%0 Journal Article
%T Practical Applications of Taguchi Method for Optimization of Processing Parameters for Plastic Injection Moulding: A Retrospective Review
%A Ng Chin Fei
%A Nik Mizamzul Mehat
%A Shahrul Kamaruddin
%J ISRN Industrial Engineering
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/462174
%X Determining the optimal processing parameter is routinely performed in the plastic injection moulding industry as it has a direct and dramatic influence on product quality and costs. In this volatile and fiercely competitive market, traditional trial-and-error is no longer sufficient to meet the challenges of globalization. This paper aims to review the research of the practical use of Taguchi method in the optimization of processing parameters for injection moulding. Taguchi method has been employed with great success in experimental designs for problems with multiple parameters due to its practicality and robustness. However, it is realized that there is no single technique that appears to be superior in solving different kinds of problem. Improvements are to be expected by integrating the practical use of the Taguchi method into other optimization approaches to enhance the efficiency of the optimization process. The review will shed light on the standalone Taguchi method and integration of Taguchi method with various approaches including numerical simulation, grey relational analysis (GRA), principal component analysis (PCA), artificial neural network (ANN), and genetic algorithm (GA). All the features, advantages, and connection of the Taguchi-based optimization approaches are discussed. 1. Introduction Injection moulding has the highest efficiency, largest yield, and highest dimensional accuracy among all the processing methods. More than 1/3 of all thermoplastic materials are injection moulded and more than half of all polymer processing equipments are for injection moulding [1]. Nowadays, injection moulding bears the responsibility of mass-producing plastic components to meet the rapidly rising market demand as a multitude of different types of consumer products including medical, electronics, and automobile products are made of injection-moulded plastic parts [2]. Moreover, the final products, which exhibit good dimensional accuracy and excellent surface finish, have further proven the value of injection moulding process. However, as with any process, there are also some drawbacks associated with plastic injection moulding. Typically, injection moulding process is a cyclic process which consists of four significant phases: filling, cooling, packing, and ejection [3]. Hence, the complexity of injection moulding process creates a very intense effort to keep the quality characteristics under control. Product quality is the concern of the manufacturers and customers while high product quality consistency and high production rate is the key to the
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.industrial.engineering/2013/462174/