Inspired by the Industry 4.0 trend towards greater user-friendliness and self-optimization of machines, we present a novel approach to reducing backpressure in foam injection molding. Our method builds on the compressibility of polymer-gas mixtures to detect undissolved gas phases during processing at insufficient backpressures. Identification of a characteristic behavior of the bulk modulus upon transition from homogeneous to heterogeneous polymer-gas mixtures facilitated the determination of the minimum pressure required during production to be determined, as verified by ultrasound measurements. Optimization of the pressure conditions inside the barrel by means of our approach saves resources, making the process more sustainable. Our method yielded a 45% increase in plasticizing capacity, reduced the torque needed by 24%, and required 46% less plasticizing work and lower pressures in the gas supply chain. The components produced exhibited both improved mechanical bending properties and lower densities. From an economic point of view, the main advantages of optimized backpressures are reduced wear and lower energy consumption. The methodology presented in this study has considerable potential in terms of sustainable production and offers the prospect of fully autonomous process optimization.
Keywords: backpressure; foam injection molding; optimization; polymer processing; polypropylene; sustainability.