Effect of weld-line on tensile properties for thermoplastic glass filled material

In an injection molding process, a weld-line forms when two flow fronts meet each other. Weld-line is a weak area which reduces the strength of the part locally. For multiple gate and complex part, molding weld-lines are unavoidable, therefore mechanical behavior of the weld-line needs to be predicted. This paper presents the effect of weld-lines on tensile properties of glass fibers reinforced polyamide-6 composite. An injection molding plaque tool has been designed and manufactured with the inputs from mold flow simulation software. The gating system is designed in such a way that the angle between two flow fronts is as minimum as possible, which theoretically gives the lowest strength at weld locations. The plaques are manufactured with BASF material Ultramid B3WG6 grade (glass filled 30%) which is a widely used engineering plastic material. Test specimens have been cut on a plaque for various angular positions. Experimental evaluation for tensile testing, tensile modulus, and stressstrain behavior for specimens with and without weld-line at different angular positions was evaluated as per ISO 527-2 standards. It has been established that the weld line significantly influences the tensile properties of the part. The presence of a weld line results in a significant decrease in the tensile strength of the part. Experimental results show approximately 58% reduction in tensile modulus and 49% reduction in stress at break values in specimen with weld-lines as compared to specimen without weld-lines.