Optimization and Simulation for Ceramic Injection Mould of ZrO2 Fiber Ferrule

Fiber ferrule is a crucial part for manufacturing fiber connectors. It is fairly difficult to produce fiber ferrule because that it requires high dimension accuracy. Currently, YTZ ceramic powder is the main material used to produce fiber ferrule and Ceramic Injection Molding (CIM) is a new fabricating method capable of producing ZrO2 fiber ferrule (Fig. 1(a), Fig. 1(b)) with complex geometry and high accuracy. ZrO2 fiber ferrule quality is significantly influenced by the process conditions of CIM. Therefore, the main focus of this paper is to optimize mould structure and processing parameters based on the simulation of CIM, which promotes solid load of ceramic powder and product quality. Optimal process conditions of Ceramic Injection Molding could be determined by analyzing the simulation results. It has been found that runner cross-section shape and runner system contribute to the efficiency and filling process significantly. Hence, optimal runner cross-section shape and runner system are proposed. Reducing the gravity influence on CIM is also suggested. Moreover, optimization of cooling system could be considered an effective way to improve the dimensional precision and surface quality of ZrO2 fiber ferrule.