Computer-Aided Reengineering towards Plastic Part Failure Minimization.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Manufacturing Processes

Background:

• Plastic faucet holders exhibit a history of fracture failures.
• Internal defects in plastic components can compromise structural integrity.
• Understanding failure mechanisms is crucial for product quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify and mitigate causes of failure in plastic faucet holders.
• Develop a methodology for detecting internal defects in plastic parts.
• Improve product quality through corrective actions.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulation of the injection molding process to predict defects.
• X-ray topography scans for defect confirmation.
• Part re-engineering involving localized thickness reduction.
• Structural analysis considering injection molding history and residual stresses.

Main Results:

• Injection molding simulation predicted excessive volumetric shrinkage and internal voids.
• X-ray topography confirmed the presence of internal voids.
• Structural analysis incorporating residual stresses correlated better with experimental data.
• Part re-engineering reduced cumulative stresses by 50%.

Conclusions:

• Residual stresses from injection molding significantly influence plastic part performance.
• The developed methodology effectively identifies internal defects and guides corrective actions.
• Localized thickness reduction in faucet holders successfully mitigated failure-causing stresses.