Modeling the Ultrasonic Micro-Injection Molding Process Using the Buckingham Pi Theorem

Polymers (Basel). 2023 Sep 15;15(18):3779. doi: 10.3390/polym15183779.

Abstract

Dimensional analysis through the Buckingham Pi theorem was confirmed as an efficient mathematical tool to model the otherwise non-linear high order ultrasonic micro-injection molding process (UMIM). Several combinations of processing conditions were evaluated to obtain experimental measurements and validate the derived equations. UMIM processing parameters, output variable energy consumption, and final specimen's Young modulus were arranged in dimensionless groups and formulated as functional relationships, which lead to dimensionless equations that predict output variables as a function of the user-specified processing parameters and known material properties.

Keywords: Buckingham Pi theorem; dimensional analysis; polypropylene; ultrasonic micro-injection; ultrasound.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by the Tecnologico de Monterrey through the Research Unit of Accelerated Materials Development and the National Laboratory for Additive and Digital Manufacturing (MADiT) LN 315910.