Application of Cooling Layer and Thin Thickness Between Coolant and Cavity for Mold Temperature Control and Improving...

Effective thermal management of molds is a governing factor of the quality and stability of the injection molding process. This study introduces and validates an integrated cooling layer within a thin-walled insert mold designed to enhance thermal control and cavity filling performance. A coupled heat transfer simulation model was developed and subsequently calibrated against experimental temperature measurements. To isolate the mold's intrinsic thermal response, temperatures were measured during distinct heating and cooling cycles, free from the perturbations of polymer melt flow. The validated mold was then installed on a Haitian MA1200 III injection molding machine to conduct molding trials under various injection pressures. A strong correlation was found between the simulation and experimental results, particularly as pressure increased, which significantly improved cavity filling and reduced the deviation between the two methods. The integrated cooling layer was shown to enhance heat dissipation, minimize thermal gradients, and promote a more uniform thermal field. This, in turn, improved filling stability, especially at moderate injection pressures. These findings provide robust quantitative data for simulation model calibration and mold design optimization, highlighting the potential of advanced cooling strategies to significantly enhance injection molding performance.