Effect of the Post-Filling Stage on Fiber Orientation at the Mid-Plane in Injection Molding of Reinforced Thermoplastics

Injection molding of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics is able to open a new dimension in the area of mass production of complicated net-shaped parts with accurate dimensions while the new target could be to produce parts with tailored properties. Since the properties of the composite products highly depend on the orientation of fibers, this experimental study concentrates on analyzing the state of fiber orientation during the process. By revealing the complex flow behavior of polymeric melt in the filling and packing phases of injection molding process, the results of this study show the important effect of packing pressure on fiber orientation in the final products.