Key design parameters and optimal design of a five-point double-toggle clamping mechanism

The toggle mechanism is highly efficient and yields excellent results; it is widely in the clamping units of injection-molding machines. This work explores the effect of key design parameters – the speed profile of the moving platen, the stroke of the clamping hydraulic cylinder and mold-opening, the ration of force amplification, and the initial angle of mold-closing on the performance of a five-point double-toggle clamping mechanism, drawing on a newly developed formulation of motion. The genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted to obtain the optimal solution of a clamping mechanism with reference to the key design parameters. Finally, the results of the primary mechanism are compared with those obtained using the optimal GA design and the GA design method is found to outperform the motion characteristics.