Introducing flow architecture in the design and optimization of mold inserts cooling systems

Abstract Mold cooling is a critical phase of the molding cycle, comprising more than half of its total time. It affects the final quality of the plastic part and production rate. Therefore, the cooling channel system design is essential to achieve better control over the cycle time. Despite the improvements of conformal cooling, the flow configuration is still absent from cooling optimization criteria. In this work, using the constructal principle, we introduce in these criteria the flow systems svelteness as a global geometric design parameter expressing its architecture. In the configuration explored for cooling small-scale mold inserts, the flow enters through a primary channel and returns through secondary channels, equally spaced, similar to an umbrella shape. The evolution of flow configuration toward minimizing the flow resistance (local pressure losses) points to an architecture with smaller secondary channels and larger return angles. Depending on thermal requirements, it is possible to define optimal regions of interest presenting the cooling systems designer with an appropriate optional range.