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FocusonIntroducing Moldflow PlasticsAdvisers 6.0By Murali Anna-Reddy, Moldflow CorporationSuggest ProductEnhancementsIntroductionSince its launch in 1997, the MoldflowPlastics Advisers product line hasrevolutionized the way that designerscheck their plastic part designs formanufacturability. The upcoming releaseof Moldflow Plastics Advisers 6.0 (MPA 6.0) provides users with significant newfeaturesandenhancementsforcollaborating with other users, providingproduct usage feedback in order to partnermore closely with Moldflow, andincreasing productivity. As part ofMoldflow's commitment to provideongoing value to the existing MPAcustomer base, most of the new features inMPA 6.0 are a direct result of customerenhancement requests.This article describes in detail new MPA6.0 features and enhancements, including: Moldflow Community Center —a suite of Web-centric tools thatfoster interaction with other MPAusers and Moldflow Corporation. Automated Product Usage Feedback— an automatic method forsubmitting valuable product usageinformation to Moldflow to aid increating better products. Gate Optimization Analysis —used to determine optimized gatedimensions. Automated gate design advice. Modeling tools and resultsvisualization enhancements —including expanded automatic runnergeneration and geometry mirrorcapabilities, as well as a powerfulresults comparison feature. Enhanced CAD interfaces — MPA6.0 supports Moldflow Design Link3.0, which allows the direct importof native Pro/ENGINEER part files,as well as Parasolid, STEP and IGESfile formats.5MPA 6.0 users can have a say ancement requests to help usdrive future product development.Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ's), Known Bugs List,Hints & TipsMoldflow CommunityCenterThe driving philosophy behind the newMoldflow Community Center is that a“whole product” implemented by the useris more than just a box of software. Just asimportant are elements such as service andsupport, market and industry education,product education, strategic partners, anda sense of community in which peoplework together to solve a commonproblem. Guided by this philosophy, theMoldflow Community Center has beendeveloped to host a set of Web-centrictools that foster interaction andcollaboration among MPA users and withMoldflowCorporation.Activemaintenance users can access theMoldflow Community Center directlyfrom within MPA 6.0 using embeddedWeb browser technology. The followingtools are available at the MoldflowCommunity Center:Stay up-to-date by reviewing FAQ'sand the Known Bugs List. Also,become more productive by readinghints and tips posted by Moldflowsupport engineers and fellow users.Direct Access to Knowledge ZoneMoldflow's Knowledge Zone is a vastinformation warehouse containing awealth of knowledge on an array of topicsfrom plastics product conceptual design tomanufacturing. Tap into the KnowledgeZone content by linking to its Web site orperform a search to navigate directly to thetopic of interest.Product Revision DownloadThis feature allows users to access the mostrecent patch releases, ensuring they areusing the latest technology.Discussion GroupCommunicate with other MPA users,exchange ideas and tips, discuss issues, askquestions, and obtain answers. Thediscussion group facilitates a mechanismfor users to gather collective knowledgeand solve common problems.Report Product IssuesMPA 6.0 streamlines the process of issuereporting by allowing users to report issuesdirectly from within the product. AMoldflow customer support engineer willreview the issue, take appropriate action,and update the customer on the problemsolving status.F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 I s s u e 1Access Training ResourcesView all training resources available foryour Moldflow products and sign up forupcoming training sessions. Trainingelevates users to become more productiveand maximizes their return on investmentin Moldflow software.File Exchange AreaThis is a common file storage/downloadarea for useful files such as commonrunner layouts, standard runner sizes, etc.w w w. m o l d f l o w. c o m

News FlashThe news flash relays important and timesensitive information about MPA, theMoldflow Community Center, and anyrelevant current events.mold makers today. To help alleviate thisproblem, two powerful tools areintroduced in MPA 6.0. The first of thesetools is the ability to run an automaticgate sizing analysis, which estimates theIt is increasingly more important to stay wellconnected with our customers to ensure that weare developing technology that adds value toour customers’ processes.Automated ProductPerformance and UsageLoggingMoldflow has kept abreast of customerexpectations through a variety of methodsincluding user surveys and user groupmeetings to ensure that we are developingtechnology that adds value to ourcustomers' processes. We realize that oneof the keys to meeting our customers'expectations and developing betterproducts lies in the continuousmonitoring and analysis of productperformance and product usage.Gate Design OptimizationToolsTroubleshooting and optimizing the gatedesign remain key challenges for manyF l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 I s s u e 1model gates that are part of an ejector pinor an insert. The trapezoidal gate allowsfor easier modeling of typical edge, fan,and tab gates.best gate dimensions and automaticallyupdates the model with the calculateddimensions. Automating the process ofoptimizing gate dimensions means molddesigners have one less aspect to worryabout in their mold design.The second optimization tool is theautomated gate design advice, whichremoves the guesswork involved introubleshooting gate-related problems.Users are provided with gate-specificadvice, allowing them to drill down ateach gate and obtain specific advice ontroubleshooting and solving gate designproblems.With that in mind, MPA 6.0 is configuredto log product performance and productusage information and automatically sendthatinformationtoMoldflowCorporation periodically. Informationcollected in these logs will allow us toinvestigate product usage patterns andidentify areas for product improvements.Ultimately, this process will provide anopportunity for MPA users to moreactively partner with Moldflow and helpus create better products to meet theirneeds.The product usage information will beautomatically logged and uploaded toMoldflow Corporation through a secureFTP connection. It is important to notethat no proprietary information isgathered in this process, nor will the databe shared with anyone outside ofMoldflow Corporation.FocusonMoldflow Mold AdviserModeling EnhancementsFrom a geometry model standpoint, amajor focus of MPA 6.0 is to introduceseveral enhancements in Moldflow MoldAdviser that can drastically reduce thetime spent in modeling, resulting insignificant productivity gains.In increasing the number of gate typessupported, two new gate cross sections —half-round and trapezoidal — have beenadded to the database of available gatetypes. The half-round gate can be used toWithin MPA 6.0, it is possible to performan analysis with only the gate(s) attachedto a part cavity model. This is extremelyuseful when several gate design analysisiterations are planned and analyzing acomplete multi-cavity layout with the feedsystem attached would be timeconsuming. Once an optimized gatedesign is determined, the sprue and therunners can be added easily to completethe feed system.With MPA 6.0, users can automaticallycreate runners in three-plate molds, whicheliminates the tedious task of manuallycreating runners for standard three-platemold layouts. Another useful modelingenhancement is the facility to create amirror copy of a part cavity model. Withthis feature, MPA users no longer need todepend on their CAD system forimporting mirrored components, andtherefore, separate CAD models foranalysis purposes. The ability to easily editrunner system lengths makes it easy forusers to decrease modeling time and reusepreviously created runner system layouts.Finally, it is also possible for MoldflowMold Adviser users to create a library ofstandard geometric sizes for use whenmodeling sprues, runners, and gates.Results Comparison ToolsMPA 6.0 includes a powerful resultscomparison utility for simultaneouslycomparing analysis results from two orw w w. m o l d f l o w. c o m6

Focusonmore models. Users simply open two (ormore) models with results, thensynchronize the window displays and theresults plot scales. Users can thensimultaneously investigate the models andresults. This feature helps users to betterinterpret results and quickly identifyoptimized combinations of part geometry,material selection, gate locations, andprocessing conditions.Enhancements to the Report Wizard focuson increasing the efficiency of the reportcreation process and the effectiveness ofthe reports created. Users can now createreports that include results from severalanalyses. In addition, reports can becustomized in many different ways,including turning on/off features,selecting view bookmarks, adjusting imagesizes, choosing font size, and arranging theorder of results.MPA users who wish to perform more indepth analyses can export their data usingthe Moldflow Plastics Insight 3.0 (MPI3.0) study file format. All pertinentmodel, material, and analysis informationwill be exported from MPA, eliminatingthe need for redundant actions in the MPI3.0 environment.The Sentinel License Manager, fromRainbow Technologies, replaces Elan asthe License Manager for MPA 6.0. Newlicense keys are required to use MPA 6.0and can be obtained by completing theproduct registration. A new CommuterLicense feature is available in Sentinel,which allows users to check out a licensefrom a license server for up to 30 days, anduse the license remotely, such as on alaptop computer. This feature is availableonly on PC systems and does require afloating license.Update on SupportedHardwareEnhanced CAD Interfacesand CAD IntegrationsMoldflow Design Link 3.0 (MDL 3.0) iscompletely integrated with MPA 6.0.Moldflow Design Link 3.0 provides ageometry data translation interfacebetween Moldflow Plastics Advisers andleading CAD systems using standard fileformats such as IGES, STEP, andParasolid, as well as allowing direct importof native Pro/ENGINEER part files.New License ManagerAnalyses can be set up using logicalsequences to eliminate the need formanually launching individual analyses.For example, a Plastic Flow Sink Mark Cooling Quality Analysis sequence wouldlaunch the three analyses sequentiallywithout any additional user intervention.The MPA CAD-integrated versions havebeen updated to support the latest productreleases from the world's leading CADcompanies,includingSolidWorks2001Plus, Solid Edge 11.0, SolidDesigner2001, and Mechanical Desktop 6.0. Also,new in MPA 6.0 is an integration withAutodesk Inventor 5.0.PC users can now choose either Intel orAMD processors, as support of the AMDAthlon processor has been added. Alsonew is support of Microsoft's WindowsXP operating system.The complete list of officially supportedhardware platforms and operating systemsincludes Microsoft Windows 2000,Windows ME, Windows XP andWindows NT, Sun Solaris 2.8, HP-UX11.0, SGI Irix 6.5, and IBM AIX 4.3.5.ConclusionMPA 6.0 contains significant new featuresand enhancements for increasingproductivity, collaborating with otherusers, and providing product usagefeedback in order to partner more closelywith Moldflow.Other Key EnhancementsThe material database has been redesignedwith an emphasis on ease of use.Commonly used materials are saved to aseparate list to expedite material selection.Search criteria can be customized to searchby virtually every material property in thedatabase. Lastly, viscosity, PVT, and otherrelevant material data can be quickly andeasily plotted.7F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 I s s u e 1MPA 6.0 also includes a new, compressedcommon file format for both MoldflowPart Adviser and Moldflow Mold Adviser,reducing disk space storage requirements.For the latest information on MoldflowPlastics Advisers and all of Moldflow'sproduct and services, visit our Web sitewww.moldflow.com.w w w. m o l d f l o w. c o m

user reviewEarly Analysis Reduces Lead Times forSydney Olympics Athletes' BedsBy Laura Carrabine, EditorBackgroundDunlop Bedding, a division of Pacific Dunlop and the largestAustralian manufacturer of beds, was the provider of 24,000 bedsthat made their debut at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Gamesathletes' village. These "bunkable" beds were designed for use assingle beds or stacked to form bunks, with the option of extendingthe length of the beds by 300mm for use by the taller athletes. Inaddition to meeting the functional and structural requirements,Dunlop Bedding was also looking for a fresh, modern shape andcolor. Dunlop Bedding decided to manufacture the bed frames inpowder-coated steel and the bedhead panels in translucent plasticwith a choice of several bright colors.Viscount Plastics is a member of the Pacifica Group and thelargest injection molding company in Australia. Viscount Plastics(Victoria) was chosen by Dunlop Bedding to project manage thedesign and manufacture of tooling and to produce 48,000bedhead panels for these beds. Viscount recommendedpolypropylene homopolymer as the material for the bedheadpanels, as it met the requirements for safety, aesthetics, lowweight, low maintenance, ease of assembly, and cost effectiveness.The ProjectAs the translucent bedhead panel is a highly visual part, a criticalrequirement was that there could be no visible defects or warpage."We have utilized the analysis expertise of Moldflow's consultantsfor a number of years now, with filling, cooling, and warpageanalyses being important tools in the part and mold design phases.We decided that the ability to verify and optimize tool andproduct designs early in this project should help us to reduce leadtime to manufacture, avoid start up problems, and reduce rejectrates," said Mr. Vadim Gershon, Product Development Manager,Viscount Plastics. In thisproject,Moldflow'sconsultantswereemployed at the productdesign stage in order tooptimize the part and tooldesign and to verify cycletime and processingconditions. "We wanted toensure that we couldreduce lead times of thefirst acceptable samples, sothat Dunlop Beddingwould have enough timeto tune the othercomponents to fit thebedhead (if necessary),and supply beds in timefor the Olympic Games,"said Mr. Gershon.F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 I s s u e 1Moldflow Part Adviser software was used to verify the gate designand location suggested by Viscount and to assess the fill pattern."The Part Adviser analysis confirmed that the area of the part atthe end of the longest flow path would fill for the proposed cavitylayout and wall thickness with the choice of polymer and gatelocation," said Mr. Derek Hain, Senior Consultant, Moldflow.The original design of the bedhead called for a three-pieceassembly. Viscount's engineering team suggested the use of slidingcores driven by hydraulic cylinders, which would allow a onepiece bedhead panel to be manufactured. Several iterative analyseswere undertaken, and itwas found that the panelscould be produced as asingle part instead of threeseparate components.Further analyses usingMoldflow’sMPI/Flow,MPI/Cool and MPI/Warpwere undertaken to verifycycle times and to ensurethe design specificationsfor dimensional tolerance,aesthetics, and negligiblewarpage were met."MPI/Cool was used toverify and optimizecooling line layouts andconfirmthattheprocessingconditionssuggested by ViscountPlastics could be used," Mr. Hain said.The results from MPI/Warp indicated that there would be verylittle warpage, as the fill pattern and the cooling lines had beenoptimized by then. "The predicted warpage was negligible andcould be further reduced with fine tuning of the injectionmolding machine settings and tool temperatures duringmanufacture," Mr. Hain added.The OutcomeThe initial mold trials showed that the actual cycle time was veryclose to that predicted by Moldflow's software, and the partsproduced had met design specifications. "Preliminary workconducted jointly by Viscount's engineering team and Moldflow,as well as excellent toolmaking by Centre Tooling, has allowed usto achieve a near-perfect part at the very first die trial. We haveprobably saved at least one tool rework and subsequent die trial,which could have cost us several thousand dollars and increasedlead time by up to 20 percent," said Mr. Gershon.w w w. m o l d f l o w. c o m8

tips & techniquesWork Smarter with Moldflow PlasticsInsight 3.0By Matthew Jaworski, Moldflow CorporationWe want to help you work smarter and get up to speed faster with your Moldflow Plastics Insight (MPI) 3.0 software. Here arethree tips that will help you streamline your modeling tasks and transition quickly from previous versions of the software.Find a complete list of Hints & Tips as well as answers to Frequently Asked Questions and other valuable information on theCustomer Resource Center (CRC) at www.moldflow.com.Did you know?The default colors of MPI 3.0 beam elements havespecific meanings.Red- Hot RunnerGreen- Cold RunnerBlue- Cooling ChannelYellow- BaffleOrange - BubblerBeigeConnector Hose- tips continued on next pageStop by and visit AMD at theMoldflow 2002International User ConferenceMarch 17-19, in Boston, MA.

tips & techniquesFixing Overlapping ElementsImport a model into MPI/Synergy, then select Mesh MeshStatistics. Look under Intersection Details forinformation about Element Intersections and FullyOverlapping Elements. These are defects in the mesh thatyou will need to fix before running an analysis.Select Mesh Mesh Tools to access tools that will helpyou fix the defects. First, try the Auto fix tool, whichautomatically tries to fix overlaps and intersections. Don'tworry about the result, because the tool reports AspectRatio before and after - this will change only if the fixeddefect happens to be related to the minimum or maximumaspect ratio. Check Mesh Statistics again to see if Autofix solved your element problems.the select iconto select the element and clicking theDelete key on the keyboard.TIP: To speed up the mesh editing process, turn the meshdiagnostics window off before using any Mesh Tools ordeleting elements. To do this, select Mesh ShowDiagnostic or click in the MPI/Synergy graphics windowand click Ctrl D. After the editing action is complete, youcan turn the diagnostic window on again by repeating theprocess.If Auto fix did not fix all the defects, go back to MeshTools and select Global Merge. This tool merges nodeswithin a specified tolerance. Be careful if you leave thePreserve Fusion checkbox option blank! When checked(turned on), this option prevents nodes from being mergedif this would result in the removal of a side of a triangle.Your next option is to display the overlapping elements andmanually fix the mesh. To display these elements, selectMesh Overlapping Elements. On the dialog thatappears, you can select to display Overlaps, Intersectionsor both. Be sure to check the Place Results in DiagnosticLayer option.Another common way to fix overlaps is to merge nodes.This is also accomplished using the Mesh Tools menu.Simply select the node you want to merge to and then thenode you want to be merged.Deselect all layers, so that only the Diagnostic Resultslayer is visible. Clicking on the Diagnostic Results layer tohighlight it, then select the Expand button. The Expandbutton grows the mesh around the highlighted layer by auser-defined level, in this case one. This feature is veryuseful to see what elements need to be fixed and the areaaround them.Use Mesh Tools Purge Nodes to clean up anydisconnected nodes that may have been created during thecleanup operations.Next zoom in on one particular area and use the center iconto center the view for ease of rotation.There are many ways to fix overlaps and intersections. Inthis example, the problem element is protruding throughother mesh elements at a corner. We can select and deletethis element using Mesh Tools Delete or simply by usingF l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 I s s u e 1Finally, review the Mesh Statistics to make sure the meshis defect free.w w w. m o l d f l o w. c o m10

professional developmentDr. Vito Leo Successfully LaunchesBIMS-Seminars (Brussels Injection Molding Sessions)By Laura Carrabine, EditorIn March 2000, Professor Vito Leo, Ph.D. (Brussels, Belgium),established the Brussels Injection Molding Sessions (BIMSSeminars) business. BIMS-Seminars provides seminars based onLeo's 20 years' experience in the injection molding and plasticsindustry and what he says is a real need for non-traditionaltraining. His seminar called "Understanding Injection Molding ofThermoplastics — The Key to Optimum Plastics Part Design,"provides an explanation of the mechanics and physics behindplastic injection molding processes. Leo is a physicist by trainingand has extensive experience in polymer processing. He isparticularly active in the field of injection molding ofthermoplastics and the use of thermoplastic finite-elementnumerical simulation."During my career at Solvay asa Principal Scientist at theBrussels-based company," saysLeo, "I realized that there was areal need for a seminar thatthoroughly explains some verycomplex phenomenon in fairlysimple terms. People areextremelyinterestedinattending this kind of seminar.It's not traditional injectionmolding training. It's not flowanalysis

technology, developed by A. Routsis Associates, takes full advantage of multimedia while using the latest in learning technology. Utilizing this powerful combination results in shorter training times and higher employee retention rates. Over 100 Interactive Training titles, including mold making and m