In-mold shrinkage and stress prediction in injection molding

In-mold shrinkage may occur for product parts that solidify under low holding pressure and are not restricted by ribs or flanges. It not only affects the final product dimensions but in addition may have a large effect on the residual stress distribution. A simple elastic model is used to study the effect of in-mold shrinkage on final product dimensions and residual stress distributions. Friction between polymer surface and mold wall as well as deformation of the mold cavity are taken into account. The model uses local values for temperature, pressure, and crystallization, which belong to the standard output of most simulation codes.