Analysis of the filling capability to the microstructures in micro-injection molding

Micro-injection molding is an important fabrication process for polymer plastics with micro-features. In micro-injection molding of products with microstructures, the ability for the polymer melt to flow into the microstructures is a crucial factor for successful molding. An analytical model in micro-injection molding is constructed in this research. It has been reported that most of the filling in microstructure is done during the packing pressure. In this analytical model, the temperature of the polymer melt near the entrance of the microstructure at the end of mold filling is estimated first, with the temperature, we can calculate the injection distance into the microstructures of the mold insert during the packing stage. The model is compared with experimental results, and shows the feasibility. The experiment uses the LIGA-like lithography process to define the micro-feature and a micro-electroforming method to form the mold insert with the replicated micro-feature. The injection distance into the microstructures predicted by this analytical model shows reasonable result as compared to the experimental measurement. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.