9. Design of Experiments (DOE or DOX) - Validation procedure for injection molds
The ninth step in validating a injection mold with the overall process shown in injection mold validation flow chart is Design of Experiments . The steps before: 1. Mold certification 2. Dry cycle mold 3. Process stability test 4. Gage repeatability & reproducibility (R&R) test 5. Mold viscosity test 6. Balance of fill analysis 7. Gate Freeze Test 8. Commissioning (multi-cavity analysis) Purpose: The purpose of the Design of Experiments (DOX or DOE) is to identify the optimum mold process and the mold process window. A solid statistical understanding of DOX is necessary. There are many different types of software that can be used to assist you in performing design of experiments properly. Use the software that you are most comfortable with. The DOE can require a large amount of time to perform depending on the number of variables selected to test. In some cases a properly conducted DOX can require 2-3 days to perform as well as additional time to measure part attributes. I...