Characterisation of Blowing Agent Loaded Plastic Melts for Improved Filling Simulation of the Foam Injection Moulding Process

Abstract

Foam injection moulding provides manufacturers of injection-moulded parts with many advantages, such as material savings, cycle time reduction or lower warpage of parts. The ability to predict the properties of a foamed plastic moulding using simulation software is currently limited. By characterising blowing agent loaded plastic melts, material cards can be generated which further improve the results of a mould-filling simulation, especially in determining the local density of an injection-moulded part.