Design analysis of a standard injection screw for plasticising polycarbonate resins

Abstract The industrial use of plastic injection moulding machines is widespread. However, few studies have examined the injection screw, which is one of the key components of moulding machines. Studies have demonstrated that a properly designed injection screw improves both the moulding quality and the production rate. Factors that affect the plasticisation properties of conventional standard reciprocating screws include the screw geometry, the screw operation settings, and the processed resins. An ideal standard reciprocating screw exhibits a high plasticising capacity and excellent melt temperature homogeneity; however, these properties typically conflict. Through simulation analysis, this study investigated the optimal design of a standard reciprocating injection screw used for plasticising polycarbonate resins. First, the Taguchi method was integrated with a commercial simulation programme to identify the key control factors affecting the plasticising rate of a screw and the temperature uniformity of the melt. Simulation results revealed that the screw diameter, rotation speed, metering channel depth, ratio of the screw length to the screw diameter, and compression ratio substantially influence performance. Consequently, grey relational analysis was adopted to optimise the design of an injection screw that ensures sufficient quality according to the plasticisation rate and the homogeneity of molten plastic.