Influence of process parameters on the weld lines formation in rapid heat cycle molding

The insufficient entanglement of the molecular chains at the v‐notch of a weld line impairs the mechanical strength and the surface quality of a plastic product. The rapid heat cycle molding technology (RHCM) has been recently used to enhance surface appearance of the parts, by thermally cycling the mold surface temperature. The mold temperature is the key of RHCM technology because it significantly affects productivity, energy efficiency and the quality of the final polymer part. In this work the influence of mold temperature on the weld lines depth and roughness were studied. Three different materials were tested. To investigate the influence of process parameters, a special mold insert was designed and manufactured. Weld lines geometry and roughness were quantitatively characterized by means of a profilometer. Experimental results show that is possible to increase the temperature to 10° C lower than the glass transition to obtain a high‐gloss parts without weld lines with a significant reduction of cycle time and energy consumption.