3. Conclusion

The importance of the thermal approach to tooling on the productivity and quality of the parts produced is well recognized. However, tools for thermal modeling and optimization of tooling are less developed and less widely used than those for the rheological approach to the molding cycle. This state of affairs is mainly due to a lack of dissemination of fundamental thermal knowledge in the culture of engineers in the profession. We can also point to the difficulty encountered in researching the thermal properties of materials and understanding heat transfer parameters within tooling. We have attempted to show the diversity of parameters to be taken into account, and to assess their influence and importance. We also propose a pre-dimensioning method likely to offer a design solution close to the optimum quickly.