Quality Control and Parameter Optimization of Injection Molding Product: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

For many years, injection molding is adopted as the most suitable manufacturing process in the production of complex plastic components. It is very difficult to boost the product's quality stability to attain a higher forming speed and higher automation in the injection moulding process because the process often disrupted by numerous inevitable deviations. The settings for different process parameters and machine parameters have quite a major influence on the overall product quality and its performance of the injection moulding process, which shows the final product quality as output responses. Identifying the perfect process parameter settings so that numerous responses may be optimized at almost the same time is becoming a significant research challenge these days. Smart manufacturing is at the heart of the new industrial revolution, and it will continue to be the primary means of transforming and upgrading the manufacturing industry in the upcoming decades. Melt temperature, the temperature of mould, injection pressure, and velocity of molten polymer while injection, injection time, pressure of molten polymer while holding into the mold cavity, holding time of molten polymer, and cooling time are the variety of input process parameters.  While mechanical characteristics, flaws such as warpage, volumetric or dimensional shrinkage, sink mark on outer surface, residual stress, and surface finish/roughness are examples of responses. To study and optimize the molding process, researchers have used a wide range of methods. Mathematical modeling, simulation, design of experiments, Taguchi methodology, analysis of variance - ANOVA, response surface methodology - RSM, evolutionary algorithm (EA), artificial neural networks - ANN, genetic algorithms - GA, fuzzy logic, particle swarm optimization - PSO, are examples of these techniques. This paper presents a review of the numerous strategies that used till date for optimizing the key injection moulding parameters, as well as their benefits and challenges. In the review, it is discovered that a perfect injection molding process, which takes care of overall quality control is still being researched upon. The process parameters involved in injection molding, required response, and the methodologies used for optimization of overall injection molding process are discussed throughout this paper.