A01-01-001

Introduction to Injection
Molding and CAE

December, 2015
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 Outline

> Introduction
– Polymer Processing and Injection Molding
– Application and Common Problems
> Main Factors on Injection Molding Process
– Injection Molding Process and properties
– Scientific of Injection Molding
– Traditional Trial and Error Method
> Application of CAE in Injection Molding Process
– Benefit of CAE
> Moldex3D - Molding Innovation
– Professional Team
– Developing Software

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 Introduction to Polymer Product
- Applications & Processing

> Injection Molding > Extrusion Molding

> Blow Molding / > Other Technology

Thermoforming

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 Major Processes in Polymer Processing

Taiwan rubber and plastic machinery export structure

Source: Industrial Economics & Knowledge Center (IEK) 2011/05

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 Major Processes in Polymer Processing

> Polymer (Plastic) processing

– Traditionally, development is a black box and like an art.

Thermoforming
Injection molding
Extruder

Extrusion Blow molding

MANDREL

BODY

Others Others

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 Applications of Injection Molding

Semiconductor Aerospace Computer

Components Automobiles

Opto-electronics

Others

Appliances Telecom Household

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 Why Injection Molding?

> Be capable of producing parts with complex geometry in

one production step in an automated process

> Injection molding has excellent dimensional tolerances

and requires almost no finishing and / or assembly
operations

> Good reproducibility of production

> Wide range of production capacity

> Wide range of plastic materials can be applied

– Thermoplastic material
– Thermoset material
– With fiber contents, …

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 Common Problems

> Short shot > Sink mark

> Burning > Warpage

> Weld line > Flash

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 The Causes of Short Shot

> Short Shot: Melt can’t fill the cavity fully

and it produces incomplete parts.
Sometimes reproduced intentionally to
help molder to understand a mold’s filling
pattern.

> The causes of short shot:

– Material:
• Plastics lacks liquidity (Viscosity is too high，MI value is
too low，L/T is too low….)
– Part and Moldbase Design:
• Thin part or flow length is too long (L/T is too high), ….
– Injection Molding Machine:
• Injection volume is not enough, ….

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 Injection Molding Process

> Plastic is melted and pumped via deliver system to cavity

by performing injection molding cycles
– Extruder
– Cold or hot runner/gates
– Filling / packing / cooling / mold opening / ejection

> It needs to integrate

– Product design
– Mold design
– Material selection
– Machine & process setting
Injection Molding is a Batch Process
> It is very complicated

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 Factors Affecting Injection Molding

> There is a trade-off between productivity and quality of

molding.

Material Selection

Mold Design

Machine and Process Setting

Product Design

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 Product Design Consideration

> Product design

– Functionality
– Dimension
– Assemble tolerance
– Appearance
– Cost
– Environmental impact
– Handling
– Others

> It has to integrate with material selection, mold design,

and process conditions

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 Mold Design Consideration

> Melt Delivery System: Sprue / Runner / Gate

> Cavity (with Venting)

> Cool / Heat Exchange System

> Ejection System

> Guiding and Locating System

> Machine Platen Mounts

> Force Supplier

> Motion Transmission System

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 Classification of Plastics

PLASTICS

Thermoplastics Elastomers/Thermosets
not crosslinked cross-linked

Amorphous (Semi)crystalline Slightly Strongly

Crosslinked Crosslinked

PC,PS,PVC, HDPE,LDPE, PUR, Epoxy,Melamine,

PMMA,... PP,PA,POM, Polybutadiene, Phenolics,
PTFE... Natural Rubber... Polyester,...

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 Basics of Injection Molding Machine

Feed Hopper

Cavity
Barrel Runner

Control Unit
Hydraulic Ram Screw Heating Element Mold Unit
Clamping
Unit
Plasticating / Injection Unit

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 Injection Molding Cycle

Cooling Stage Mold Opening and Part Ejection

(Plasticizing for next shot)
Mold Closing

Injection Unit Forward

Filling Stage

Packing/Holding Stage

Nozzle Disengage Injection Unit Backward

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 Complexity of an Injection Molding Process

> Process: > Material:

– Non-Newtonian flow
– Coupling heat transfer
– Free surface (melt front)
– Interactions
– Non-Newtonian flow (melt)
– Process-variable dependent
properties
– Phase-transition (solid/melt)
– Anisotropy (+FR/CF)

Viscosity
> Design:
– Complicated wall thickness
variation Shear Rate
– Mold design consideration
– Cooling consideration
– Mechanics consideration

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 Traditional Approach to Produce a New Injection-
Molding Part

Part Design Mold Design Mold Construction

Molding Trial

ITERATION

Production

> Molding trial after mold construction.

> Iteration is based on prototype mold.

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 Challenge in Injection Molding Industry

Complex
Process Development and
Shorten Dynamics Application
Time to Market of New Material

Innovation in Precision and Quality

Product Design Requirements

Innovation in Manpower
Molding Process Training

> Scientific method such as CAE is in great demand.

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 Injection Molding Process and Its Features

> Real experiments help realize this process very much, but
– Inside of machine and mold, it is impossible to analyze all
process information.
– It is very difficult to measure all process parameter or
properties.
> Conventionally, iteration by trial-and-error method is time-
consuming and inefficient. CAE technology is in great
demand

> CAE technology

– It can provide various inside information of process to
enhance the new product or process development, or to help
problem diagnosis and revision.

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Application of CAE in
Injection Molding Process
 Computer-Aided Molding Process

CAE

CAM: Computer-Aided Manufacturing

CAD: Computer-Aided Design

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 Why CAE?

Material Selection

Part/Mold Design Moldex3D Process Conditions

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 Why CAE?

Money Accurate
Effective
Saving

Time Convenient
Saving

Moldex3D

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 What is CAE in Injection Molding?

> CAE: Computer-Aided Engineering

– A kind of software and technology that simulates and
analyzes the complicated injection-molding process in the
computer
– Permits quantitative mold design according to rheological,
thermal, and mechanical consideration
– Trouble-shooting of existing process/design

> Virtual visualization

– Realize the significance of variables and quantifiable
effects of changes
– Reduce number of physical experiments

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 Concepts in Application of CAE

> CAE is an idealization of real world process

> Reliability of CAE analysis depends on:
– Physical Model
– Numerical Methods
– Material Parameters
– Geometric Model
– Process Condition
– Machine Information
– Engineering Knowledge and Skill of the User
> GIGO Principle:
– Garbage In, Garbage Out

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 Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) Approach:
Concurrent Engineering

ITERATIONS in Computer

Part Design Mold Design Process Simulation

Mold Construction

Molding Trial

Real World ITERATIONS

Production
> Molding trial before mold construction
> Iteration is based on reliable physical model
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 Benefits of CAE Technology

> Design revision

> Troubleshooting

> Speeding up the development and design of new product

> Passing down accumulated knowledge and experience

– Systematic Collation- Know-How

– Establish design criteria

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Moldex3D
The World Leading CAE Tool and Technology
 Moldex3D - MOLDING INNOVATION

> The world’s leading innovator of professional true 3D CAE

software for injection molding simulation

> World’s largest professional team (230+ employees, 80%

technical professionals) dedicated to plastics injection
molding simulation

> Provide leading software solution and attentive technical

support to work with global customers for optimizing the
process from design through manufacturing

> Assist users to significantly reduce product development

time, achieve design excellence, and shorten time to
market

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 What Moldex3D Do

> World’s leading innovator of 3D CAE software for plastic

injection molding
> Provide a simulation process to perfectly bring the heritage
of experiences of design validation before manufacturing

Iteration

Validation Innovation

> Bridge an efficient way to lead the critical product

optimizations with a broad range of solutions
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 Moldex3D in Product Lifecycle Management

> Strategic alliance with leading CAD/CAE software,

working closely for product integration

> Offer an extended platform for enhanced simulation

performance

Molding Innovation

Product Lifecycle
Management

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 Success Customers

> Adopted by 2,000+ renowned companies and industries

> Prove Moldex3D capabilities of bringing quality solutions

Automobile High Tech/Electronics Material/Equipment

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 Non-Stop Technology Innovation

Resin Transfer
Molding
Compression

Injection
Microcellular Molding Customization R14.0
Foaming
Compression Bi-injection
RHCM
Conformal
HyperWorks
Underfill R13.0
IC Cooling
Partner
Packaging Alliance
R12.0 Fiber+
NX, Creo
Design R11.0
Optical Embedded RTM
Verification Designer
Cooling Molding
Two-Color BLM
Molding
Optimization Automatic R10.0 F/P/W+
3D Meshing PIM/MIM CCD
Insert
SolidWorks R9.1 Advanced Hot Runner
Embedded Hot Runner Annealing Steady
Molding R9.0 Cadence
ICM Interface Designer
FEA R8.1 Co-Injection FSI BLM+
Integration Fiber+
R8.0 Solid Warp+ Gas / Water
DOE CADdoctor
Injection Moldex3D
Mold Digimat-RP
Optics Remote MuCell® Cloud Deformation
Mold Insert R7.1 Computing
Stress Computing+
eDesign Underfill MuCell® +
Complete Enhanced Viscoelastic Remote
FastCool BLM+
3D Solid Designer Computing
Simulations Transient on Linux Viewer
Parallel- eXplorer
R7.0 Solid MCM
Cool
Cluster eDesignSYNC Cloud
License Computing
R6.x Solid I2 Windows Manager
R5.x x64
R4.x Enhanced Hybrid Mesh
R3.x Flow BLM
Solid RIM
Parallel-SMP
Solid Fiber
Shell Gas Tetra Mesh

Shell FPCW Solid FPCW

Project

Solid Mesh

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016

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 Moldex3D Application Fields

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 What Can Moldex3D Help?

> Digital Design Validation

– Part thickness, runner/cooling systems
– Weld lines, air traps, flow marks
– Flow balance, shrinkage, and warpage control

> Cost Down

– Remove hot spots for cycle time reduction
– Reduce mold trials and tooling costs
– Shorten time to market

> Production Optimization

– Processing window evaluation
– Clamping force reduction to save energy

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 Meshing Technology Positioning

Design Validation Molding Innovation Molding Innovation+

(eDesign) (BLM) (Solid)

Advanced manual meshing

Automatic meshing Automatic meshing
(Hexa, Prism, Pyramid, Hybrid)

CAD/PLM integration Process optimization

CAD/PLM integration
Process optimization Innovative process supports

Easy, fast, efficient Accurate, precise, efficient Customized, delicate, accurate

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