Optimal design and analysis for polymer extrusion and molding

A manufacturing process design methodology is presented which can be used to improve the production of polymer components manufactured via the extrusion, injection molding, and compression molding processes. The design methodology employs polymer process modeling, design sensitivity analysis, and numerical optimization. It is applicable to systems with creeping flow of purely viscous non-Newtonian fluids through thin cavities where the lubrication approximation can be applied. The Newton-Raphson iteration is used to solve the nonlinear equations for the pressure field which are formed via the Hele-Shaw flow analysis and Galerkin finite element method. The pressure induced velocity field is then used to derive a hyperbolic differential equation which evaluates the material residence time in the polymer melt. This hyperbolic equation lacks natural diffusion, therefore, we employ the streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin (SUPG) finite element method to compute a spatially stable residence time field. To compute the fill time and filling pattern in polymer injection and compression molding, a moving boundary analysis is developed based on the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2011

Author dc:creator

• Smith, Douglas Earl

Contributors dc:contributor

• Tortorelli, Daniel A.

• Applied Mechanics
• Engineering, Mechanical
• Plastics Technology

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 1996 Smith, Douglas Earl

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

9780591088861
AAI9702668
(UMI)AAI9702668

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/20297