Role Of Moldflow In CAE

Role Of Moldflow In CAE:

Moldflow: Moldflow, formerly known as C-Mold, is one of the leading software used in process wide plastics solutions.

2. It is used by designers and manufacturers to produce optimal plastic parts.

3. Many reputed companies use Moldflow technology to produce billions of Injection moulded parts each year.

Steps involved in Moldflow

• Importing a model into Moldflow software.

• Generating mesh for the model.

• Repairing the mesh if it contains errors by mesh diagnostics tools.

• Selecting the type of analysis.

• Applying mould design datas.

• Applying moulding material.

• Applying processing conditions.

Steps involved in Moldflow

• Running the analysis.

• Viewing and interpreting the results

of the analysis.

• Adjusting the moulding parameters based on the analysis results to optimize the product / mould design & to optimize the process settings.

Applying mould design datas:

Mould design data includes

• Design of cavity layout

• Design of feed system

• Design of cooling

• Defining the gate location, etc

Applying moulding material:

1. Moldflow has a huge material data base of plastics. The designer can select the material based on the following factor.

• Manufacturer / supplier

• Trade name

• Family abbreviations

• Filler data (description / weight)

• Melt mass – flow rate (MFR)

• Resin identification code

• Energy usage indicator

2. Moldflow material data base gives the

following property details of plastics

• Physical 

• Mechanical

• Thermal

• Shrinkage

• Reological

• Recommended processing parameters

• PVT 

• Optical

• Filler

Applying processing conditions:

Processing parameters can be set in

Moldflow are

• Mold surface temperature

• Melt temperature

• Fill control (automatic, injection time, flow 

rate, ram speed)

• Velocity / pressure switch over

• Pack / holding control

• % of filling pressure Vs. Time

• Molding machine selection

• Mold material selection

• Fiber orientation calculatio

Interpreting the results:

Designer can interpret from the following Moldflow analysis results;

• Fill

• Flow (Fill + pack)

• Cool

• Warp

• Stress

• Runner balancing

• Best gate location

• Molding window

Gate Location Analysis 

It provides the suitable gate location  based on uniformity in filling (all part  extremities to be filled at same time).

Runner Balancing Analysis

It gives suitable runner size based  on the part distance from the sprue  to each impression (so that each  impression at different distance 

from sprue will fill at same time.)

Molding Window Analysis

• It provides the suitable range processing

parameter for the moulding based on input

data.

• The processing parameter includes injection

• The processing parameter includes injection

time, Mold temperature, Melt temperature.

• The designer can vary the three parameter

and select the suitable / optimum value to get

a best quality in the product.

Fill analysis gives the following results:

•Fill time

•Pressure at V/P switch over

•Temperature at flow front

•Bulk temp

•Shear rate, bulk

•Pressure at injection location

•Time to reach ejection temperature

•Frozen layer fraction

•% shot weight

•Recommended ram speed

•Air traps

•Average velocity 

•Bulk temperature at end of fill

Pack analysis:

• Freeze time (3D).

• Frozen pressure.

• Hold pressure.

• Sink marks, index.

• Sink marks, depth.

• Time taken to reach ejection temperature.

• Volumetric shrinkage.

• Volumetric shrinkage (3D).

• Volumetric shrinkage at ejection.

Cool analysis results:

• Temperature of the mould

• Temperature of melt

• Frozen layer fraction

• Maximum temperature of part

• Coolant inlet / outlet emperature

• Heat removal efficiency

• Cooling circuit metal temperature

• Temperature on the part

• Temperature on the feed system

• Circuit flow rate

Fill Time Analysis provides:

1. Injection time

2. Injection pressure

3. Melt temperature

4. Mold surface temperature

5. Clamp force required

6. Fill rate

7. Temperature of the melt at flow fronts

8. Air traps

9. Weld line

10. Volume of fill

11. Frozen layer

12. Shear Stress

Cooling Analysis:

1. Cooling phase is occur after fill and packing phase. So Cooling analysis is to be done along with Fill & Pack.

2. It gives the following results in addition to the fill analysis

3. Coolant inlet & Outlet temperatures

4. Temperature of the moulding at cavity & core surfaces (to findout the evennes in cooling).

5. Velocity, Renolds no, of the coolant. 

Warp analysis:

1. It is to be done along with Fill + Pack +

Cool.

2. It gives warpage occurred in the moulding due to the variations in the moulding surface temperature, etc.

Types of Mesh available in Moldflow:

• Midplane – For uniform  wall thickness parts.

• Fusion (Dual Domain) – For  variable wall thickness & thick  parts.

• 3D. – For solid components 

Meshing Types available:

• Automatic 

• Manual

Element Types available:

• Beam element – For feed  systems (1D element)

• Triangular – For Mid plane &  Dual domain mesh (2D element)

• Tetrahedron – For solid mesh (3D element).