The impact of injection molding process parameters on mechanical properties and microstructure of PC/ABS blends using Taguchi approach

PC/ABS blends are commonly used for the production of automotive components due to their thermal and mechanical properties. However, changes in process conditions can have a significant impact on their properties and microstructure. Therefore, determining the optimal parameters for the injection molding (IM) process is critical for effective control of the mechanical properties and quality of the injected parts. In this study, the Taguchi method is applied to investigate the relationship between the tensile stress (sigma), Young's modulus (E) and IM process of PC/ABS blends. The effects of different molding parameters such as material temperature, injection pressure, holding time and mold temperature were investigated. The optimal injection parameters to achieve higher tensile stress (sigma) and Young's modulus (E) were predicted by studying the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). Thus, the objectives of the Taguchi approach for the IM process are to determine the optimal combination of process parameters and to reduce the quality variations between only a few trials. Two optimal parameter combinations were found yielding very significant mechanical properties (sigma, E) of the injected parts. These optimum combinations consist of material temperature of 260 degrees C, injection pressure ranging between 40 and 50 bar, holding time of 8 s and mold temperature of 60 degrees C. Experimental results prove that injection pressure and material temperature have the most significant impact on the mechanical properties and the microstructure of PC/ABS blends. These findings may have interesting applications in the automotive industry.