Rapid mold surface heating/cooling using electromagnetic induction technology

In this study, electromagnetic induction heating is developed to achieve a rapid mold surface heating. Both a single turn of circular coil and a spiral coil were properly designed for induction heating experiments on a flat steel mold plate. Mold surface temperature distribution during induction heating process was measured using infrared thermal image system. Simulation tool was also developed by integration of both thermal and electromagnetic analysis modules of ANSYS. The capability and accuracy of simulations on the induction heating were verified via experiments. To evaluate the practical purpose of induction heating on the real injection molding, a mold plate, roughly about an inset size of cellular phone housing, designed with four cooling channel design and running 12deg coolant were utilized for the demo experiment. After 3 seconds' induction heating, mold surface temperature increases from 110degC to 180degC. It takes another 24 seconds for mold surface to cool down to 110degC. The rapid heating and cooling of mold surface temperatures using induction technology was successfully illustrated via both experiments and simulations.