Mathematical modeling of the in-mold coating process for injection molded thermoplastic parts

摘要

In-mold coating (IMC) for thermoplastic parts is employed either to protect products from outdoor exposure or to improve the surface appearance as in automotive applications, or both. The coating material is injected into the closed mold and advances by compressing the thermoplastic substrate. This paper presents a mathematical model for the process. The compressibility of the thermoplastic substrate is taken into account. The corresponding computer code for the coating material filling and packing in a simple geometry has been developed and the results have been verified by experiments.