All right, get ready, because we're going deep on injection molding, but we're taking a different angle this time. So today it's cooling time. You know, why is it so important? What affects it? Yeah. And what can you actually do with this knowledge? Like, how can you level up your, you know, your process or your designs, all that good stuff.
Absolutely.
So, yeah, cooling time.
We dug often.
Research papers, industry articles. We even found some. An afterthought shop floor tails in there.
Honestly, I just think of this silent conductor like a cheat sheet of the.
Entire injection molding orchestra.
Right. Whether you design parts, run production, or just, you know, like to geek out about how things are made.
Absolutely.
There should be something in here for you.
And the goal today is to help you see how cooling time, and this is a big one, isn't just about speed. Right. It directly impacts the quality, the.
The cost.
The cost.
The whole shebang.
The whole shebang.
The whole. The whole nine yards.
All right, so first we got to talk materials. Right. Yeah. We've all experienced this. Right. Metal spoon cools down.
Yeah.
Way faster than a plastic one after, you know, a hot beverage or whatever.
Absolutely.
But have you ever thought why?
Well, it's all about how different materials handle heat. Right.
Right. So there's a reason behind it.
There's a reason for that.
Yeah. It's not just magic.
Yes. Think thermal conductivity.
Okay.
Right. How quickly heat travels through a material.
Got it.
So metals are, like, you know.
Yeah.
Super efficient. Postal services.
Okay.
He zips right through them.
Okay. So they're good at getting rid of it.
Exactly.
They don't hold on to it.
They don't. They don't hold on to the heat.
Right.
So that's why your metal spoon gets cold so fast.
Yeah. And then plastic is more like, I don't know, like the dmv.
It's like those old long lines. Yeah, those old postal services with long lines.
Okay.
And slow sorting.
Yeah. It's just.
Yeah, it's just kind of sitting there.
It takes a long time.
Right. So the heat's just hanging out in there.
Exactly.
Okay, so we got thermal conductivity. What else is there?
Then there's specific heat capacity.
Oh, yeah.
Which tells us how much heat a material can absorb before its temperature actually changes.
Okay, so it's like how much it can.
A material with low specific heat capacity is like a shallow pan, heats up quickly, but also cools down fast.
Okay, so like aluminum. Yeah, aluminum's got a low specific heat capacity.
Aluminum. That's right.
So it'd be like that friend who's, like, super hyped one minute and then.
Just like, totally chilled out the next.
Yeah, totally chilled out the next. Yeah, yeah. Okay.
And then finally we have density.
Density.
Yes.
So.
So that's how tightly packed it is.
Exactly. Imagine.
Right.
Those old school phone books. Right. The more densely packed the pages, the longer it takes to flip through them. Right, right, right, right. Materials, like some plastics.
Yeah.
Act like those packed phone books.
Oh, okay.
They hold on to that heat.
So they're clinging to it.
Yeah. They're clinging to it for longer.
Got it.
So knowing these three factors.
Okay.
Can help you.
So knowing how well it transfers heat.
Right.
Knowing how much heat it can absorb.
Exactly.
And knowing how dense it is.
That's right.
Helps you choose the right material.
Absolutely.
For the job. Okay.
You need a part that dissipates heat quickly.
Yeah.
Metal might be your winner.
Right.
But if heat resistance is key, certain plastics might be a better bet.
Okay, so that's the first piece of puzzle. Right. Material.
Material.
Now let's talk about the mold itself. Specifically, the mold temperature.
Absolutely.
Who knew?
Mold temperature is crucial.
Right.
It's like setting the oven temperature just right.
Yeah.
Too hot and you get. Burnt cookies.
Yeah. Burnt cookies. Nobody wants that.
Nobody wants burnt cookies.
Too cold and they're all doughy and raw in the middle.
They're just a doughy.
Right.
Yeah.
Yeah. Okay. So it's all about finding that sweet spot.
Yeah.
So the mold temperature, it controls how quickly the heat is sucked away from that molten material.
Exactly.
Which then affects the cooling speed.
Yeah.
And the quality of the final product.
Precisely.
But you can't just set it to, like.
And setting the right 400 degrees mold temperature. Right. Isn't a one size fits all situation.
It depends on the material.
It depends on the material. I mean, polycarbonate needs a different temperature range.
Yeah.
Than polypropylene.
Yeah.
Just like you bake a cake.
Right.
At a different temperature than a loaf of bread.
Totally.
You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah.
And then part thickness also matters. Right?
Absolutely.
A thick part.
Thicker parts.
Needs more time.
Yeah. Thicker parts need more time to cool evenly. Rather to cool evenly.
It's like trying to cool down a thick steak versus Right. Like a thin fish fillet or something.
It's just. It's going to cool a lot quicker.
Yeah.
And then there's the cooling system Right. Within the mold itself.
Right. So there's the mold temperature and then there's like.
Yes.
Internal.
An internal cooling system.
Right.
So a well designed cooling system.
Okay.
Is like having A powerful ventilation system. It can handle those higher temperatures.
Okay.
Without sacrificing efficiency.
So. But how do you know if you've got the temperature dialed in perfectly? Are you just kind of eyeballing it?
Not quite. We've got some pretty cool tools.
Okay.
These days.
What, like, what do you got?
Thermal imaging cameras are like.
Yeah.
X ray vision for heat.
I've seen those.
You've seen those?
Yeah. Those are cool.
They let you spot any hot spots or inconsistencies within the mold.
So no more guessing games.
Nope.
Not anymore.
Yeah. No more.
We can even use digital thermometers.
Yeah.
To get those precise temperature readings.
Oh, yeah.
Ensuring we're right on target.
Yeah. So it really is like you're a scientist. It's like in an artist at the same time.
A scientist and an artist at the same time.
You're optimizing the efficiency and the beauty.
Yeah.
Or in this case, the quality.
The quality of the final product.
The final product.
Now here's something that just blew my mind when I first learned about this.
Yeah.
The shape of the part itself.
Yeah.
Can drastically impact how long it takes to cool.
That's right.
Who knew geometry played such a starring role?
Geometry plays a huge role in manufacturing, in the cooling process.
Right.
Yeah.
I don't know. I always thought about geometry as like a math class, you know, high school.
Math class.
Yeah. Back in high school, it's all about.
But it actually how heat flows through and away from the part.
Right.
So first there's thickness.
Okay. Thickness. Yeah.
Thicker parts.
Makes sense.
Or like trying to cool.
Yeah. Thicker parts.
A big pot of soup.
Cool, though. Take longer to cool.
It takes ages for that heat from the center to make its way to the surface.
It's got further to travel.
Exactly.
Right.
It's got a longer journey.
So a thin walled container is going to pool.
Yeah. Much faster. Way faster than a thick walled one.
Okay. And then.
Then there's surface area.
Surface area.
The more surface area exposed to that cooling system.
Okay.
The faster the heat can escape.
Right.
Imagine opening all the windows on a hot day.
Right.
More air circulation.
Yeah.
Faster cooling.
Yeah. More surface area for the heat to escape.
Exactly.
But then things get really interesting when you start talking about.
Things get a little trickier.
Complex shape.
When you start talking about.
Right. It's not just as simple as shapes. Surface area.
Not as straightforward as just surface area with complex parts.
Okay.
You have to think about things like sharp corners.
Okay.
And internal cavities. Those can act like interesting little heat traps.
Okay.
Slowing down the cooling process.
Got it. So they're like little pockets where it gets stuck.
They're like little pockets where the heat gets trapped.
Got it.
So imagine like a maze or something. Yeah. Like trying to cool down a maze.
Yeah. With all these twists and turns, but.
All sorts of twists and turns.
Yeah. And the heat's like, wait, I got to go back this way.
The heat's, like, trying to find its way out.
Right. Okay. And this can lead to problems.
And these intricacies can create uneven cooling, which can lead to warping.
Right.
Or other defects in the final product.
Okay. So you really got to think about the shape of the part.
You got to think about the shape.
Because it's not just, oh, it's got a lot of surface area, so it'll cool quickly. Yeah.
You've got to think about the shape.
You really got to think about how the heat's going to flow.
Exactly. Luckily, designers now have simulation tools.
There are tools to help with this. Right.
That can predict cooling times.
Yeah. Okay.
Based on the geometry of the part.
So they can, like, simulate it.
They can simulate before they even make the part and figure out and see.
If there's going to be any problems.
Where those potential hot spots might be.
Yeah. That's awesome.
Are those slow cooling areas?
That's a serious lifesaver.
Absolutely.
So we've got material.
It is.
Mold, temperature.
Yeah.
And geometry.
And geometry. All playing their parts.
All playing a role.
But how do we actually calculate cooling time?
Right.
In a way that's useful.
Right. How do we actually put this into practice?
Yeah. In the real world.
In the real world.
Is there a magic formula or something?
There is a formula. It's based on thermal conductivity.
Okay.
Specific heat capacity and thickness. All right. So it uses all those things that we talked about.
It uses those three key factors that we talked about.
Yeah. Okay. To. Interesting.
To estimate the cooling time.
All right. So there's a formula, but I'm guessing.
Yeah.
I mean, you're not just plugging in numbers. And it's not really calling it a.
Day, simple as it seems.
Right.
Real world scenarios.
Yeah.
Throw in a few curveballs.
Yeah. I'm sure there's all sorts of other things. For example, you have to take into.
Account the initial temperature of that molten plastic.
Yeah, of course. That makes sense.
Plays a huge role.
Yeah.
Think about it. Like a scorching hot blob of plastic is going to take way longer to cool down. That makes sense than something that's just barely molten.
Yeah.
Right.
Like trying to cool boiling pot of water.
Yeah. It's like the difference between trying to cool down a boiling pot of water.
Right. Versus a lukewarm cup of tea or something.
A lukewarm cup of tea, exactly.
Okay. So you got to take that into.
Account, and then you have to consider the surrounding environment.
Oh, yeah, of course. That makes sense.
The environment matters.
A drafty factory floor with lots of air circulation will cool parts down faster. Makes sense than a still enclosed space. So even small differences in the environment.
Yeah. You got to think about the environment it's going to be.
Cooling in can have a real impact.
Wow. So there's a lot of factors.
And we can't forget about different methods of heat transfer.
Right. Conduction, convection, radiation, all that stuff.
Convection and radiation, each plays a role. And understanding how they work.
Could you break down real quick what those are all about?
Of course. Conduction is heat transfer through direct contact.
Okay, got it.
Like when you touch a hot stove. Yeah. Like when you burn yourself.
When you burn yourself out, Rich.
All right.
Convection is heat transfer.
Okay.
Through the movement of fluids.
Okay.
Like the air circulating in your oven.
Yeah.
Radiation is heat transfer.
Yeah.
Through electromagnetic waves.
All right.
Like the warmth you feel from the sun.
Got it.
So.
So those three are all.
Those three heat transfer methods all happening.
Simultaneously during the cooling process.
Simultaneously during the cooling process.
Okay. So they're all working.
Exactly. And depending on the specific setup and materials.
Yeah. It's going to be different.
One method.
Right.
Might be more dominant than the others.
Yeah. So it's not just.
So it's really a complex interplay.
Yeah. It's not just this simple formula.
These different factors.
Yeah.
Got to take everything into account.
Piecing together clues.
Yeah. It's like a detective. Yeah.
To solve a mystery, you're gathering clues. You got to analyze it. You've got to gather all the information. But how do people manage all of this? I mean, it sounds incredibly complex in the real world.
Luckily, there are some amazing resources.
Okay.
Available to help.
Okay, good.
I like to hear that there are online calculators.
Oh, nice.
That take into account all those variables we talked about. Initial temperature, environmental conditions, heat transfer methods. And they spit out a pretty accurate cooling time estimate.
That sounds like a lifesaver.
They are lifesavers.
Yeah.
And then you've got.
What else is there?
Material databases that provide in depth information.
So you can look up about the.
Thermal properties of various plastics.
You can look up all the thermal conductivity and all that.
Exactly. In these databases, you can look up all that information.
Right, okay.
In those databases.
Right. So you don't have to be like some math whiz to figure this out.
And you don't have to memorize it all.
They're tools to help. There are tools to help and we can't forget about.
Then there's always experience. Yeah.
Experience matters.
Seasoned professionals.
Yeah.
Have a wealth of knowledge.
That reminds me of that story you told me.
Right.
About that.
It does.
Plastic molding project.
Yeah, yeah.
Where the calculations, like, saved the day.
Yes.
You know what I'm talking about.
That was a close one.
Yeah. Yeah.
We were working on.
Tell me that story. Yeah.
A complex part.
Yeah.
With intricate features.
Right.
And the initial cooling time estimates were way off.
Yeah.
And if we hadn't caught it early on.
Right.
We would have ended up.
Yeah.
With a batch of.
With a bunch of warped, unusable parts.
Yeah. A whole batch of scrap.
A whole batch of scrap.
Yeah. But those calculations and literary.
Helped you avert a major disaster.
Some good old fashioned experience.
Yeah.
Helped avert.
So they're important.
A major disaster.
Right.
Yeah, they did indeed.
You got to think about it and.
It really highlighted the importance of paying attention.
We've talked a lot about every detail. How to calculate cooling time when it.
Comes to cooling time.
But let's get to the like.
Right.
The heart of the matter here.
Yeah.
How can we actually reduce it?
So how can we actually.
Faster cooling with faster production.
Yes, absolutely. And there are.
How do you speed things up?
A bunch of clever strategies to make that happen.
Give me the secrets.
Smart design.
Okay.
Is we're talking about the first line of attack.
The shape of the part.
Exactly.
Okay.
One simple.
All right.
But incredibly effective trick.
Yeah.
Is to design for uniform.
Okay.
Wall thickness.
Okay. When a bar, it should be the same thickness throughout.
Has consistent thickness throughout. Like baking a cake more evenly and quickly. It's like trying to bake a cake.
If you've got uneven layers.
With uneven layers, the thin parts are.
Going to cook faster.
The thin parts will cook faster.
Right. They're going to burn.
And the thick parts are going to.
Be raw while the thick parts are still raw.
You don't want that.
You don't want that. It's a great analogy.
Yeah. So you want it to be.
And speaking of analogies. Nice.
And even.
Think about how fins on a radiator.
Yeah.
Help it overheat.
Give it more surface area more efficiently. Right.
We can apply that same principle to part design.
Okay. So we can add features to the part.
Adding features that increase surface area, give it more surface area, can significantly speed up cooling.
So even small design tweaks can make small design tweaks can make a big difference.
Right. And then there's material choice. Right. And then there's material choice. At the beginning, we already talked about.
Materials with high thermal conductivity like metals.
How materials with high thermal conductivity like.
Metals, they're good at getting rid of.
That heat, are great at dissipating heat quickly.
But you can't always use metal, Right?
Well, we can't always use metal.
Sometimes you have to use plastic.
Right.
And that means it might cool a little slower.
Sometimes plastic.
Right.
Is the better option.
Yeah.
Even if it means slower cooling.
There's a whole world of plastics out there.
That's true.
Right.
But even within the world of plastics.
Right.
There is a wide range of thermal properties.
Some are better than others.
Some plastics dissipating heat are much better at conducting heat.
So you can choose your plastic carefully.
Than others to try to shave off carefully. Choosing a few seconds, the right plastic here and there can shave off precious seconds from that cooling time.
And you can even do things absolutely. Like fillers and additives. Right.
And we can go even further with things like fillers and additive boost the.
Thermal conductivity even more.
Adding certain materials to the plastic can enhance interest, its thermal conductivity.
You're basically giving it, speeding up that.
Cooling process a little boost. So it's like giving the plastic.
Yeah.
Boost.
Like a little shot of espresso or something.
Yeah.
To help it shed that heat.
To help it shed that heat faster.
Okay, now let's not forget exactly about.
Those high tech systems we touched those.
High tech cooling systems we touched on.
Earlier formal cooling channels.
You mean like those.
Yeah, yeah.
Conformal cooling channels that are custom designed.
To match the shape.
That are custom designed to match the shape of the part.
Right.
Those are a game changer.
Yeah.
But there's a number, especially for complex parts.
Technique with intricate features that's starting to gain traction.
But there's another technique.
Right.
That's starting to gain traction.
I think I read about this.
Have you heard of induction heating? Induction heating?
Yeah.
Yeah.
It sounds kind of counterintuitive, doesn't it?
It sounds counterintuitive.
We're trying to cool things down, aren't we?
Trying to.
And now you're talking about heating it.
Up, cool things down. Yeah, I know it seems strange.
Yeah.
Right?
Yeah.
But hear me out.
Okay. All right, I'm listening.
Induction heating.
Yeah.
Uses electromagnetic fields to selectively heat.
Okay.
Certain areas of the mold.
I'm with you so far.
By strategically applying heat, we can actually accelerate the cooling Process to cool it down. Yeah.
Okay. How does that work?
Imagine you've got a thick walled part.
Okay. Yeah.
With traditional cooling.
Okay.
The outer layers.
Right.
Solidify first.
Yeah.
They cool down first while the core remains molten.
Okay. And that creates a temperature gradient.
This creates a temperature gradient.
Yeah. We talked about those heat traps earlier.
That can lead to warping and other defects.
Right.
We talked about those heat traps earlier.
Yeah.
But with induction heating, we can apply heat to the core.
Okay. So you're heating up the middle of.
The part, keeping it molten.
So you're keeping the middle for a bit longer.
Hot expert.
So it allows.
So you're kind of like slowing down.
The outside, the outer layers, to cool more slowly and evenly.
Got it. Which reduces kind of like controlling the.
Heat flow, the risk of defects. So it's like work perfectly controlling the.
Heat flow to create more uniform.
So it's not about just cooling it down.
Cooling process.
It's about cooling it down the right way.
Precisely. And the end result is faster.
Okay.
Overall cooling time and improved part quality.
Induction heating. It's not just about heating it up.
That's right.
It's about heating it up.
It's about heating it up strategically in.
A very specific way.
In a very specific way.
Yeah. Okay.
And we can't forget about.
We've got design tweaks, importance, clever material choices. Testing cools like mold.
Advanced cooling techniques allow us to experiment, all working together with different. Try to reduce cooling time.
Cooling strategies in a virtual environment.
Identifying it's all in a computer.
Potential problems before you even build it. And optimizing the process before we even build.
It's like a crystal ball, A physical mold.
Cooling.
It's like having a crystal ball.
You can see the future.
It shows you how different.
This saves a ton of time.
Cooling scenarios will play out.
Right.
Exactly.
Because you don't want to make the mold and then be like, oh, virtual testing was all wrong.
Saves a ton of time.
We got start over.
And money.
Yeah.
In the long run.
So it's a combination of.
It helps us avoid costly mistakes and get things right.
And a little bit of art. It seems like the first time.
So it's a combination of optimizing cooling time. Science is a multifaceted challenge and a.
Little bit of art.
Yeah, you could say that. We've talked about a lot of technical details.
Optimizing cooling time.
Let's zoom out for a minute.
Talk about multifaceted challenge. The why that requires a holistic approach. Should anyone care about this?
Yeah. You know, that's a Great question.
This cooling time.
That's a great question.
Seems kind of like. And the answer is a mundane detail.
So it goes way beyond just actually super important. Making things faster.
Right. And cheaper. So why is it so important?
It's about sustainability.
Okay. Sustainability.
It's about sustainability.
How does that tie into cooling time?
Sustainability. Yeah.
I mean that's plastic tie into cooling time. How's that sustainable?
Well, think about it.
Yeah.
Faster cooling times.
Okay.
Mean shorter cycle times.
Right. Because you're making them faster.
Which means less energy.
Yeah.
Is used.
Okay. So you're using less energy to produce each part. Okay. That's a good thing. Right.
So there's an energy saving less energy right there.
But how does that.
But how does it translate to broader sustainability?
The big picture. Sustainability.
Reducing energy consumption is a major step.
Yeah.
In shrinking our carbon footprint.
Okay. I see where you're going.
And in the fight against.
Yeah. Okay. Less energy, climate change, less carbon footprint.
Every bit counts.
Yeah.
Right.
Makes sense.
So by optimizing cooling time.
Yeah.
We're not just.
So you're not just making it cheaper and faster, saving money. You're also helping the planet a little bit.
We're actually helping.
That's awesome.
To protect the planet.
I like that.
Exactly.
Yeah. And there's another to this. Right.
Material usage. You don't want to waste a bunch of plastic.
Right. We want to avoid wasting precious resources.
Absolutely. By really understanding cooling time.
If you understand it, we can design.
Use less material that minimize waste.
Right. Right.
Less scrap.
We can prevent defects. It all ties together, lead to scrapped parts.
Okay. So it's about.
And ensure that we're using plastic optimize as efficiently as possible the whole process.
From start to finish.
So it's about optimizing the entire.
And cooling time. Production process plays a key role in.
That from start to finish with cooling time.
And it goes even further as a key factor. Right?
Precisely. It can affect and it goes even product lifespan. Right. You cool it down.
Think about product lifespan. It's going to be a product designed and manufactured.
Less likely to crack and break and.
All that stuff with proper cooling.
Right.
In mind.
Yeah. Okay.
It's more likely.
So it's not just about making it.
Quickly to be durable.
It's about making it to last and long lasting. Okay.
It's less likely.
And that also has implications for sustainability.
To crack, warp or degrade prematurely.
Because if things last longer.
So it's not just about.
You don't have to replace them as often.
Making things quickly.
Yeah.
It's about making things and you're not.
Using as much material and energy and all that that lasts.
And that has huge implications for sustainability. So it's like if products last longer, a chain reaction, we reduce the need.
Yeah.
To constant impact replace them.
Yeah.
Which in turn all stemming from rain reduces the demand for raw materials.
Who knew cooling time was energy and transportation so important?
It's like a chain reaction.
It really is. I mean it's like this seemingly of.
Positive impacts, all stemming from something as seemingly simple cooling time.
Huge ripple effect.
It really highlights.
Yeah.
How interconnected everything is.
Right. It's all connected.
Even a small detail.
Yeah.
Can have a ripple effect when we understand the bigger picture.
This deep dive has certainly changed the way I think about injection molding.
It really does. You know, it puts it all into perspective.
We went from the science of cooling time.
It does.
To the impact on the planet.
That's right.
It's pretty amazing.
We went from the micro to the macro level. It's fascinating.
There's still more to uncover.
Oh, absolutely.
Stay tuned for the final part of our exploration. More to learn where we'll delve into.
More to explore a future when it comes to cooling time of cooling technology. Yeah.
It's going to be exciting.
It is an exciting field. It's constantly evolving.
Welcome back.
That's right.
For the final part of our.
Welcome back. Deep dive into the final part of our.
The world of injection molding.
Deep dive into the world Cooling time. Of injection molding. Cooling time.
We've explored the science.
We've explored the strategies. The science.
And even the sustainability connections.
The strategies. But now it's time.
Even the sustainability look ahead connections.
But now speaking to the future.
What's brewing to look ahead in the world of injection molding.
So let's dive into what's coming down the pipeline.
The future on the horizon.
What's next?
Okay, so developments. Yeah.
Is the integration of Industry 4.0 principles.
Okay. Industry 4.0. Now that sounds.
So think smart factories.
Fancy.
Where sensors, data and machine learning are all working together.
So instead of just like doing the calculations.
So instead of relying on fixed calculations kind of eyeballing it or gut feelings.
We're moving towards a system.
We're moving towards a system where it's like the process being monitored.
Right.
And adjusted.
Yeah.
In real time.
Okay.
Imagine this. So you have sensors like a self driving car embedded. The cooling time right inside.
Yeah. Okay. So you got these sensors in the mold continuously collecting, gathering all this information.
On temperature, pressure and flow rates.
Okay.
And this data feeds into and they're feeding it a sophisticated algorithm that can predict.
Yeah.
Cooling times.
Right.
With incredible accuracy.
Okay.
And not only so we can dict them. Not just predict it but also adjust it. Right. But also on the fly.
Make adjustments on the fly.
If it senses a problem.
So if the system senses that apart it could fix it Is cooling too slowly.
Okay. I like that.
It can tweak.
Yeah.
So it's like a self correcting system.
To get things back on track.
Right.
Precisely.
Okay.
So it's always optimizing this level of automation. It's always looking takes the guesswork out of the equation. The best way and allows for a level of precision and control that was previously unimaginable.
It's like having a super intelligent assistant.
It's like having a super intelligent assistant.
It's constantly tweaking the knobs and constantly.
Fine tuning the process. Making it perfect to ensure.
Yeah.
Optimal cooling.
What are some of the technologies?
That's a great way to put it behind this revolution of the specific technologies.
Okay. So how are we doing this?
Driving this revolution? It's the magic additive manufacturing.
Okay.
Also known as 3D printing.
Printing.
It's playing. I wouldn't have thought 3D printing would be involved.
3D printing in cooling. I know. It might seem counterintuitive.
Yeah. Because it's all about building stuff up. 3D printing opens up cooling it down. A whole new world of possibilities. Remember those conformal.
Okay.
So tell me more cooling channels.
Yeah.
We talked about.
Yeah. Yeah. Those custom Design channels.
With 3D printing.
Okay.
We can create molds with internal cooling channels.
The molded side that follow the contours of the part.
Interesting.
With incredible precision.
So you don't even have to build it separately. So we just 3D print it all as one piece.
Go beyond just custom fit panels.
That's pretty amazing.
We're talking about cooling systems.
So you can really fine tune that.
Those channels perfectly integrated into the mold itself and make them exactly how you want them.
And this level of customization means we can achieve.
So that's got to be a game changer.
For industries even faster and more uniform.
Cooling like aerospace and metal parts. Right.
With incredibly complex geometries.
Oh really?
This must be a game changer.
Precise for industries like high performance.
Aerospace.
Lots.
And medical.
Yeah. 3D printing.
High performance parts is a big one. Are essential.
What else is there?
Absolutely.
Plus 3D printing innovations are on the horizon.
Let's us experiment.
What else are we working on?
With different cooling channel designs.
You can try out a bunch of different things. And cheaper virtual Than traditional methods before you commit. So we can try out a bunch of different configurations.
That's going to save a ton of.
Time in a virtual environment and money before committing to a final design.
So 3D printing.
It's like having a digital sandbox.
What else is coming for cooling?
Innovation.
What else are we cooking up?
It allows for.
Yeah.
Rapid prototyping. What else is on the horizon?
An optimization.
Okay.
Which speeds up.
So what else?
The whole development process.
Okay.
So 3D printing is a big one.
What other innovations.
What other innovations are we seeing are shaping the future of cooling?
Yeah.
Material science.
Oh, material science. Yeah.
Is another area.
So this is like.
Right.
New materials, new plastics, that kind of thing.
With possibilities.
Right.
Researchers.
Yeah. What are they coming up with or developing new. What are they cooking up in the lab?
Polymer composites.
Yeah.
With enhanced thermal properties.
Super plastics.
So we're talking about plastics that are.
Okay. Even better at plastics conducting heat.
That can conduct heat really well.
Exactly.
Okay. So they get rid of the heat super fast.
These new materials.
Yeah. Can dissipate heat that has implications for much more efficiently. A lot of different things. Right.
Leading to faster cooling, even cooling time, faster cycle times.
And this has energy complications that they go new design possibilities way beyond. Right.
Just cooling.
Because now you can cool things down faster. Cooling so quickly you can do things that you couldn't do before cycle times. Yeah. Okay.
Lower energy consumption.
But with all this talk about and.
Potentially even new design possibilities.
High tech materials.
Precisely.
Is there still a place these advanced materials are enabling us to create lighter.
In injection holding for moving like in the future.
And more sustainable products.
Are we all going to be replaced?
This is all by robots. Incredibly exciting.
Is there still a need?
But with all this talk about human.
Expertise, Automation, you know, that's what I'm wondering.
And high tech materials.
Yes.
Still a place.
Are we all going to be out of jobs?
Human expertise.
Yeah.
In the future of. How does the future hold Injection molding.
Okay.
Absolutely.
All right. Good. Good.
Technology is. I like to hear that a powerful tool. But it's not a replacement.
It's not just robots taking over.
It's for human ingenuity.
Humans and robots, problem solving skills looking to get.
We still need skilled engineers.
It's a partnership.
And technicians.
Right.
Who understand the fundamentals of cooling time.
We still need those engineers and can.
Apply that knowledge in creative ways to really understand. Not a human versus machine scenario.
It's not about finding just about the technology.
The right balance.
Yeah. You gotta know what you're doing between.
Leveraging technology you gotta know. And harnessing human expertise.
How to use the technology.
Exactly. The future of injection molding.
So it's a combination of both.
Belongs to those who can embrace both.
This deep dive has been so it's not about eye open replacing humans. I mean it's about empowering them. It's the right tools, the technical intricacies.
And knowledge, cooling time. Absolutely, absolutely. So this deep dive, how it connects.
Has been eye opening. We've explored the technical intricacies, the evolution of manufacturing, but we've also pretty amazing.
Seen how it connects.
It's not just this one little thing.
Two bigger issues it does affect like sustainability and the evolution of manufacturing.
Well, the perfect.
A fantastic journey. I feel like we've been on a journey together. Small details.
Yeah. Like, thank you for sharing your expertise with us.
A profound impact.
Been awesome.
We understand.
I've learned a lot.
The bigger picture.
Yeah, it's been great.
Yeah, absolutely.
And to all our listeners, it's not.
Just about optimizing one little variable.
This deep dive, it's about into injection molding, cooling time.
Understanding how it affects entire system and engaging and how to use variety is an ongoing process.
And more sustainable future.
It's been learning a fantastic journey. I've really enjoyed. We'll see you sharing my thoughts on.
The next deep dive with you today.
Until then, and I hope you've found, keep on molding this conversation.
All right, take care.
As stimulating as I have.
Welcome back to the final part of our deep dive into the world of injection molding, cooling time.
Yeah.
We've.
We've explored the.
Explored the science, the strategies. The science, the strategy, even the sustainability connection.
The sustainability connection.
But now it's time to look ahead.
Now it's time to look at the future.
Let's peek into the future to the future of cooling.
What's. What's brewing.
Yeah.
In the world of injection molding. What's. What's coming down the pipeline.
Coming down the pipeline.
What's. What's on the horizon?
What's on the horizon?
What's. What's next?
Well, one of the.
Okay, so give me the scoop.
The most exciting developments is the integration.
Yeah.
Of Industry 4.0 principles.
Okay. Industry 4.0. Now that sounds fancy.
So think.
Yeah.
Smart factories.
Okay.
Where sensors, data and machine learning are all working together.
Okay. So instead of just like doing the calculation.
So instead of relying on fixed calculations, kind of eyeballing it or gut feeling, we're moving towards a system.
We're moving towards a system where it's like the Process is constantly.
Your computer's doing it for you.
Being monitored and adjusted in real time.
Right.
Imagine this.
Yeah.
You have sensors like a self driving car for cooling time embedded right inside the mold.
Okay. So you got these sensors in the.
Mold continuously collecting data on temperature.
Yeah.
Pressure and flow rates.
And they're feeding it.
And this data feeds into a sophisticated algorithm computer brain that can predict cooling times.
Right.
With incredible accuracy.
Okay. So it can't. Not just predict it.
And not only just predict them. Right.
But also make adjustments on the fly.
On the fly. If it senses a problem.
So if the system senses that apart.
Yeah.
Is cooling too slowly, it can fix it. It can tweak the parameters.
Yeah. Okay. I like that.
Get things back on track.
So it's like precise. The self correcting system.
Yes.
This level of automation.
Right.
Takes the guesswork out of the equation and allows for a level of precision and control. It's always optimized that was previously unimaginable.
It's always looking for the best.
That's like having a super intelligent assistant.
To cool it down.
Constantly fine tuning the process.
It's like having a super intelligent assistant.
To ensure optimal cooling.
Constantly tweaking the knobs.
And that's a great way to put it.
Making it perfect.
What are some of the.
Yeah.
Specific technologies.
What are some of the technologies driving.
This revolution behind additive manufacturing?
It's revolution, also known as 3D printing.
Is playing a huge role.
I wouldn't have thought 3D printing would be involved.
3D printing, cooling. I know it might seem counterintuitive.
Yeah. Because it's all about like building stuff up.
But 3D printing opens up, cooling it down. A whole new world of possibilities.
Yeah. Okay, so tell me more.
Remember those conformal cooling channels we talked about?
Yeah, yeah. Those custom Design channels.
With 3D printing.
Okay.
We can create molds with internal cooling channels. You can 3D print that follow the contours of the part, the mold itself with incredible precision.
Oh, okay.
So we can go beyond.
So you don't even have to build it separately. You just 3D print it all as one piece.
Custom fit channels.
Yeah.
We're talking about cooling systems.
Okay. That's pretty amazing.
That are perfectly integrated.
So you can really find into the.
Mold itself those channels. Exactly. And this level of customization exactly how you want them means we can achieve even faster and more uniform cooling.
Okay. So that's gotta be a game changer for industries, even for parts like aerospace and medical.
Incredibly complex geometries where they need this must be those really Precise, A game changer. High performance for industries like aerospace parts and medical.
Yeah.
Where?
Okay, so 3D printing.
Complex high performance parts.
Yeah.
Are essential.
It's a big one. What else is there?
Absolutely.
What other innovations plus 3D printing are on the horizon?
Let's experiment.
What else are we working on?
With different cooling.
So you can try out candle designs. A bunch of different things.
Much faster and cheaper virtually than traditional methods.
Before you commit.
So we can try out a bunch of different configurations.
Well, it's going to save a ton.
In a virtual environment. Time and money too, before committing to a final design.
So 3D printing. Big one. What else is coming?
It's like having.
But also we cook it up.
A digital sandbox.
Yeah.
For cooling innovation. What else is on the horizon?
Prototyping.
Okay. So what?
And optimization.
All right, so what other innovations are we seeing which speeds up the whole development process? So 3D printing is a big one.
Okay. Material science. Yeah.
What other innovations? So this is like, are shaping the future of cooling.
New material, material science, new plastics, that.
Kind of thing is another area. Ripe.
Right.
With possibilities.
Yeah. What are they coming up with researchers. What are they cooking up in the lab?
Are developing new polymer composites.
Yeah.
With enhanced.
Okay. So like thermal properties, super plastics.
So we're talking about plastics that are.
Plastics that conduct heat really well.
Even better.
Okay. So they get rid of heat super fast.
That conducting heat.
Yeah. And that has implications for a lot of different things. Right.
These new materials can dissipate faster cooling heat much more efficiently, leading to even.
Faster cooling times, faster cycle times, less energy.
And this has implications that go.
And potentially new design possibilities way beyond just now. You can cool things down so quickly. Faster cooling means do things you couldn't do before.
Faster cycle times, lower energy consumption.
Okay. But with all this talk about automation.
Even new design possibilities guide tech materials precisely.
Is there still a place for like.
These advanced materials are enabling us injection bulb to create lighter, stronger, like in the future, a more sustainable product.
Are we all going to be replaced by robots?
It's all incredibly exciting.
There's still a need for human expertise.
But with all this talk about, you.
Know, that's what I'm wondering.
Automation, high tech, materials.
Yeah.
Is there still a place. So what's the answer for human expertise?
Are we all going to be out.
Of jobs in the future?
Yeah.
Of injection molding.
What's the future hold?
Absolutely.
Okay, good, good.
I'd like to hear that technology is a powerful tool. Not just robots taking over, but it's not a replacement. Y For human ingenuity.
It's humans and robots and problem solving skills working together.
We still need skilled engineers.
It's a partnership.
And technicians.
Right.
Who understand okay. The fundamentals of cooling time and can apply.
So we still need those engineers and.
Technicians knowledge in creative ways to really understand how this all works.
A human versus machine okay.
Scenario.
It's not just about the technology.
It's about finding.
Yeah. You gotta know what you're doing.
The right balance.
Right between. You gotta know how to use the technology.
Leveraging technology and harnessing.
So it's a combination of both human expertise. Okay.
Exactly. The future of injection molding Deep Dive belongs to those have been who can embrace eye opening.
I mean buzz we explored that's the key. The technical intricacies.
So it's not about of cooling time replacing humans.
But we also saw it's about connects.
To bigger issues with the right tools like sustainability and knowledge and the evolution of manufacturing. It's pretty amazing.
So this deep dive has been eye opening.
It's not just this one little thing.
It we've explored the technical intricacies really.
Does affect a lot.
It's cool. In time. Yeah. But we've also seen.
Okay.
How it connects to bigger issues.
Well, it's been a fantastic journey. I feel like we've been on a journey together.
Sustainability.
Yeah.
And the evolution.
Thank you for sharing your expertise with us of manufacturing. It's been awesome. I've learned a lot.
It's a perfect example.
Yeah, it's been great. Of how and to all our listeners.
We hope you seemingly small detail.
This deep dive into injection molding cooling time can have insightful and engaging. And remember a profound impact. The pursuit we understand knowledge.
The bigger picture is an ongoing process.
Yeah, absolutely. It's not just keep exploring, keep learning.
About optimizing one and we'll see you.
On the next Deep Dive.
Little variable.
Until then, keep on molding.
It's about understanding.
All right. Take care.
How it affects the entire system and how we can use that knowledge to create a better and more sustainable future. It's been a fantastic journey. I've really enjoyed sharing my thoughts with you today. And I hope you found this conversation as stimulating as I