Additive manufacturing for automotive tooling with conformal cooling

注射成型工艺是生产汽车零部件的常用工艺。聚合物零件的注射成型对零件质量和生产率的要求越来越高。正确的注塑模具热管理是实现速度和质量同步提高的关键。在模具设计的冷却通道管理热流的塑料。目前的制造方法严重限制了用于散热的冷却通道的配置。通过使用增材制造（AM）创建内部几何形状的自由允许制造具有复杂内部冷却通道的模具。这些冷却通道可以设计成与成型腔共形。增材制造工艺产生的保形冷却通道提供了在整个工艺周期中更准确地控制成型腔温度的能力。这种温度控制有可能缩短循环时间并生产具有较低残余应力的零件。CO-EX-TEC热衷于推动增材制造技术的发展，为设计具有保形冷却通道的工具和模具提供更大的灵活性，从而减少制造的总周期时间，提高工具在生产过程中的冷却性能。该项目与麦克马斯特大学合作，将为工艺改进提供绝佳机会，从而使用AM技术生产具有保形冷却通道的高性能模具。一旦成功完成，这项研究合作的成果将提高CO-EX-TEC在汽车供应商市场的竞争地位。

Injection molding process is commonly used to produce automotive components. Injection molding of polymer components facesincreasing demands for part quality and production rate. Proper thermal management of the injection molding tooling is key toachieving simultaneous improvements in rate and quality. The devised cooling passages in the tooling manage the heat flow out ofthe plastic. Current fabrication methods place severe limitations on the configuration of the cooling channels used for heatwithdrawal.The freedom to create internal geometry by the use of Additive Manufacturing (AM) allows for fabrication of molds with complexinternal cooling passages. These cooling channels can be designed to be conformal to the molding cavity. Conformal coolingchannels produced by the AM process provide the ability to more accurately control the temperature of the molding cavitythroughout the process cycle. Such temperature control has the potential to shorten cycle time and to produce parts with lowerresidual stresses.CO-EX-TEC is keen to move the AM technology forward to open the door for more flexibility in designing tools and molds withconformal cooling channels that reduce the total cycle time of fabrication and improve the cooling performance of the tool duringproduction. This project in partnership with McMaster University, will provide an excellent opportunity for process improvementresulting in the use of AM technology to produce high performance dies with conformal cooling channels. Upon successfulcompletion, the results of this research collaboration will enhance the competitive positioning of CO-EX-TEC in the automotivesupplier market place.