Optimization of surface-shaped conformal cooling channels for enhanced thermal efficiency in injection molding

Surface-shaped cooling channels (SSCC) conform closely to the mold cavity contour and enhance heat transfer efficiency. They maintain a uniform temperature distribution across the molded product and minimize thermal gradients. This design reduces warpage, improves dimensional accuracy, and shortens cooling time, which increases production efficiency. It also lowers energy consumption and supports sustainable manufacturing. With additive manufacturing, complex SSCC geometries are fabricated to provide efficient cooling for intricate products. However, the turbulence in the channels causes a higher pressure drop and greater energy loss. Therefore, the design of SSCC requires a balance between heat dissipation and energy efficiency. This study analyzes ten volumetric flow rates through numerical simulations and validates the results using injection molding experiments. The findings establish a database of high-efficiency rapid tooling with SSCC and provide a foundation for improving mold design and optimizing thermal performance. This study develops a numerical simulation for rapid tooling with surface-shaped cooling channels. A refined 1 mm mesh containing 1,116,064 elements ensures accurate thermal–fluid analysis. The optimal coolant flow rate of 6 L/min achieves the shortest cooling time of 306.4 s and a maximum pressure drop of 0.029 MPa through simulation. The numerical simulation predicts a minimum core–cavity temperature difference of 0.05 °C, while experimental measurements are used to validate the overall cooling trend rather than such small absolute temperature differences. This research supports sustainable development goals (SDG) 9 by enhancing manufacturing innovation through rapid tooling optimization and SDG 12 by reducing experimental cooling time from 347 ± 3 s to 319 ± 3 s, improving energy efficiency. It also contributes to SDG 13 by minimizing power consumption and lowering carbon emissions during injection molding production.