WP2 – Hybrid Molds for Polymeric Products

The idea of ​​this project is to create a productive tool from the combination of different technologies and materials, with the aim of obtaining polymeric parts for everyday use. This tool is called a hybrid mold because it consists of a conventional structure and molding inserts that are produced by combining traditional and additive manufacturing materials, through conventional and additive manufacturing technologies.

The hybrid mold can be used as a molding tool, e.g. in injection, thermoforming, blow molding, and other technologies, for the production of small to medium series, as well as to make injected prototypes for product or system validation, before large-scale production. With hybrid molds there is the possibility of embracing new markets, such as the production of small customized series, production of replacement parts and the production of test parts, to accelerate product development. Based on this idea, it will be developed product 1, which consists of a hybrid mold with molding inserts for the production of polymeric parts, through the process of injection molding.

Hybrid molds with molding inserts produced through AM present some problems, such as: low durability of the inserts; scarce availability on the market of AM polymeric materials with the necessary characteristics; low heat transfer from existing polymeric materials; probability of adhesion between the materials to be injected and the molding inserts (when produced with polymeric materials); poor surface quality (depending on the AM technology); inaccurate dimensional tolerance; the impossibility of placing channels in the molding inserts (when produced with polymeric materials) for thermal control; and limitations in the injection of parts with complex geometries.

In order to solve some of these problems in injection molding inserts produced through AM, ​​the objective is to study different cases, such as polymeric parts with thin, transparent walls and areas that require metallic pieces in the molding insert. Additionally, there is the plan to develop product 2, which is based on a new coating that is suitable for additively manufactured polymeric materials, to be then applied to product 1, in order to improve the performance of hybrid molds and to solve some of the identified problems. The application of coating will improve the surface quality of the molding inserts produced by additive manufacturing, as well as the adhesion between the material of the molding inserts (when polymeric) and the material to be injected, facilitating the extraction of the injected polymeric parts.

At the end of the process, the hybrid mold will be validated, allowing for the development of polymeric products with complex geometry for the automotive industry, using surface coatings and/or application of metallic pieces in the molding inserts.