DR 241 - Mold Design Theory

Description
This course is an overview of the study of injection mold design. Topics include: principles of the injection molding machine; heat measurement; heat transfer within the mold; mold calculations; mold types; runner and gate design; venting; mold components; and materials used in molds. Students experience moving components within the mold and calculations related to the moving components, and design several kinds of injection molds. To help the student in this course, prior knowledge of a 3D parametric software would be helpful.

Credit Hours: 3
Contact Hours: 4

School: School of STEM
Department: Architectural and Mechanical Design
Discipline: DR

Major Course Revisions: N/A
Last Revision Date Effective: 20230221T10:08:04
Course Review & Revision Year: 2027-2028

Course Type:
Program Requirement- Offering designed to meet the learning needs of students in a specific GRCC program.
Course Format:
Lecture/Lab - Must meet Lecture & Lab Ratios

General Education Requirement: None
General Education Learner Outcomes (GELO):
NA

Course Learning Outcomes:
1. Understand the Injection Molding process.

2. Understand the relationship between the molding machine and the mold.

3. Understand mold pressure calculations and material shrinkage computations and the relationship between them.

4. Understand mold component parts and the relationship to the mold build process.

5. Describe different types of molds and articulate the pros and cons of the molds.

6. Design Injection Molds by drawing them on CAD or other drawing packages.

7. Understand how heat transfers through the mold and the relationship between cooling time and cycle time in the molding process.

8. Understand how the cooling material is distributed throughout the mold.

9. Describe different types of Mold Steels and understand why certain types of metals are used in the construction of a mold.

10. Identify the relationship between the different types of runner and gate designs. Describe the process for placement of the gates and the differences of the types of gates.

11. Understand molding defects caused by improper gate locations or the wrong type of gate.

12. Understand how to produce undercuts in the Injection Molding Process; specifically the use of slides, lifters and hydraulic cylinders.

13. Use appropriate posture, gestures, eye contact, and vocal expressiveness to effectively communicate information.

14. Complete work accurately, with attention to detail.

Approved for Online Delivery?: No

Course Outline:
I. Introduction to Plastic Materials

II. Injection Molding Machine Components and the Cycle

III. Machine Sizing and Pressure Calculations including clamp tonnage, shot size, cycle time, min/max machine daylight opening

IV. Plastic Shrinkage Calculations

V. Consideration of Part Design in relationship to the Machine

VI. Different types of Injection Molds

VII. Mold Component Parts and the relationship to each other

VIII. Materials used in Mold Construction

IX. Mold Design and how the part is placed in a mold including Bill of Material, Drawing Layout and notations on the drawing

X. Plastic Filling Patterns and different types of Runners and Gates

XI. Plastic Cooling Rates and how this is completed

XII. Molding Undercuts to include Slides, Lifters and Hydraulic Cylinders

Mandatory CLO Competency Assessment Measures:
None

Name of Industry Recognize Credentials: None

Instructional Strategies:

Audio Visual: 10-20%

Instructional Lectures: 30-40%

Laboratory Experiments: 5-10%

Drawings: 20-30%

Field Trip: 0-10%

Mandatory Course Components:
Group Work

Written Exams

Drawings

Academic Program Prerequisite: None
Prerequisites/Other Requirements: None
English Prerequisite(s): None
Math Prerequisite(s): None
Course Corerequisite(s): None
Course-Specific Placement Test: None
Course Aligned with IRW: N/A
Consent to Enroll in Course: No Department Consent Required

Total Lecture/Lab Hours Per Week: 4
Faculty Credential Requirements:
Certification/License Requirement (list below), Master’s Degree (GRCC general requirement), Professionally qualified through work experience in field (Perkins Act or Other) (list below)
Faculty Credential Requirement Details: We use current full time and adjunct staff. The instructor must know mold design thoroughly. He or she must have good interpersonal skills. He or she should have 2,000 hours of work experience in the molding/ mold making field.

Maximum Course Enrollment: 24
Equivalent Courses: None
Dual Enrollment Allowed?: No
Number of Times Course can be taken for credit: 1
Programs Where This Courses is a Requirement:
Plastics-Polymer Engineering Technology, A.A.A.S., Plastics-Polymer Engineering Technology, A.A.A.S. (Ferris State University-Manufacturing Engineering Technology), Plastics-Polymer Engineering Technology, A.A.A.S. (Ferris State University-Plastics Engineering Technology)
People Soft Course ID Number: 101397
Course CIP Code: 15.9999

High School Articulation Agreements exist?: No
If yes, with which high schools?: NA
Non-Credit GRCC Agreement exist?: No
If yes, with which Departments?: NA
Corporate Articulation Agreement exist?: No
If yes, with which Companies?: NA