Moldflow

Task 1: Open a model

This task shows you how to open a model.

1.     Click (File Open). 2.     Select the cellphone (*.adv) model (D:\Program Files\Moldflow\Plastics Advisers 7.3\tutorial ). 3.     Click Open.

The model used in this exercise is the front face of a cell phone.

If you start Moldflow Plastics Advisers directly from your CAD system, the current model appears automatically. The model is displayed with the same rotation and color as it is in the CAD program.

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Task 2: Manipulate the model

In this task you will manipulate the model so you can see a suitable injection location.

In the user interface, you can select the tools to manipulate your model from three different places:

         The Display menu.

         The Display toolbar (on the left of the sceen).

         Right-clicking on the display area and selecting Mouse Mode.

1.     To find out how to manipulate a model, click on each of the buttons below. An animation will show you how each tool is used in the user interface.     Rotates the model.     Dynamically zooms in and out.   Zooms in on a selected region.   Fits the model to the display.     Sets rotational center point of the model. 2.     Use the manipulation tools in the user interface to position the model as shown in the image below.

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Task 3: Select a polymer

This task shows you how to determine a suitable gate location using a specific material.

1.     Click (Adviser Analysis Wizard). 2.     Click on any analysis type (active or inactive). As you do so, note that details of the analysis or instructions on how to activate the analysis appear in the Analysis prerequisites/results box. 3.     Click to select the Gate Location check box. 4.     Click Next > to advance to the Analysis Resolution page. Ensure the High Analysis Resolution check box is unchecked. 5.     Click Next > to advance to the Select Material page. 6.     Click the Specific Material option button and choose the following options from the drop-down lists: ·         Manufacturer: Millenium Petrochemical Inc ·         Trade name: Petrothene GA584-000                 Click Next > to view the Processing Conditions page, and then click Finish to launch the analysis.                 The Gate Location analysis will take a few minutes. While you are waiting, go to the next task and review the procedure for interpreting the Gate Location results.

The Gate Locator analyzes the geometry of the model and calculates how appropriate a gate location would be at each region of the model.

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Task 4: View Gate Locator results

In this task you will interpret the Gate Location result.

Once the analysis has finished, the display will show a spectrum of colors. Blue indicates the best location to inject the material; and red indicates the worst location to inject the material.

1.     Upon completion of each analysis, the Results Summary dialog shows any warnings encountered. 2.     The analyzed model is displayed on the screen. Review the result of the analysis to identify the dark blue area. This is where you will place the gate in the next task. It should be similar to the result shown in the example below.

The Gate Location analysis indicates a suitable location if the flow of material is balanced. It does not take into account how difficult it is to access a location, or if a location is visually sensitive. Therefore, a blue region is suitable if it is possible to inject there and it is not a visually sensitive area.

Note: The Gate Location analysis takes into account the material used to fill the model. It will only recommend one injection location, or one additional injection location on a model where you have already selected polymer injection locations.

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Task 5: Select an injection location

In this task you will use the Gate Location analysis results to select an injection location (gate). Moldflow Plastics Advisers allows you to work with single or multiple polymer injection locations. This tutorial uses a single injection location.

1.     Click (Adviser Pick Injection Locations). The mouse cursor changes to a cross . 2.     Click on the center of the blue area. 3.     Click No, if you are prompted to save the model. A red cone appears on your model as indicated on the image below. 4.     Click (Display Select) to exit the injection location mode.

In the previous exercise, you used the Gate Location analysis to find a suitable injection location for the material. The center of the model was blue, indicating it was a suitable location.

If a blue region is not suitable because it is visually sensitive or is inaccessible, you should choose another region that produces a balanced flow of material.

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Task 6: Save the model

In this task you will save your model.

To save your model with a different name so that you can return to the original model if you want to run a second analysis.

1.     Click (File Save As...) The Save As dialog appears. 2.     Enter cellphone1 (*.adv) in the File name text box. 3.     Click Save.

Saving now ensures that all the conditions you have set so far will be retained. They include the:

         Polymer you have selected.

         Rotation of the model.

         Injection location.

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Task 7: Run an analysis

In the previous tasks, you prepared your model for an analysis. In this task, you will run the Plastic Filling analysis and save the results.

1.     Click (Adviser Pre-Analysis Check). It is always advisable to perform a pre-analysis check to ensure your analysis completes successfully. The Pre-Analysis check performs many different types of checks, for example, while using Single Cavity mode, you must have a gate. 2.     Click OK. 3.     Click (Adviser Analysis Wizard). 4.     Click to select the Plastic Filling check box. 5.     Click Next. The Analysis Resolution page opens. Please read the information about the High Analysis Resolution option. Do not check the High Analysis Resolution check box. 6.     Click Finish to launch the analysis. 7.     Click No, if you are prompted to save the model. This model will take several minutes to analyze. You can read the information below, and the information about the results in the next task while you wait. 8.     On completion of the analysis, read the Results Summary. Click Close once you have finished. 9.     Click (File Save).

The plastic filling process displays dynamically on the model, showing the plastic flow. During filling, the Status bar at the bottom of the screen displays the current process and the Progress bar indicates its progress.

When Plastic Filling has completed, the Status bar displays Ready, and the Results Summary will be displayed. This gives you a guide to the suitability of your model for injection molding.

The summary also gives pressure, weld line, and air trap summaries.

Note: If you want to review your results, click (Results Summary) to open the Results Summary again.

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The Confidence of Fill result displays the probability of a region within the cavity filling with plastic.

The Quality Prediction result measures the expected quality of the model's appearance and its mechanical properties.

The Fill Time result shows the flow path of the plastic through the model. A short shot will be displayed as translucent. This display can be animated.

The Pressure Drop result displays the drop in pressure from the injection point to the selected point, at the moment that point was filled.

The Injection Pressure result displays the pressure at the injection point, at the moment each point was filled.

The Flow Front Temperature result displays the material melt temperature at each point, at the time it was filled.

The Weld line result indicates the presence and location of weld and meld lines in the filled model. Weld lines appear as red lines on the model. To see all of the weld lines, you may need to rotate the model.

The Air Traps result shows the regions where the melt stops at a convergence of at least two flow fronts, or at the last point of fill. The regions highlighted in the result are positions of possible air traps. To see all of the air traps, you may need to rotate the model. Air traps appear as small blue spheres on the model.

The Cooling Time result is generated from a Performance Adviser (Fill+Pack) analysis, and shows the amount of time it takes the material to reach the ejection temperature starting from the end of fill (100%).

The Shear Stress result shows any stress created in the plastic as it flows through the mold. This stress is caused by friction between the moving plastic and the mold wall. The shear stress should be less than the critical maximum value for that material. (This can be obtained from the Material Database).

The Shear Rate result is the rate of change of shear strain with time. Shear strain is the ratio of the deformation of the polymer due to a shear force. The shear rate should be less than the critical maximum value for that material. (This can be obtained from the Material Database).

The Weldline Angle result shows the angle at which the two flow fronts merged to form a Weld Line or Meld Line.

Task 8: View results

In this task you will view the results of the analysis you ran in the previous task.

1.     To view the results, select the result name in the Result Types drop-down list, or use Results Show. 2.     Click (Results Show Weld Line Locations), or (Results Show Air Trap Locations) to view these results. 3.     The Results Adviser can help you to interpret results. To display the Quality Prediction results: a.     Click (Adviser Adviser). b.     Select the Quality Prediction tab. c.     Move the Results Advice dialog away from the model, and investigate the model by rotating it. d.             Right-click on a colored region of the result.

The Results Advice dialog displays detailed information on the selected point. It also displays warnings relating to the Confidence of Fill, and Quality Prediction results. Some of the results available are listed below.

2. Place the buttons in the order they should be used. Do this by dragging them to their place holder. If you place a button in the wrong order it will return to the top.