Residualstressinducedduringmanufacturingofinjectionmoldedcomponentssuchaspolymethylmethacrylate(PMMA)affectsthemechanicalandopticalpropertiesofthesecomponents.Theseresidualstressescanbevisualizedandquantifiedbymeasuringtheirbirefringence.Inthispaper,alowbirefringencepolariscope(LBP)isusedtomeasurethewhole-fieldresidualstressdistributionoftheseinjectionmoldedspecimens.Detailedanalyticalandexperimentalstudyisconductedtoquantifytheresidualstressmeasurementinthesematerials.Acommercialbirefringencemeasurementsystemwasusedtovalidatetheresultsobtainedtoourmeasurementsystem.Thisstudycanhelpinmaterialdiagnosisforqualityandmanufacturingpurposeandbeusefulforunderstandingofresidualstressinimagingorotherapplications.
