Case Study: Conformal Cooling
- Real-world applications
- Part designs and production parameters
- Hard data output with ROI calculation
- and more details about a successful implementation of the solution
Conformal Cooling by DME is a cost-saving solution delivering excellent cost-efficiency and outstanding ROI characteristics. It is a solution for high efficiency thermal exchange in an injection moulding tool. Conformal Cooling allows for an effective heat exchange when moulding parts with complicated design or other challenging characteristics. Presented examples are real-world applications of the solution.
Case Study 1: Globoid
Application and its challenges
Moulded Part: Globoid with a structured surface on both sides. Two-cavity injection mould.
Target: Achieving a stable and efficient production output for globoid-shaped parts.
Challenge:
- Limitations of CNC-machined cooling systems
- Non-homogeneous cooling due to the globoid shape
Consequences:
- Often longer cooling times
- Increased parts rejection rate
Task at hand
Resolving cooling difficulties caused by sub-optimal heat exchange in the mould. This resulted in longer cooling time, worse CPK values, and higher scrap rate. CNC machining reached its limits for this mould design, and the toolmaker was unable to add better coolant circulation channels for improved efficiency.
Solution
Optimized cooling channels by utilizing Conformal Cooling technology. Channels were added approximately 4 mm from the cavity surface, positioned to cover problematic areas of the mold shape, resulting in substantial improvements in cycle time and part quality.
The measurable improvements enabled the moulder to calculate total savings with conformally cooled mould cavities.
Data Table
Results and ROI:
Calculated based on a production lot of 300,000 parts.
Conformal Cooling investment: EUR 4200
Shortened cycle time by 32% resulted in: Total Savings: (129 - 87 days) × 24 hrs × EUR 100/h = EUR 100 800 per lot Daily Savings: EUR 100 800 / 87 days = EUR 1159 per day
Payback: EUR 4200 / EUR 1159 = 3,62 days x 3428 pcs/day = as early as with just 12 422 pcs moulded
Case Study 2: Wire Coil Housing
Application and its challenges
Target: Achieve homogeneous and effective cooling of the electronic housing to remain competitive.
Challenge:
- Cooling of the spindle legs — tall and thin features that cannot be cooled using conventional machined cooling channels.
Consequences:
- Often longer cooling times
- Sometimes an increased parts rejection rate
Task at hand
Designing and manufacturing cooling inserts that fit between the thin walls of spindly legs. Each leg features a slightly different structure for functional purposes, requiring different insert designs for each. The moulder needed to achieve shorter cycle times and reduce scrap rates, but conventional cooling circuits were unable to deliver the required efficiency.
Solution
Conformal Cooling solution by DME delivered significantly better heat exchange in critical areas of the molded part. With faster cooling, the moulder was able to eject parts at lower temperatures and improved quality simultaneously.
Measurable improvement allowed the moulder to calculate total savings with conformally cooled mould cavities.
Data Table
Results and ROI:
Calculated based on a production lot of 300 000 parts.
Conformal Cooling investment: EUR 4 500
Time Savings: 300 000 × 22s / 3 600 × 0,8 = 1 467 hours (assuming 80% efficiency) Total Savings: 1 467h × EUR 100/h = EUR 146 700/lot
Payback: EUR 4500 × 300 000pcs / EUR 146 700 = as early as with just 9200 pcs moulded
Additional Effect: Additional effect: Increased FPY (First Pass Yield) due to reduced leg deformation
Choose Conformal Cooling for the best results in demanding applications
Since cooling is often the largest portion of the molding process, you want it to be designed as well as possible. Despite this it is often underestimated when designing your mould. Therefore it is the best opportunity to improve overall efficiency of your production and the quality of your output. Conformal Cooling is designed to follow the shape of manufactured part far more precisely than a conventional approach.
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