Simulation and experimental verification of two cavity balance in injection molding

Injection molding of two cavities of different sizes leads to filling imbalance and possible defects, since the smaller cavity fills first, but is not packed until the larger cavity is filled. SigmaSoft PIM simulation was applied to alter the gate and runner geometry of two similar sized cavities in order to balance the fill rates of the 2 cavities. The optimized geometries were produced and tested, and the verification of the simulation is compared to the experimental results. The material used in simulation and experimental verification is a WC-10Co grade powder. The agreement between simulation and experimental results was good, though experimental optimization was still required.