Simulation of injection-compression molding for thin and large battery housing

Injection compression molding (ICM) is an advantageous processing method for producing thin and large polymeric parts in a robust manner. In the current study, we employed the ICM process for an energy-related application, i.e., thin and large polymeric battery case. A mold for manufacturing the battery case was fabricated using injection molding. The filling behavior of molten polymer in the mold cavity was investigated experimentally. To provide an in-depth understanding of the ICM process, ICM and normal injection molding processes were compared numerically. It was found that the ICM had a relatively low filling pressure, which resulted in reduced shrinkage and warpage of the final products. Effect of the parting line gap on the ICM characteristics, such as filling pressure, clamping force, filling time, volumetric shrinkage, and warpage, was analyzed via numerical simulation. The smaller gap in the ICM parting line led to the better dimensional stability in the finished product. The ICM sample using a 0.1 mm gap showed a 76% reduction in the dimensional deflection compared with the normal injection molded part.