SIMULATION OF THE MELT FRONT ADVANCEMENT IN INJECTION-MOLDED PLATE WITH A RIB OF SEMICIRCULAR CROSS-SECTION

Two algorithms are developed to predict the polymer melt front advance ment in the thin plate with ribs of semicircular cross section. In the first method rod-like elements of equivalent hydraulic diameter repre senting a semicircular rib are superimposed on the triangular shed ele ment mesh used for the thin section. In the second approach, rectangul ar elements having the same width as the diameter of the semicircular rib and representing mixed one- and two-dimensional flow characteristi cs are used and interlinked with triangular elements. In both algorith ms, control volume/finite element formulation is applied to trace the melt front advancement. Both simulations result in similar predictions and also show reasonably good consistency with experimental observati on.