Optimal Design of Injection Molding Process using the Mahalanobis Taguchi System

Warpage is a major defect frequently found in the injection molding process, and the reduction of warpage is a very challenging problem because of the uncontrollable factors, such as variations in the process parameters. Without any countermeasure against these noises, attempts to reduce the defects often lead to failure. In this research, a new robust design methodology, based on the Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS) to reduce warpage, is presented. The MTS performs the orthogonal array experiments and uses the signal-to-noise (SN) ratio of the Mahalanobis distance as a performance metric. The validity of the proposed method is illustrated through an optimal design of the injection molding process of a CPU base plate.