Developments of three-dimensional computer-aided engineering simulation for injection moulding

This paper presents the state-of-the-art technology and developments of three-dimensional computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation for injection moulding. It is aimed at providing insights into the emerging three-dimensional CAE tools to facilitate judicious application and further developments of these tools for design and manufacturing of complex injection moulded parts. It begins with background information on the evolution of CAE for injection moulding, followed by a discussion of advantages and limitations inherent with the widely adopted 2.5-dimensional Hele-Shaw flow approximation. After that, the mathematical formulations and numerical methods used in three-dimensional simulation are presented. This paper also discusses some special issues related to three-dimensional simulation, such as intensive CPU requirement and solution resolution in the gap-wise direction. A number of illustrative examples are presented to demonstrate the capabilities of three-dimensional simulation and the difference between predictions from the 2.5-dimensional and three-dimensional analyses.