Part designs are complex 3D shapes that can have various wall thicknesses and other functional features, such as ribs, bosses, gussets, and through holes. These complex designs are challenging to cool inside a mold and can result in warpage due to differential cooling. Various factors must be taken into consideration when trying to achieve uniform cooling, including cavity layout, steel selection, and waterline layout. In this lesson, we will focus on waterlines and water temperature.
This lesson covers why uneven mold temperature can cause a part to warp, but a uniform temperature will lead to a dimensionally stable part, that the mold is a heat exchanger — whatever heat goes into the mold must be removed with temperature-controlled water, and that waterline set-ups play an important role in achieving acceptable part warpage.
