Optimisation of micro injection moulding process through design of experiments

The paper presents the optimisation of Micro Injection Moulding (MIM) process through Design of Experiments (DoE). MIM is a relatively new technology which is used for the rapid manufacture of micro components. In order to meet the quality and reliability constraints it is important to reduce variability during its operation due to changes in process parameters. In this study, an understanding of the MIM process and consequently its optimisation is carried out by DoE based on six parameters which influence the surface quality, flow length and the aspect ratio. Significant single process parameters and interactions between them were determined through statistical analysis. For the 2-level test, an aspect ratio of 20, 21, and 20 were achieved respectively for Polypropylene (PP), Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) and Polyoxymethylene (POM). (C) 2012 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.