How to Record and Analyze Injection Molding Trial Data for Mold Correction and Stable Production
Trial data should be carefully recorded and analyzed to determine whether mold correction or process adjustment is needed, and to provide a reliable reference for future mass production.
1. Extend the machine running time to stabilize processing conditions
Allow the machine to run long enough for both melt temperature and hydraulic oil temperature to stabilize. Stable machine conditions are essential for obtaining accurate trial results and meaningful dimensional data.
2. Adjust machine settings based on overall part size
If all molded parts are consistently too large or too small, machine conditions should be adjusted accordingly. If the shrinkage rate is too high and the finished product also shows signs of insufficient filling, the gate size may need to be increased as part of the corrective action.
3. Correct cavity dimensions when necessary
If the dimensions of parts from individual cavities are too large or too small, the corresponding cavity dimensions should be corrected. If both the cavity size and gate dimensions are confirmed to be correct, then machine settings should be adjusted instead, including filling speed, mold temperature, and pressure at different stages of the molding cycle. It is also important to check whether any cavity is filling more slowly than the others.
4. Improve cavity balance and part matching
If there are fitting issues between parts from different cavities, or if mold core displacement is affecting product quality, targeted correction should be carried out. In addition, adjustments to filling speed and mold temperature may help improve cavity balance and overall molding uniformity.
5. Check the condition of the injection molding machine
Machine faults such as problems with the oil pump, oil valve, or temperature controller can cause unstable processing conditions. Even a well-designed mold cannot perform properly on a poorly maintained machine, so machine condition must always be checked during trial analysis.
After reviewing all recorded values, a set of samples should be retained for comparison to confirm whether the corrected samples show improvement. All inspection data from the mold trial should be recorded and preserved properly, including pressure settings at each stage of the molding cycle, melt temperature, mold temperature, barrel temperature, injection time, and screw forward time.
In short, any future data that may help repeat the same molding conditions successfully should be retained. Complete and accurate records make it easier to establish stable production conditions and consistently produce parts that meet quality requirements.