Method and system for in-mold coating flow simulation

A recording medium readable with a computer for storing a program to control an in-mold coating apparatus by predicting a fill pattern and coating pressure distribution for a substrate having a plurality of possible inlet nodes for injection and realize functions of:

• initializing pressure and thickness change of the substrate for at least one of the inlet nodes;
• determining newly filled nodes and new flow front nodes;
• calculating pressure for the newly filled nodes;
• updating thickness and coating volume of the substrate;
• checking if pressure and time step have converged, and updating pressure and time step and returning to the pressure calculation step if pressure and time step calculations have not converged;
• determining whether the substrate is filled, and updating filling time and returning to the determining step if the substrate is not filled;
• and
• using the fill pattern to determine the most beneficial placement of injection nozzles in the mold.

A system controlling an in-mold coating process predicting a fill pattern and coating pressure distribution for a substrate having a plurality of possible inlet nodes for injection, the system comprising:

• means for initializing pressure and thickness change of the substrate for at least one of the inlet nodes;
• means for determining newly filled nodes and new flow front nodes;
• means for calculating pressure for the newly filled nodes;
• means for updating thickness and coating volume of the substrate;
• means for checking if pressure and time step have converged, and means for updating pressure and time step and means for returning to the pressure calculation step if pressure and time step calculations have not converged;
• means for determining whether the substrate is filled, and means for updating filling time and returning to the determining step if the substrate is not filled;
• and
• means for using the fill pattern to determine the most beneficial placement of injection nozzles in the mold.