IntegratedsimulationoftheinjectionmoldingprocesswithstereolithographymoldsAbstractFunctionalpartsareneededfordesignverificationtesting,fieldtrials,customerevaluation,andproductionplanning.Byeliminatingmultiplesteps,thecreationoftheinjectionmolddirectlybyarapidprototyping(RP)processholdsthebestpromiseofreducingthetimeandcostneededtomoldlow-volumequantitiesofparts.ThepotentialofthisintegrationofinjectionmoldingwithRPhasbeendemonstratedmanytimes.WhatismissingisthefundamentalunderstandingofhowthemodificationstothemoldmaterialandRPmanufacturingprocessimpactboththemolddesignandtheinjectionmoldingprocess.Inaddition,numericalsimulationtechniqueshavenowbecomehelpfultoolsofmolddesignersandprocessengineersfortraditionalinjectionmolding.Butallcurrentsimulationpackagesforconventionalinjectionmoldingarenolongerapplicabletothisnewtypeofinjectionmolds,mainlybecausethepropertyofthemoldmaterialchangesgreatly.Inthispaper,anintegratedapproachtoaccomplishanumericalsimulationofinjectionmoldingintorapid-prototypedmoldsisestablishedandacorrespondingsimulationsystemisdeveloped.Comparisonswithexperimentalresultsareemployedforverification,whichshowthatthepresentschemeiswellsuitedtohandleRPfabricatedstereolithography(SL)molds.KeywordsInjectionmoldingNumericalsimulationRapidprototyping1IntroductionIninjectionmolding,thepolymermeltathightemperatureisinjectedintothemoldunderhighpressure[1].Thus,themoldmaterialneedstohavethermalandmechanicalpropertiescapableofwithstandingthetemperaturesandpressuresofthemoldingcycle.Thefocusofmanystudieshasbeentocreatetheinjectionmolddirectlybyarapidprototyping(RP)process.Byeliminatingmultiplesteps,thismethodoftoolingholdsthebestpromiseofreducingthetimeandcostneededtocreatelow-volumequantitiesofpartsinaproductionmaterial.ThepotentialofintegratinginjectionmoldingwithRPtechnologieshasbeendemonstratedmanytimes.ThepropertiesofRPmoldsareverydifferentfromthoseoftraditionalmetalmolds.Thekeydifferencesarethepropertiesofthermalconductivityandelasticmodulus(rigi