Manufacturability Analysis of Multi-Material Objects Molded by Rotary Platen Multi-Shot Molding Process

This paper describes a systematic approach for manufacturability analysis of multi-material objects molded using rotary platen multi-shot injection molding process. In this paper we first identify potential manufacturability problems that are associated with objects molded by the rotary platen process. Identified problems include infeasibility of molding sequences, unnecessary mold complexity, undesired friction during mold opening and closing, and undesired material flash on finished faces. These problems are unique to multi-material molding and do not occur in traditional injection molding. For each of the above four potential manufacturability problems, this paper also describes geometric algorithms for detecting the potential occurrence of the problem based on the object and mold design, finding its causes, and offering appropriate redesign suggestions. We expect that these algorithms will help in decreasing the product development time and improving the product quality for molded multi-material objects