Colloquia

Samenvatting

Freeform Injection Moulding (FIM) is a technology combining Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Injection Moulding (IM). In essence, a single-use soluble sacrificial mould insert is produced by AM, which is a solid block being (partly) a cavity similar to the geometry of the final part desired. The insert is placed into a conventional metal Master-Unit-Die (MUD), and the (polymer) melt material is injected. The combined mould insert and solidified final part are immersed in a solvent, solving the sacrificial mould insert without affecting the final part. The result is a part with the material properties of an injection moulded part and the design freedom of AM. This way, FIM can alleviate the shortcomings of both AM and IM. The mould inserts are made of polymeric material of which the strength is limited due to the lower pressure and temperature resistance compared to metal tools, the lower thermal conductivity, and the reduced wear resistance of the tool.

In this study, the effect of mould design, injection parameters, and part characteristics on the requirements for the mould insert material are studied. Based on the findings, design rules for FIM inserts are established.