Design of New Conformal Cooling Channels for Injection Molded Parts with Complex Undercuts and Internal Mold Lifters

The plastic injection molding process is currently the most widespread manufacturing process worldwide, being one of the most complex. The molding process is characterized by its high productivity and low-profit margins, which makes the manufacturing cycle time one of the fundamental indicators of process efficiency. Within the molding cycle, cooling time consumes more than 70% of the total production time, so any reduction of it will have a significant impact on manufacturing costs. The design of the mold in plastic parts with internal undercuts implies the use of complex mobile devices that, together with the elements in charge of the ejection, make it difficult or prevent the location of channels that cool the part in the core area. In this line, the use of conformal cooling channels manufactured using additive technology allows the representation of geometries in the channels, that are impossible to achieve using traditional manufacturing methods. The research presents the application of a new conformal cooling system in a mold with internal mobile devices and an ejection system, in which the use of traditional cooling means is not technologically feasible. The results obtained indicate that the use of conformal cooling in complex molds is capable of reducing the production cycle time by improving temperature distribution and uniformity on the surface of the plastic part, while improving its quality.