process
Material no special requirements weldability, weldability
injection molding grade (high melt stability for
conventional blow molding)
Ratio of wall thickness Wall thickness approx. 1/8 –1/6 any any
to molded part geometry of molded part thickness,
depending on material
Table 2: Comparison of different processes for producing hollow articles

21
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Figures 29 and 30 show spoilers produced

by gas-assist injection molding and blow
molding. It is clear that the gas-assist tech-
nique is not the appropriate process for this
part, since it gives walls that are so thick
that the molded part is too heavy and the cy-
cle time unprofitably long. In this case, pref-
erence should be given to blow molding or
to two-shell overmolding. Which of these
two processes is used should be decided first
and foremost on the basis of the production
costs and by comparing the attainable sur-
face finish with the requirements on the
molded part.

Fig. 29: Spoiler produced by gas-assist injection molding

Fig. 30: Spoiler produced by blow molding

22
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Presentation and comparison Multi-component injection molding molded parts in incompatible plastics that
will not bond together in any form, and parts
of the special processes of The term “multi-component injection mold- in compatible materials that will bond to-
multi-component injection ing” is used to cover a number of different gether to give hard/hard or hard/soft com-
processes today (Fig. 31). These processes binations. Virtually all these processes have
molding and film insert can be used to combine different plastics in- now become widely established.
molding, taking the example to an individual part in just a single opera-
of a tail-light cover tion. In this way, it is possible to produce

Tail-lights for the automotive industry have

been produced in plastic with different col-
ors and color combinations for many years.
They generally comprise three colors (red, Multi-component
yellow and transparent). The process tradi- injection molding
tionally employed to manufacture these
lights is multicolor injection molding (with
up to five colors), which is a form of multi-
component injection molding. Given the de-
Composite injection molding Sandwich injection molding
sign changes that are coming about in tail-
lights (geometry, fewer colors, etc.), together
with the more stringent requirements being
placed on the thermoplastics (such as a high- Bi-injection Adapter plate
er heat resistance), the increasing pressure (Demag Ergotech/Krauss-Maffei)
to reduce costs and the constant further de- Coreback process
velopment of other production processes, it Monosandwich
is worthwhile taking a look at alternatives (Ferromatik Milacron)
today. One process of increasing interest for Transfer of the intermediate molding
this application is film insert molding. This
Co-injection (Engel)/
process and multicolor injection molding Two-component process (Battenfeld)
are described in what follows, and a com- Handling in a two-component machine
parison drawn between the two.
Handling between two injection
molding machines

Sliding table

Rotation

Rotation function in mold

Rotation function in machine

Fig. 31: Overview of multi-component injection molding (based on [3])

23
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Figure 32 shows the compatibility of dif- is injected on top of the soft component, then Composite injection molding
ferent materials for overmolding. The pro- the bond will be considerably better than
cessing conditions have a major impact on with the reverse case [1]. In composite injection molding, the aim is
the strength of the bond formed between the generally to achieve an adhering bond be-
Multi-component injection molding can es- tween the components. First of all, an inter-
two partners.
sentially be divided into the two main mediate molding is produced from one of
It is thus possible for the bond between hard processes of composite injection molding the components (which are dissimilar ma-
materials such as Durethan® (PA 6) or and sandwich injection molding (co-injec- terials, or identical materials in different col-
Pocan® (PBT), and the soft Desmopan® tion). Further information can be found in ors). As the next step, the intermediate mold-
(TPU) to vary between very poor and good ATI 0902e. ing is partially overmolded with one or more
as a function of the order in which the ma- additional components.
terials are injected. If the hard component
The processes set out in Fig. 31, which in-
volve the transfer of the intermediate mold-
ing, are the most versatile and most widely
ABS PC+ABS PC HIPS PMMA PA PBT POM PPO PP TPU used composite injection molding tech-
ABS niques [3]. A more detailed description is
given below of the processes that involve
PC+ABS transfer with handling and those that are
PC summed up under the heading of ‘rotation’.

HIPS
PMMA
PA
PBT
POM
PPO
PP
TPU

good moderate poor zero no data

Fig. 32: Material compatibility

24
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Transfer through handling that is located between two standard injec- Transfer through rotation of
tion molding machines. In this case, the ma- one half of the mold and mold
In the processes that involve molded part chines will be set up in a parallel configura-
transfer, the intermediate molding is trans- tion and their production sequences linked components
ferred into a second cavity on the same in- [4]. With small production runs, or in the With the rotary table method, the entire ejec-
jection molding machine by means of a han- case of prototypes and pilot production, the tion side of the mold is rotated, and the in-
dling unit, or, in rare cases, by hand (Fig. intermediate molding will be placed in a sec- termediate part remaining on the core plate
33). This is standard practice for larger mul- ond mold. In this case, it is possible to em- is placed in a new cavity on the nozzle side
ticolor or multi-component parts today in or- ploy a single standard injection molding ma- (Fig. 34). The ejection side of the mold can
der to avoid having to rotate heavy molds in chine. One drawback to this, however, is the be rotated either by a rotary table integrated
conjunction with large and expensive rotary increased outlay incurred for molded part in the machine or by the rotation functions
tables. It is also possible for the intermediate handling (intermediate storage, re-position- incorporated in the mold. Rotary tables in-
molding to be transferred by a handling unit ing of the intermediate molding, etc.). tegrated in the machine are generally em-
Front view Top view Top view ployed for big molds on machines with a
clamping force of 4000 kN or above, while
Fixed platen Fixed platen rotary tables on the mold side are generally
used on machines in the 2500 kN range [3].
Mold 2 1st material 2nd material The variant involving rotation on the ma-
chine side, which might appear expensive
to begin with, can work out cheaper if a
Mold 1 large number of rotary molds are employed,
Mold 1 Mold 2
since the costs for the rotary table are only
Moving platen Moving platen incurred once, and the table can be used
more economically.
Fig. 33: Transfer with handling inside the mold [2]

Fig. 34: Rotation function inside the mold [5]

25
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

It is not possible to rotate the entire half of Film insert molding A more detailed look is taken at the 3D-IMD
the mold on all molds, since parts of the process below. During the injection phase,
moving mold half need to be modified pri- Film insert molding, which is one of the in- the film forms an undetachable bond with
or to injection of the next component. The jection molding processes employed for dec- the base material. This process offers pos-
index plate process may then be the best oration purposes, can be divided up into a sibilities that extend far beyond pure deco-
process to employ (Fig. 35). Here, the rota- number of process variants. Depending on ration of the plastic surface (complex-shaped
tion facility in the mold only rotates part of the variant in question decorated surfaces, night design with the
the ejection side, together with the interme- ● the film is placed in the mold without be- back-lit technique, soft-touch finish, etc.)
diate molding, and the mold plates on the ing formed and has the polymer inject- [6]. The process takes in the steps of form-
mold side are not moved. One advantage of ed in behind it; the edges of the molding ing the film, cutting off the film edges, in-
this is the greater freedom of design it per- must then be trimmed off serting the film in the injection mold and in-
mits for the molded parts produced. Rota- jecting the polymer (Fig. 36).
tion of the complete ejection side is thus em- ● the film simply serves as a substrate for
ployed first and foremost if changes are on- the thermo-transfer process; the layer of
ly to be made to the nozzle side of the mold color applied to a PET film is melted by
prior to injection of the subsequent compo- the molten plastic and detached from the
nent. This, however, is at the expense of the film
freedom of design for the molded part, as ● the film is placed in the mold having
has already been mentioned above. been preformed and cut, and the poly-
mer is then injected in behind it; this
process is also known as 3D-IMD.

Fig. 35: The index-plate process [5]

26
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The 3D-IMD process requires films that are

production of a preform cutting the insertion in the injection mold suitable for forming. The most appropriate
through vacuum or preform melt injected in behind film types of film are thus ABS or PC film (e.g.
high-pressure cold forming ejection of the finished part Makrofol®) or films made of PC blends (e.g.
Bayfol®). Either hot or cold forming
(HPF process)
processes are used (Fig. 37). In the case of
hot forming, the film is heated to above the
glass transition temperature and then
formed. The permitted stretching ratio is
limited only by the thinning of the film. In
the case of cold forming (such as high-pres-
sure forming, HPF), the film is only heated
slightly. The permitted stretching ratio is
thus lower than the elongation at break of
the film. Cold forming is suitable if films
Fig. 36: The process stages of film insert molding with symbol elements on them have to be
formed with precise positioning (deviation
< 0.5 mm). A requirement on all the process-
es, however, is that the film must fit into the
injection mold like a skin, without any free
play, and without any air cushions. Exces-
Cold forming sive deviations will lead to problems down-
stream (wrinkling, overmolding) during the
Mechanical forming Hydroforming High-pressure forming injection molding phase.
Pressure
Pressure
Pressure
Diaphragm

Hot forming

Heating

Thermoforming
Plug-assisted thermoforming
Thermoforming with
overpressure Vacuum

Fig. 37: Forming processes

27
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

The film that has been formed can be cut by During the molding process, the film stops When hot melt is injected in behind films
the standard methods, such as using a punch, the decoration from coming into contact in the single-layer technique, the hot melt
strip cutter, water jet, laser beam or milling with the hot melt, which means there is on- comes into direct contact with the print. In
cutter. The choice of method will depend on ly minimal danger of the decoration being order to reduce the danger of the decorative
the part geometry, the number of articles to washed out or of the injected polymer show- layer being washed out, it is necessary to
be produced, the level of flexibility and the ing through the film. With this film, a high employ special, heat-resistant primers and
potential investment required. According to color contrast (deep gloss) can only be inks. If these measures do not provide ade-
the current state of the art, punching is the achieved through the additional application quate protection against the decoration
most accurate process, but also the one that of clear lacquer. washing out, then it is possible to employ
requires the highest level of investment. A the two-layer technique. In this case, the film
Where the decoration is applied to the re-
punching tool for cutting film can work out with the decoration on it has a second film
verse side of the film (as in the Bayer IMD
just as expensive as the injection mold. The laminated on to it in order to avoid any ther-
process) the film constitutes a functional
film is then placed in the injection mold by mal damage to the decorative printing [7].
component of the injection molded part. The
the appropriate handling or robot system. This additional step is a highly cost-inten-
decoration is protected against wear by the
The accuracy of fit and the inherent stiff- sive one. In addition, films structured in this
transparent film on top of it (e.g. Makro-
ness are decisive for the centering and fixing way can only be formed by cold forming
fol®). At the same time, a very good deep-
operations. If the film will not hold itself in processes, since it is impossible to reliably
gloss effect is obtained, since the film is con-
place, then other means of keeping it in po- exclude delamination with hot forming.
siderably thicker than a coating.
sition must be considered, such as the ap-
plication of a vacuum or an electrostatic
charge, or mechanical fixing.
Different variants have become established
for the make-up of film used in film insert
molding with printed and formed films. The
film can be printed on the front or the re-
verse side. If the film is printed on the front Hardcoat
side (Fig. 38), the decoration will be on the Design
outside and will need to be protected from
the weather and from abrasion through a Film
transparent coating on the outside, which
will also produce a deep-gloss effect. The Part
material injection molded behind the film
forms a direct bond with the film; the film
and the injection molding compound must Fig. 38: Decoration on front side
thus be compatible in order to ensure good
adhesion.
Two-layer technique Single-layer technique

Transparent film
Design
Primer
Film
Part

Fig. 39: Decoration on reverse side, single and two-layer technique

28
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Comparison of processes taking the

example of the tail-light cover
The tail-lights shown in Fig. 40 (left, film
insert molding, right, multicolor injection
molding) can essentially be produced by
both processes. The advantages and draw-
backs of the two processes are set out in
Table 3. A relatively simple mold can be
used for film insert molding, together with
a standard injection molding machine, and
the flexibility of film insert molding can be
exploited in a completely automated
process.
Different-color tail-lights can be produced
from one shot to the next, or night-design
effects created. This advantage should not
be underestimated in terms of the greater
versatility that it permits in design (e.g. a
tail-light color matched to the vehicle color) Fig. 40: Examples of tail-lights
and the greater individuality that is possi-
ble. The film must, however, have been pre-
pared by printing, forming, cutting etc.
IMD Multicolor injection molding
In contrast to film insert molding, multicol-
or injection molding calls for a considerably Simple mold Complex multicolor mold
higher investment in both the mold and the Standard injection molding machine Multicolor injection molding machine
injection molding machine. Changes to the
design or the layout of individual areas will Additional protection required Self-colored materials that can be directly
involve high follow-up costs. Multicolor in- (multilayer films, coating) further processed
jection molding thus has a very high pro- Flexible production Long runs and large numbers of articles
portion of fixed costs, while the (variable) ● change of decoration work out less expensive
costs of the film account for a large slice of
● day/night design
the production costs in film insert molding.
Multicolor injection molding is thus cost- ● integrated inscription
efficient in the case of high-volume series. Table 3: Comparison of film transfer molding/multicolor injection molding

29
Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

Figure 41 shows a comparison of the pro-

duction costs for film insert molding and
Apart from the basic technology-dependent
manufacturing costs, other factors that must
Conclusion
multicolor injection molding for a specific be taken into account when determining the The number of processing methods and vari-
application. most appropriate production process include ants that are available for thermoplastics is
the freedom of design referred to above and now so large that it is difficult to retain an
the creation of special surface finishes. overview of them all. Selecting the correct
process has a major influence on the pro-
duction costs and the attainable molded part
quality. A large number of molded parts can
be produced in comparable quality by dif-
Production costs: Multicolor injection molding vs. film insert molding ferent processes. Apart from the require-
5 ments placed on the quality and the design
€ of the molded parts, the choice of process
4 is also influenced by the proposed number of
articles, the machines that are already avail-
able and the acceptable production costs.
Production costs

3
Taking the examples of a cover for a strip
2 light and automotive tail-lights, this brochure
describes different processes, such as ex-
1 trusion, low-pressure injection molding,
multicolor injection molding and film insert
0
molding, together with their process-engi-
neering challenges. The specific advantages
0 25,000 50,000 75,000 100,000
and drawbacks of the processes for the two
Articles per year applications in question are compared and
discussed. The estimate of the production
Multicolor injection molding Film insert molding
costs included in these examples reveals the
Fig. 41: Cost comparison film insert molding/multicolor injection molding impact of batch size on process selection.
Since it would be beyond the scope of this
publication to discuss the full range of dif-
ferent processes and to look at all the indi-
vidual aspects of those processes that are
described, this brochure essentially provides
product developers with a guide to drawing
up their own assessment of the different pro-
cessing methods, and highlights the consid-
erations that need to be taken into account in
process selection.

30
 Process Engineering Alternatives
and Process Selection

References
[1] Anon The combination of rigid thermoplastics with flexible
thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPU),
ATI 0902e, Bayer AG 1993
[2] Anon Krauss-Maffei company brochure, 1999
[3] A. Jaeger Joining a number of components in injection molding
Plastics Seminar on Injection Moldings with Decorative
Surfaces, November 1999
[4] G. Steinbichler Development potential of composite injection molding –
ideas for implementation,
VDI-Bildungswerk, Special Plastics Engineering Processes,
March 1999
[5] Anon Engel company brochure, 1998
[6] H. Braun In-mold decoration, ATI 7010e
P. Enewoldsen
[7] H. Bangert New applications and practical examples involving in-mold
K. Konejung decoration , IMD, ATI 7007e, Bayer AG, 1998
M. Beaujean
H. Braun

31
 Bayer AG
Bayer plastics on the Internet: Plastics Business Group
www.plastics.bayer.com D-51368 Leverkusen

This information and our technical advice – whether verbal, in writing Unless specified to the contrary, the values given have been established
or by way of trials – are given in good faith butwithout warranty, and on standardized test specimens at room temperature. The figures
this also applies where proprietary rights of third parties are involved. should be regarded as guide values only and not as binding minimum
Our advice does not release you from the obligation to verify the in- values. Please note that, under certain conditions, the properties can be
formation currently provided – especially that contained in our safety affected to a considerable extent by the design of the mold/die, the
data and technical information sheets – and to test our products as to processing conditions and the coloring.
their suitability for the intended processes and uses. The application,
use and processing of our products and the products manufactured by
you on the basis of our technical advice are beyond our control and, Edition: 2002-07
therefore, entirely your own responsibility. Our products are sold in ac-
cordance with the current version of our General Conditions of Sale
No.: KU21147-0207e
and Delivery.