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Plate Cooling Time Estimate

Estimate flat-wall cooling time from thickness, thermal diffusivity, and melt, mold, and ejection temperatures.

Example starting values are prefilled to demonstrate the calculation. Replace them with your measured, quoted, or job-specific inputs before relying on a result.

Inputs

Inputs

Range: at least 0.0 in

Enter the modeled flat-wall thickness in inches. This one-dimensional estimate does not account for ribs, bosses, thickness transitions, or nonuniform geometry.

Range: at least 0.0 in^2/s

Enter an effective value for the resin and process, converted to in^2/s. Use supplier/test data or a value calibrated to molding trials; do not use a generic polymer default.

Range: at least -459.67 F

Enter the representative melt temperature in °F. The model requires melt temperature > target demolding temperature > mold surface temperature.

Range: at least -459.67 F

Use a representative cavity-surface temperature in °F, not necessarily the chiller setpoint or coolant inlet temperature.

Range: at least -459.67 F

Enter the target part temperature at demolding/ejection in °F. It must be below melt temperature and above mold surface temperature for this equation.

Result

Thermal diffusion time factor (s)
7.599
Dimensionless logarithmic factor
1.5225
Plate Cooling Time Estimate (s)
11.570
Melt-to-target temperature-difference ratio
3.600
Model assumptions and limits
This is an idealized one-dimensional flat-plate estimate. The diffusion factor uses wall thickness squared divided by π² times effective diffusivity; the logarithmic factor uses the melt-to-mold and target-to-mold temperature differences. The estimate assumes uniform initial temperature and constant cavity-wall temperature; it excludes geometry, gates/runners, mold heat-transfer variation, ejection mechanics, and process-specific effects. Validate with trials or simulation.

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