Abstract
The gas-assisted injection molding process is often perceived to be unpredictable, because of the extreme sensitivity of the gas. Since a slight change in design or process parameters can significantly change the resulting gas penetration, few designers and molders have the level of experience with the new gas-assisted injection molding process required for the development of new parts. This paper is concerned with the unified molding for a thick cosmetic chest by using gas-assisted injection molding. CAE analysis was carried out to design the part and the gas channel without inducing sink marks. And based on the part weight measurement, the processing parameters to control gas penetration percentage were chosen through the method of design of experiments. A thick cosmetic chest was successfully produced using the gas assist technology. The sink mark issue associated with the conventional injection molded parts was resolved. Weight savings and cycle-time reduction were also achieved.