Title: Quality improvement of optical lenses using innovative runner design

Authors: Kuo-Ming Tsai; Yi-Wei Lin

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, 57, Sec 2, Chung-San Rd, Taiping, Taichung 411, Taiwan ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Chin-Yi University of Technology, 57, Sec 2, Chung-San Rd, Taiping, Taichung 411, Taiwan

Abstract: In this study, various flow restrictor geometries were implanted in the runner system of an injection mould with gates of different configurations to attain an optimised runner design and alleviate warpage in plastic lenses. The injection moulding simulation package used was Moldex3D, with the process parameters chosen being that of size, shape and position of the flow restrictors with the geometry of those gates. The result of the analysis by Taguchi experiments suggest that the optimised runner design is a cylindrical shaped restrictors at secondary and quaternary runners, with the end of restrictor aligned with the edge of tertiary runner, and a gate of fan-converge shape. The warpage of the lens was reduced by 28.6% using the optimised combination of the parameters, compared with the warpage using the original parameters. [Received 2 March 2012; Revised 1 October 2012; Accepted 3 March 2013]

Keywords: optical lens; injection moulding; mould flow analysis; runner design; flow restrictor geometries; Taguchi methods; warpage; plastic lenses; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMR.2013.057746

International Journal of Manufacturing Research, 2013 Vol.8 No.4, pp.337 - 356

Published online: 29 Jan 2014 *

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