The purpose of this master's thesis was to investigate the influence of injection molding process parameters on the tensile strength of the product. The monitored parameters were melt temperature, mold temperature, injection speed, holding pressure, holding time, and cooling time. The material used was polypropylene reinforced with 25% glass fibers. The experiment was designed using the Taguchi method of experimental design, which allowed for a systematic study of the influence of different parameters on the final product. This was followed by the injection molding of specimens suitable for tensile testing, and the execution of the tensile test, through which we determined the tensile strength of the molded parts.
The analysis results showed that melt temperature had the highest influence on tensile strength – higher melt temperatures decreased tensile strength. On the other hand, a longer holding time increased the tensile strength of the part. The optimal values for injection speed and cooling time to achieve the highest tensile strength were in the middle range. Mold temperature and holding pressure did not have a significant impact on tensile strength. After the analysis, a confirmation test was conducted to validate the findings from the experimental work.
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