Designing an injection mold for the dream of high-grade foam

Bachelor or Master thesis

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As a special injection molding process, thermoplastic foam injection molding (TSG) offers many advantages over conventional injection molding. In the process, a blowing agent-laden melt is injected into the injection mold, where the dissolved gas causes the formation of integral foams. Among other things, the molded parts produced are characterized by lower weights and improved dimensional accuracy. Foam injection molding is therefore a promising technology for reducing the amount of material used and conserving resources. However, the process results in characteristic streaks on the surface, which are an obstacle to more widespread use of the process. Special process variants and tooling techniques can help to prevent streaks and achieve higher degrees of foaming. One application example of foam injection molding with particularly high degrees of foaming is shoe soles made from TPE.

The work is written in this working group:

In the thermoplastic foam injection molding working group, we deal with various aspects of the innovative lightweight construction technology of foam injection molding. The main areas of research include design guidelines for lightweight structural construction, process optimization for foamed moulded parts to be welded and the improvement of surface qualities for use in automobiles or white goods.

Objective:

The aim of your work is the conception and design of an injection mold for the production of highly foamed molded parts. This requires the definition of a suitable molded part geometry for investigating the foam injection molding of TPE with high degrees of foaming. Methods for reducing surface streaks should also be taken into account when designing the mold.

Your task: