Resin molds to improve thermal energy consumption in injection molding process

The injection molding process is one of the most widely used in industry to produce plastic parts. To optimize overall energy consumption, controlling thermal energy is a key factor. This can be achieved through smart modifications to the mold design. In this study, two molds made from different materials are compared, focusing on thermal analysis using numerical models. Examined materials for the mold base parts are mold steel and High Temp Resin (Formlabs), while an insert made in steel is used for both cases. The aim is to optimize the thermal energy management inside the mold. The software used is COMSOL Multiphysics for thermal characterization to evaluate thermal behaviour within the mold. Numerical models are calibrated by experimental testing. The results demonstrated that the resin’s capacity to retain heat within the steel insert is superior, requiring less thermal energy to maintain the desired temperature and for thermal transients.