Residual Stress the Invisible Killer

Residual stress is an often-overlooked issue in the world of plastics injection molding. With an emphasis on faster cycle times and aesthetics, this “invisible killer” can rear its ugly head to cause premature failure. For this reason, it is imperative to address factors that increase residual stresses in the design and molding stages to avoid performance issues while in the field.

In this presentation, we will cover how decisions during the part and mold design phases can substantially influence the magnitude and distribution in molded plastic components. We will provide methods that are commonly utilized to quantify the residual stress levels in molded parts, and mitigation strategies to reduce these stresses.

After the presentation, the audience will have an understanding of:

• What is residuals stress and what are the major factors that can lead to elevated stresses.
• How part design decision influences the location and distribution of residual stresses.
• How mold design and processing influence the residual stress.
• How to quantify residual stresses in both semi-crystalline and amorphous resins.
• How to mitigate residual stresses, if they are causing a performance issue.