Analysis of Fiber Orientation in Injection Molding

Fiber orientation induced during injection mold filling of fiber filled thermoplastics causes material properties to be anisotropic and molded parts to warp. Predicting fiber orientation is important for parts and mold designs to produce sound molded parts. A computer program has been developed to predict planar fiber orientation in thin walled molded parts by using Folgar and Tucker's orientation model for concentrated suspensions. Computed result was compared with experimental one for an injection molded square plate of glass fiber reinforced polypropylene.