Integration of Moldflow, Abaqus and Python to Analyze Process-Related Residual Stresses in Medical Pcb Encapsulations

This study presents an innovative method for integrating Moldflow, Abaqus, and Python to analyze process-related residual stresses in medical PCB encapsulations manufactured via injection molding. The proposed approach enables improved pre-processing in Abaqus, independent of the Moldflow mesh, facilitating the application of boundary conditions and local mesh refinements. The investigation reveals that the curing of the thermoset in the cavity during the injection molding cycle leads to very high temperatures due to the exothermic curing reaction. Process-related residual stresses primarily form during the cooling phase and reach their maximum at the end of this phase when the part has fully cooled to room temperature. Various adaptations of the CHILE (Cure Hardening Instantaneous Linear Elastic) model are presented and compared, resulting in slightly different outcomes regarding the magnitude of process-induced residual stresses. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing encapsulation processes, not only in medical technology, and contribute to improving the reliability and lifespan of medical PCB assemblies.