Lightweight Injection Mold Design and Multi-Objective Process Optimization for UAV Upper Cover

The growing demand for light-weight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) has created a demand for new ways of component design and manufacturing. This study presents the structural optimization and multi-objective process parameter optimization of an injection mold for a UAV cover. In the initial design, the mold structure was redesigned using finite element analysis (FEA) tools to enhance material flow, reduce weight, and provide mechanical strength. The novel mold represented strategic weight-saving properties such as variable wall thickness and lattice infill regions and was verified by a CAD-based simulation design methodology. Subsequently, an AI-optimized optimization algorithm of a genetic algorithm (GA) and response surface methodology (RSM) was adopted to reduce the multi-objective problem of part weight and warpage with the condition of maintaining structural strength. Simulation results validated that the redesigned mold had significant weight reduction with no loss of performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of the integrated strategy.