Flowfront 2002mar Lr

8/12/2019 Flowfront 2002mar Lr

1/32

front

Vol. 2, Issue 1 2002

case studies

www.moldflow.com

March 2002

T h e M a g a z i n e o f C h o i c e f o r P l a s t i c s P r o f e s s i o n a l s

industry education

Viscount PlasticsSw ift Technologies

BIMS Seminars Take a Non-Traditional Approach

Working Sm arter w ith Web-Based Training

Penn State Erie The Im pact Players of Tom orrow


2/32

It was said that it couldn't be done: Start from nothing,

end with a molded part, finish in a day.

Yet, at NPE 2000, this was done not once, but five times.

Five days, five different part designs, five different production

molds, thousands of injected parts produced, live on the show

floor. The software of choice, and the only software needed for

the Mold-in-a-Day RUSH Technology team: Pro/ENGINEER.

Pro/ENGINEER is the only choice to tackle the whole job, taking

industrial design concepts to completed toolpaths with no

translations, while permitting last-minute no-penalty changes.

Art to part at breakneck speed.

To learn more about how you can significantly improve your time

to market visit www.ptc.com/products/function/tool_die.htm or

keyword search rush.

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001ParametricT

echnologyCorporation.

Allrightsreserved.

PTC,

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Rand

thePTClogoaretrademarksorregisteredtrademarksofParametricTechnology

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Pro/ENGINEERMoldShop: Engineered for Innovation in the Mold Industry

Art to Part at Breakneck Speed


3/32

F l ow front

contentsfocus on

Introducing Moldflow Plastics Advisers 6.0

cover story

The Benefits of Process Monitoring in the Real World

cover story 17

M a n u f a c t u r i n gi n t h e R e a lWorld

For more informa tion, conta ct us at :

Tel: 508-358-5848

Fax: 508-358-5868

Web: www.moldflow.com

Email: f lowf [email protected]

Mai l : 430 Boston Po st Roa d

Wayland , MA 01778

Editor: Laura Carrabine

Copy Edito r: Marcia Swan

Designer: Joanna Gavriel

How t o A dv e r t i se

Con t act M arcia Sw an at 607-257-4280, ext . 467

fo r rat es and avai labi l i ty, or g o t o o ur W eb si te at

w ww.moldf low.com and cl ick on the Flowf ron t

icon , then cl ick How t o A dvert ise. Here you can

dow nload a PDF fi le t hat cont ains ou r insertio n

ord er and rates.

focus on 5

Introducing MPA6.0

from the editor

tips and techniques

the executive view

the analyst says

user review

Early Analysis Reduces Lead

Times for Sydney Olympics

Athletes Beds

professional developmentDr. Vito Leo Successfully

Launches BIMS-Seminars

Working Smarter with

Web-Based Training

real world success

Swift Technologies Applies

Moldflow Plastics Advisers to

Every Job

the polymer pages

CRIMS, the Benchmark Standard

for Shrinkage Prediction

learning curves

Penn State Erie: Teaching the

Plastic Industrys Impact

Players of Tomorrow

design & moldingMedical Device Design

Challenges

whats new

Moldflow Extends the

Capabilities of MPI/Gas in

Moldflow Plastics Insight 3.0

FEATURES

5

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8

11

14

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27

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9

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COLUMNS

DEPARTMENTS

2002 Moldflow Corporation. All rights reserved. Flow front is a bi-yearly publication of Mo ldflow Corporation. Moldflow , Moldflow Plastics Advisers, MPA,Moldflow Plastics Insight, MPI, Moldflow Plastics Xpert , MPX, Shotscope a nd EZ-Track are tra dema rks or registered trad emarks of Moldflow Corporation. All othertradem arks are properties of t heir respective holders.


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FREE Re po r tR e v e a l s t h e B e s t K e p t S e c r e t s

o f In - P l a n t Tr a i n i n gI f y o u r e c o n s i d e r i n g t h e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f a n i n -

p l a n t t r a i n i n g p r o g r a m , o n e t h i n g m a t t e r s . W i l l i t

i m p r o v e y o u r b o t t o m l i n e b y g i v i n g y o u a c o m p e t i t i v e

a d v a n t a g e n o w a s w e l l a s i n t h e f u t u r e ?

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Te l: ( 9 7 8 ) 9 5 7 - 0 7 0 0 Fa x :( 9 7 8 ) 9 5 7 - 1 8 6 0w w w . t r a i n i n t e r a c t i v e . c o m


5/32

from the editor

4F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Is su e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . c o m

Finally! Refreshing news

Recently, I attended the Daratech Summit 2002 conference in New York City. It was well

attended by technology leaders who now tout product lifecycle management (PLM) products and

strategies. Whether you buy into this latest buzzword or not, I came away feeling much more

confident about the state of our industry and the state of our economy. The reason?Presentations,in part icular, by Bernard Charls of Dassault Systemes, Carol Bartz of Autodesk, and Tony Affuso

of EDS. They gave positive, uplifting commentaries about industry growth, profits, and new

technologies that are helping to spur their businesses, and, more importantly, provide customers

with innovative solutions to develop new products at record-breaking speed while reducing manufacturing costs and

expensive prototypes. This is extraordinary good news for everyone served by these companies, their suppliers, and partners.

While the worldwide technology marketplace has experienced a rough road over the last 18 months, these three industry

leaders envision a brighter future for everyone as we move forward into 2002 and beyond. In addition, Mark Goldstein,

president and CEO of H KS, developer of worldclass ABAQUS CAE software and a Moldflow partner, announced his

resolve at Daratech Summit 2002 to "take the wraps off " the company's quiet history. He provided statistics that showed

stellar growth since the company's 1978 inception, as well as its recent news to partner with LMS and Dassault Systemes.More collaboration among vendors can only make the user workplace a friendlier, easier-to-innovate environment.

Even though Moldflow was not part of the Daratech Summit 2002 event, its latest news is just as encouraging. Company

president and CEO Marc Dulude recently reported that the company's financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2002

were encouraging. He said, "We entered this quarter with good visibility into our business and were able to close a high

percentage of our sales opportunities. We were particularly pleased with the order flow for our Manufacturing Solutions

products, which comprised 17% of our software product revenues this quarter. These products, which yield significant and

rapid returns, present a compelling value proposition to injection molders who are seeking strategic advantages to remain

competitive during this time of economic uncertainty."

In addition, this week financial guru Alan Greenspan announced that the global economy is beginning to turn around. I

must believe that these technological and financial events and others to come will help our industry start to climb back tomarket profitability, calmer, more confident investors, and a bullish Wall Street. And, while it may be a little too early to

toast to a new economy, I am confident that we can all rest easier, anticipate a brighter future, and confidently begin to

consider reinvesting in profitable companies. We salute development and management teams everywhere that are

committed to generating new products that exceed customer expectations as the economy moves back to a more stable,

energetic state.

Certainly, Moldflow is taking the lead among leading software providers. This issue reveals how the company is offering

innovative training and certification classes to help users become more productive and marketable. We describe the

company's newest technologies, as well as detail customer testimonials as more competitive enterprises as a result of

implementing the company's software. In addition, we believe in education - teaching university students the merits of

using state of the art plastic simulation software as it relates to real-world applications before they enter the workplace. Case

in point: we think you'll be impressed reading how Penn State University is using Moldflow technology in the classroom asan integral teaching tool. Students there are enthusiastic users who are realizing that the software will help them secure

promising jobs that build upon lessons learned in the classroom.

Again, please send us your Moldflow software tips and techniques, questions, comments, and offers to act as customer

testimonials. Send them to me at [email protected]. I look forward to meeting with you at the 2002

International Moldflow User Group Conference as this issue unfolds.

Best Regards,

Laura Carrabine

Editor


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5F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Issu e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . c o m

Focuson

Introducing Moldflow PlasticsAdvisers 6.0

IntroductionSince its launch in 1997, the MoldflowPlastics Advisers product line hasrevolutionized the way that designerscheck their plastic part designs formanufacturability. The upcoming releaseof Moldf low Plastics Advisers 6.0 (MPA

6.0) provides users with significant newfeatures and enhancements forcollaborating 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 M PA6.0 supports Moldflow Design Link3.0, which allows the direct importof native Pro/ENGINEER part fi les,as well as Parasolid, STEP and IGESfile formats.

Moldflow CommunityCenter

The driving philosophy behind the newMoldflow Community Center is that awhole 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 common

problem. Guided by this philosophy, theMoldflow Community Center has beendeveloped to host a set of Web-centrictools that foster interaction andcollaboration among MPA users and withMoldflow Corporation. Activemaintenance users can access theMoldflow Community Center directlyfrom within MPA 6.0 using embeddedWeb browser technology. The followingtools are available at the MoldflowCommunity Center:

Discussion Group

Communicate with other M PA 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 Issues

MPA 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 problem-solving status.

Suggest ProductEnhancements

MPA 6.0 users can have a say infuture Moldflow softwaredevelopment by submittingenhancement requests to help usdrive future product development.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ's), Known Bugs List,Hints & Tips

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 Zone

Moldflow'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.

Access Training Resources

View 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 Area

This is a common file storage/downloadarea for useful files such as commonrunner layouts, standard runner sizes, etc.

By Murali Anna-Reddy, Moldflow Corporation


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more models. Users simply open two (ormore) models with results, thensynchronize the window displays and theresults plot scales. Users can then

simultaneously investigate the models andresults. This feature helps users to betterinterpret results and quickly identifyoptimized combinations of part geometry,material selection, gate locations, andprocessing condit ions.

Enhanced CAD Interfacesand CAD Integrations

Moldflow Design Link 3.0 (MDL 3.0) iscompletely integrated with MPA 6.0.Moldflow Design Link 3.0 provides a

geometry 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 fi les.

The MPA CAD-integrated versions havebeen updated to support the latest productreleases from the world's leading CADcompanies, including SolidWorks2001Plus, Solid Edge 11.0, SolidDesigner2001, and Mechanical Desktop 6.0. Also,new in MPA 6.0 is an integration with

Autodesk Inventor 5.0.

Other Key Enhancements

The 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.

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 in-depth 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.

Analyses can be set up using logicalsequences to eliminate the need for

manually launching individual analyses.For example, a Plastic Flow + Sink Mark +Cooling Quality Analysis sequence wouldlaunch the three analyses sequentiallywithout any additional user intervention.

MPA 6.0 also includes a new, compressedcommon file format for both MoldflowPart Adviser and Moldflow Mold Adviser,reducing disk space storage requirements.

New License Manager

The Sentinel License Manager, fromRainbow Technologies, replaces Elan asthe License Manager for M PA 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 license

from 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 SupportedHardware

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.

Conclusion

MPA 6.0 contains significant new featuresand enhancements for increasingproductivity, collaborating with otherusers, and providing product usage

feedback in order to partner more closelywith Moldflow.

Focuson

For the latest information on MoldflowPlastics Advisers and all of Moldflow'sproduct and services, visit our Web sitewww.moldflow.com.


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user review

Background

Dunlop 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 plastic

with 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 Project

As the translucent bedhead panel is a highly visual part, a critical

requirement 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 M r. Vadim Gershon, Product Development Manager,Viscount Plastics. In thisproject, Moldflow'sconsultants wereemployed at the productdesign stage in order to

optimize 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 time

for the Olympic Games,"said M r. Gershon.

Moldflow 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 fil l for the proposed cavitylayout and wall thickness with the choice of polymer and gatelocation," said M r. 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 one-piece bedhead panel to be manufactured. Several iterative analyseswere undertaken, and it

was found that the panelscould be produced as asingle part instead of threeseparate components.

Further analyses usingMoldflows MPI/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 andconfirm that theprocessing conditionssuggested 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 Outcome

The 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.

Early Analysis Reduces Lead Times forSydney Olympics Athletes' BedsBy Laura Carrabine, Editor

8F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Iss u e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . c o m


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We w an t to help you w ork smarte r and g et up to speed fa ster with your Moldflow Plastics Insight (MPI) 3.0 softw are. Here arethree t ips tha t w ill help you strea mline your mo deling ta sks and transition quickly from previous versions of th e softw are.

Find a complete l ist of Hints &Tips as w ell as a nswers to Frequen tly Asked Questions a nd oth er valuable info rmation on the

Custo mer Resource Center (CRC) at w w w.mo ldflow.com.

tips & techniques

Work Smarter with Moldflow PlasticsInsight 3.0 By Matthew Jaworski, Moldflow Corporation

The d efa ul t colors of MPI 3.0 bea m element s have

specific meanings.

Red -> Hot Runn er

Green -> Cold Runne r

Blue -> Cooling Channel

Yellow -> Baffle

Orange -> Bubbler

Beige -> Conn ecto r Hose

Did you know ?

Stop by and visit AMD at the

Moldflow 2002

International User ConferenceM arch 17-19, in Boston, M A .

t ips cont inu ed on next page


11/32

Impo rt a mo del into MPI/Synergy, then select Mesh > Mesh

Statistics. Look under Intersection Details f o r

informat ion about Element Intersect ions and Ful lyOverla pping Element s. These a re def ects in the m esh tha t

you w ill need to fix before running a n a na lysis.

Select Mesh > Mesh Tools to access too ls tha t w ill help

you fix the defects. First, try the Auto fix tool , which

automatically tries to fix overlaps and intersections. Don't

worry about the result , because the tool reports Aspect

Ratio befo re and a fter - this w ill cha ng e only if th e fixed

defect happens to be related to the minimum or ma ximum

aspect ratio. Check Mesh Statistics again to see i f Auto

f ix solved your element pro blems.

If Auto fix did not fix al l the defects, go back to Mesh

Tools and select Global Merge . This too l merges no deswithin a specified tolerance. Be careful i f you leave the

Preserve Fusion checkbox option blank! When checked

(turned o n), this option prevents nod es from being merge d

if this w ould result in the remo val of a side o f a triang le.

Your next o ption is to display the o verlapping elements and

ma nua lly fix the mesh. To d isplay t hese eleme nts, select

Mesh > Overlapping Elements. On the dialog that

appe ars, you can select t o d isplay Overlaps, Intersections

or bo th. Be sure to check the Place Results in Diagnostic

Layeropt ion.

Deselect al l layers, so that only the Diagnostic Results

layer is visible. Clicking on the Diagnostic Results layer to

highlight i t , then select the Expand but to n. The Expand

but ton grow s the mesh a round the highl ighted layer by a

user-def ined level, in t his ca se on e. This fea ture is very

useful to see wha t e lements need to be f ixed a nd the area

around them.

Next zoo m in on one pa rticular area a nd use the center icon

to center the view for ease of rota t ion.

There a re ma ny w ays to fix overlaps a nd intersections. In

this example, the problem element is protruding through

oth er mesh elements at a corner. We can select a nd d elete

this element using Mesh Too ls > Delete or simply by using

the select icon to select the element an d clicking the

Delete key on the keyboa rd.

TIP: To spee d u p th e me sh editing process, turn th e me sh

diagnost ics window off before using any Mesh Tools o r

delet ing e lement s. To do this, select Mesh > Show

Diagnostic or click in t he MPI/Synergy g rap hics windo w

a nd click Ctrl + D. Afte r the ed iting action is complete, you

can turn the diag nost ic window on a ga in by repeat ing the

process.

Another common way to fix overlaps is to merge nodes.

This is also a ccom plished using th e Mesh Tools menu.

Simply select the node you w ant to merge t o a nd then the

node you wa nt t o be merged .

Use Mesh Tools > Purge Nodes t o c l ean up any

disconnected no des that may ha ve been created during the

cleanup operations.

Finally, review the Mesh Statistics to make sure the mesh

is defe ct free.


tips & techniques

Fixing Overlapping Elem ents


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professional development

In March 2000, Professor Vito Leo, Ph.D. (Brussels, Belgium),established the Brussels Injection Molding Sessions (BIMS-Seminars) 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 areextremely interested inattending this kind of seminar.

It's not traditional injectionmolding training. It's not flowanalysis training. It's not puretheory. I really try to fill a gap.People have real problems everyday. How do they solve them?For many, it's been years sincethey graduated from theiruniversity. They may know a little bit about plastics, or they mayknow a lot. However, they don't have time to investigate rheologydetails and thermodynamics of polymers, crystallization and othercomplex issues."

"For me, there are clearly two very separate worlds when it comesto plastics professionals those who make products but don'tknow physics fundamentals, and those who work in institutes oruniversities who are very interested in fundamental work orequations but don't know much about real life and real problemsin injection molding. So, my material fits between these twoentities," adds Leo.

As a result of this unique approach, Dr. Leo has attracted a diverserange of seminar attendees in the nearly two years he's been inbusiness. The seminars generally attract engineers, designers, andshop floor operators. However, university students and professorsattend them as well. "They all seem to take added value back totheir workplaces after a seminar," says Leo.

Each two-day BIMS-Seminar includes the use of Moldf lowPlastics Insight (MPI) software to show MPI/Flow, MPI/Cool,MPI/Shrink, and MPI/Warp. "I always envisioned Moldflow aspart of the seminar because of its valued use over the years atSolvay," notes Leo. "The software is very useful to understand theprocess and the complex physics behind the analysis even thoughthe accuracy of some predictions is not always perfect. It's anextremely useful tool to assess, for instance, the relativeimportance of various contributions in the warpage trend youpredict with a given part."

Upon initiating his seminar business, Leo agreed not to use anySolvay resources or provide any proprietary Solvay information as

part of any BIMS seminar.He relies on MPI softwareto build examples toillustrate the ideas discussedat the seminar. To make sureattendees get useful practicalinformation, he asks knownMoldflow consultants(NKT Research inDenmark and Promold inFrance) to conduct an

evening session based oncase stories at the end of thefirst training day.

The BIMS-Seminars offer acomplete description of thephysics behind injectionmolding. "I try to very

clearly show the relationship between material structure and theproblems users can encounter in injection molding. The seminarincludes extensive descriptions of amorphous, crystalline, filledand unfilled materials. In addition, I try to show how differentthese four classes of materials can behave with respect to filling,packing, shrinkage and warpage. The very different behavior ofglass-fiber-filled polymers compared to unfilled plastics is striking.Understanding the physics of these composite materials is the onlyway to design good parts and optimize the molding process," addsLeo.

He started his business with a private seminar at Nokia in Finlandwhere 30 attended 20 designers and some of theirsubcontractors such as molders. Leo noted, "There was a lot ofpositive response as a result of that session. Some attendees said i twas the best seminar they ever attended in the field of injectionmolding."

BIMS completed six seminars in 2000 and seven in 2001. Many

were held in Scandinavia because of the strong mobile-phone

Dr. Vito Leo Successfully LaunchesBIMS-Seminars (Brussels Injection Molding Sessions)

By Laura Carrabine, Editor


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professional development

A changing global economy has created new business cycles thatare demanding rapid action and increasingly efficient operations,requiring new business fundamentals and changing the waycompanies function and conduct business. These new businessfundamentals require that employees rapidly acquire new skill setsas the demand for trained professionals increases.

Even for the most experienced plastics professional, keepingcurrent on the latest technology can be a challenge. To remaincompetitive and succeed, proper and ongoing training is essential.Yet in today's business climate, organizations face the difficult taskof providing the necessary training amid the corporate calls fortighter budgets, hiring freezes, and doing more with fewerresources.

Given these parameters, Web-based training (WBT) has becomean increasingly popular new trend over the past several years. Inthe simplest sense, WBT is the use of Internet technologies todeliver training online. Recipients can receive training on a 24/7basis through browser access to the Internet, an extranet, or anintranet Web site, similar to common Web browsing activities.

This innovative delivery method provides high-speed access totraining content at the user's convenience and at the user's locale,eliminating the need for travel and time away from work. Theseself-paced, Web-based courses are accessible anytime andanywhere through the Internet. By providing a cohesive, virtualtraining environment, companies can overcome production

downtime, temporary loss of resources, and travel costs.

When properly implemented, WBT utilizes the immediacy,flexibility, and richness of the medium to deliver a learningenvironment that complements traditional classroom and "hardcopy" delivery methods. Utilized as a foundation, WBT can evenimprove the overall effectiveness of instructor-led deliveryinstruction. Students can enroll in preliminary WBT courses, forinstance, to prepare for an advanced, instructor-led class. Inaddition, WBT offers extremely powerful and compellingadvantages for training employees in different locations. Globalcompanies may have users working at differing levels of expertise,on a variety of products, in multiple areas of the world. WBT is

ideally suited to address this type of worker training diversity.

At the Moldflow Center for Professional Development, we realizedthat our global customer base is benefiting from WBT in severalways:

Eliminating time away from the workplace.

Accessing training at convenient times, locations, andindividual paces.

Bolstering student confidence in Internet-based training andincreasing the likelihood of participating in additional WBTtraining sessions.

Moldflow's Web-based training courses are available through theEducation Zone at www.plasticszone.com.

Here you will find both Moldflow courses and courses from oureducation partner, Nypro Institute. Courses cover the latestreleases of Moldflow products, including Moldflow PlasticsInsight (MPI) 3.0 and Moldflow Mold Adviser, as well as severalgeneral courses on injection molding, materials and mold design.These Web-based courses provide Moldflow customers with awealth of plastics industry information.

Moldflow's Web-based training provides the ideal foundation fora blended training approach, complementing our traditionaltraining courses with the power and immediacy of onlinetechnology. This results in learning programs that provideincreased retention and greater effectiveness.

Oftentimes, a training course cannot be scheduled to meeteveryone's individual or departmental needs. In a manufacturingsetting, for instance, people who work in around-the-clock shiftsoften can only be removed from the line individually or in smallgroups. Web-based courses are an effective tool that can be usedthroughout a workday to train individuals without disrupting theproduction line. Unlike an instructor-led course, Web-basedcourses can be used at any time, in any place a computer isavailable.

Working Smarter with Web-Based Training

By Stephen Thompson, Moldflow Corporation

For more information about Moldflow's Web-based trainingcourses and other education services, please visit the EducationZone at www.plasticszone.com.


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real world success

Swift Technologies Limited, a Cambridgeshire, England-basedmaterials technology company, provides the manufacturingindustry with unique solutions to traditional problems. Thecompany's Swiftool Rapid Manufacturing System aids in quicklyand economically producing plastic or polymer moldings. Thetechnology is based on a smart polymeric tooling medium thatfacilitates the blending of materials and manufacture of mold toolson site. The process involves application of pressure and vacuumto the Swiftool composite via purpose designed vacuum presses.

Swift Technologies' equipment varies in size from presses as smallas a household refrigerator to as large as a commercial truck. Paul

Shepheard is the company's technical director. He says SwiftTechnologies' (Swiftech) reason for doing business is to providetools as fast as possible.

"Traditionally, injection mold tools can take anywhere from oneweek to 16 weeks to manufacture," says Shepheard. "At Swiftech,we can fulfill orders in between one to 16 days. We are muchfaster. How? Our tooling system fast tracks the tool makingprocess." Engineers and designers are also finding better ways ofdoing their jobs, such as initiating very sound proactive practicesat the early stages of each job, including the use of Moldflow PartAdviser and Moldflow Mold Adviser software from MoldflowCorporation.

Swiftech operates two business models. One is designing andmarketing systems that enable molders to make injection moldtools very quickly. The other side of the business is using its ownequipment to make tools to generate customers' parts quickly."Obviously," adds Shepheard, "we wouldn't be able to make theparts if we didn't have the tools. We are in a unique position inthat we have all the equipment. When customers send us a 3D file,we are usually able to make those parts within a couple days byfirst making the tool and then making the parts."

However, in the first year of work, Shepheard and his colleaguesfound that their customers' designs were presenting them withproduction difficulties. "They didn't mean to," notes Shepheard."Unknowingly, they sent us part files that couldn't bemanufactured, and we didn't know it because we didn't design theparts. Back then, we went through our normal process. We'd makea tool and learn too late that the tool wouldn't satisfactorily makethe part. That's when we investigated Moldflow software. Wecouldn't afford to stay on the same costly path we were goingdown at the time."

Now Shepheard's team uses Moldflow software on every single filethat they receive. "Using Moldflow is an integral part of ourprocedures," says Shepheard. Swiftech operations can perform upto 20 Moldflow analyses per day. "Using Moldflow is part of ourproactive strategy to make sure that the part can actually be made.We don't even charge for running the simulations."

When a file comes through that shows design flaws, Swiftechreturns the file for customer redesign or for assistance fromShepheard and his team. Customers quickly learn that theirdesigns are not manufacturable early in the design process versuslater on when the tools have been machined and unable toproduce parts. "It doesn't happen often," notes Shepheard, "but atleast once or twice per week, we receive a file that we can't workwith."

He says another reason for using Moldflow on every single job isfor credibility. "Manufacturers have been making steel tools foryears and years," says Shepheard. "There are no questions about

integrity or quality, because people are used to tools being madeout of steel. However, with a new process like ours, when weturned jobs around and told customers that we couldn't maketheir parts, the customer started to question our expertise. So, weinvested in Moldflow to be able to show credible evidence thatmany issues are not our problems, but rather the customer's.Moldflow brings us confidence, credibility, and peace of mind."

Software benefits

Shepheard says that using Moldflow allows his team to locatedesign errors very quickly. "We didn't want to waste valuable timemanufacturing something that couldn't generate parts," addsShepheard. "The software automatically gives us the best injection

point and gate location. That was an absolute godsend to usbecause now, for every single job, we know for sure that all gatesare located in the optimized positions. Those two factors are themost important in our workflow."

"It works well for our customers, too. They know that we applybest practices to help them achieve their goal obtaining parts.In the rare instances in which we fail, at least the failure arisesbefore steel has been cut before the cost of the mistake can costcustomers five to ten times more than the actual job and take 10times longer. Moldflow allows us to interact with the design muchearlier, and if, there is a problem for whatever reason, now is thetime to do something about it."

Shepheard says that Moldflow has changed the way Swiftech doesbusiness. If the software didn't exist, Swiftech would not exist orwould be a significantly different organization. "The software hashad that big of an effect on the way we do business," notesShepheard.

Since investing in the software and hardware to run it, Shepheardsays the company has recouped its ROI many times over. "We'vemade about 400 tools now as a result of using Moldflow over thelast two years. We have made many more tools than could hope tobe achieved by a conventional toolmaker of comparable size andMoldflow has played a major part in our success," adds Shepheard.

Swift Technologies Applies MoldflowPlastics Advisers to Every Job



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real world success

Swiftech operators can simultaneously run approximately 12customer fi le simulations. Files are downloaded as STL, IGES, ornative CAD formats. The process uses STL files in two ways one for Moldflow simulations and one for making patterns forgenerating tools. Shepheard says, "When a customer sends a partfile, we run the Moldflow analysis on it. If it's okay, we build the

part using stereolithography equipment to make a pattern. Wethen fabricate the tool around the pattern."

When it came time for Swiftech to investigate plastic simulationsoftware, Shepheard did some research on the Internet. "Moldflowhas an excellent reputation in this arena," notes Shepheard. "Wewere overwhelmed by the level of confidence that we heard fromcolleagues who were using the technology. Soon after, we saw ademonstration of the products and became a customer." That wastwo years ago.

Learning curve

Shepheard says that to really become proficient using the software

takes about four weeks. "For many other software packages,training and proficiency take upward of 12 to 16 weeks," addsShepheard. "Moldflow Part Adviser and Moldflow Mold Adviserare so simple to understand. While the packages are sophisticatedsoftware, they are at the same time easy to learn and easy to use."Several Swiftech engineers attended training at Moldflow's UK-based offices.

"Since we do run so many Moldflow analyses per day, we havebeen able to build up a level of knowledge and understanding

about the software. We like that it works with precision andreliability," adds Shepheard.

When Swiftech first installed the software, Shepheard and histeam tested the product by "feeding it" a design that had giventhem problems in the past with regard to gate locations. "The

Moldflow analysis showed that we shouldn't have gated the partthe way we did. We were so pleased that the software investigatedprecisely what didn't work. That gave us good feelings about howit would treat files for us correctly in the future. That was a goodinitial test. We knew we had struggled in the past with troubleddesigns and experienced the headaches they cause internally.Moldflow has helped eliminate all those long, arduous hours forus."

DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL?

If so, w e w a nt t o he ar from you. To submit

a rticles, case stud ies, or user review s of a ny

Moldflow technolog y, plea se conta ct Lau ra

Carrabine a t laura_carrab ine@mo ldflo w.com

or call +1 440 247 8653.

For more information about Swift Technologies Limited, visitwww.swiftech.co.uk. For more information about MoldflowPlastics Advisers (MPA) software, visit www.moldflow.com.


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Joh n M cEleney, presiden t an d CEO of

Sol idW orks, off ers som e th oug ht s on

how b usinesses sho uld p erceive the

present economic si tuat ion an d some

t ips on w eather ing the storm.

First of all, get a sense of perspective.

The w orld is no t en ding . Workers and

m a n a g e m e n t s h o u l d t a k e a d e e p

breath and realize that civil izations

ha ve been arou nd for m illennia. Think

about i t . We have endured centuries

f i l l ed w i th upheava l and newdiscoveries. Be assured tha t th ere w ill

be a tomorrow and business wil l be

transacted. As soon as people r id

themselves of fea r, the black cloud w ill

l i ft , and they will be in a much better

stat e to be product ive .

Second, focus on fundamentals. When

t i mes are good , compani es t r y t o

accomplish as much as possible.

However , when t i mes are tough ,

peopl e shoul d focus on the

funda mentals because they don' t ha ve

the extra cycles, extra capital , or the

extra personn el to achieve al l tha t the y

woul d l i ke to do . In add i t i on ,

determine your company's raison

d'tre . Ask, " What do w e do w ell?"

and " What are customers wi lling to

pay for? " Rega rd th i s t i me as an

opportunity to refocus.

To do so, det ermine yo ur competit ion's

posit ion in the market space and w hat

you can do to ga i n a compet i t i ve

ad vanta ge. This is the po int w here you

need to t ighten the bel t one more

notch and cont i nue to make

investments, even when t imes are

tough. I t ' s one sure way to gain the

compet it ive a dvanta ge. Because w hen

the economy begins to turn around,

compa nies w ill find t hem selves in on e

of three scenar ios: e i ther having

ga i ned marke t share , mai n t a i ned

marketshare , or lost marketshare . I

think most people in these markets

h o p e t o b e a b l e t o m a i n t a i n

ma rketshare . Tha t 's the wro ng

mentali ty. Companies must regard thist i me as an oppor tuni t y t o ga i n a

competit ive edge. Be aggressive, even

now, to do w hat ever it t a kes to remain

a w i nner. Take ad vant a ge o f the

opportunities that change creates.

Third, set p riorities. In t he bo ok The 7

Habi ts of Highly Ef fect ive People,

author Stephen R. Covey talks about

urgent versus important. In times like

today , I think pr ior i t i zat ion is

important . Determine wha t ef for ts are

urgent and which ones are important .

Then , structure you r thou gh t processes

and work act ivi t ies to address the

important issues that are urgent.

Fourth, use this lull in the action to

educa te yourse l f and upda te your

w orkplace. I f your o perat ion is using

da t ed t echnol ogy, study up on w hat ' s

o f fe red today and what bes t su i t s

your needs. Invest and t rain your sta f f

s o t h a t w h e n t h e e c o n o m y t u r n s

arou nd, you w i ll be in a m uch more

c o m p e t i t i v e p o s i t i o n t o g a i n

addi t ional marketshare .

Case in point : Recent ly whi le on

vacation, I met a longtime AutoCAD

user. Ironically, his company recently

purchased some SolidWorks seats. He

told me t ha t th e young er users relished

the new technology a nd migrat ed to i t

with gusto. However, the older users

were using the traditional 2D CAD

system and methodologies as a crutch.

With business a little slow , we b ot h

agreed tha t th i s was a t e r r i f i c

oppor tuni t y for h i m to force the

chang e-resista nt users to improve t heir

skill sets. Undoubtedly, this is the time

to i mpl ement new technol ogy and

conduct t raining so that when events

do t urn around , compa nies w ill be in a

compet i t ive posi t ion and much

stronger.

Technolog y providers toda y a re

focusing greater energy on forming

col laborat ive par tnerships, both for

de l i ver i ng the l a t es t advancements

efficiently to end users and promoting

technology educat ion. For example,

Solidw orks wo rks c losely w i th

Mol d f l ow to de l i ver i n tegra ted

solut ions for the inject ion molding

plastics industry. Further, Web-based

opt ions abound, make i t easier to

acqui re new technol og i es and the

training necessary to use them to their

fullest pot ential .

A f e w y e a r s d o w n t h e r o a d , w h e n

w e l o o k b a c k , I b e t t h e w in n e r s o u t

o f t h i s r e c e s s i o n a r e g o i n g t o b e

c o m p a n i e s t h a t w e n t t h e e x t r a m i le ,made sound i nves tments i n peopl e

a n d t e c h n o l o g y , a n d u p d a t e d t h e i r

p r o d u c t d e v e lo p m e n t e n v ir o n m e n t s .

C o m p a n i e s t h a t t a k e t h e s e b o l d

i n it i a t i v e s w i ll r e a p t r e m e n d o u s

r e w a r d s .

Lastly, maintain a sense of optimism.

The w orld is get ting b igger every da y

and i t w i l l cont i nue to need

technolog y. Tomo rrow someone w ill

l aunch a new i nnova t i on , a new

product , a new service , or newtechnolog y that w ill a l low us al l to be

more e fficient. There is alwa ys going to

be th at next level of innovat ion. Let me

remind yo u tha t in the late 1800s, some

folks wa nted t o c lose the US Patent

Of f i ce because they thought tha t

everything that could b e invented had

been. They w ere so w rong .

Working Smarter in a Tight EconomyBy John McEleney, President and CEO, SolidWorks

the executive view

16F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Iss u e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . co m


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cover story

You cannot manage what you cannotmeasure. These words ring true for alltypes of companies across all types ofindustries. Imagine a gas station thatwas not measuring and tracking theamount of gasoline it distributed, or anenergy company that was notmonitoring the amount of energyproduced versus consumerrequirements, or a soft drink producerthat did not measure how long it takes tofill and package 500,000 bottles of itsproduct. These companies would haveno idea of when they were going to runout of gasoline, energy, or soft drink.

Beyond that, they would not be able tomanage and grow their respectivecompanies because they were notmeasuring key performance indicatorsthat are fundamental to their businessoperations. Although it is hard tobelieve, today there are multitudes ofcompanies that do not measure keybusiness performance indicators, and theprice they pay is lost marketopportunity, labor productivity losses,and costs associated with manufacturinginefficiencies and unscheduled

production downtime.

Not so for one innovative US-basedinjection molder, Vision Plastics, whouses the Moldflow Shotscope process monitoring and analysissystem to measure and track key injection molding parameters,allowing employees to work smarter and more productively andgive their company a strategic competitive advantage. TheMoldflow Shotscope process monitoring and analysis system is acomprehensive product suite which collects critical data in realtime injection molding machines on the factory floor, thenrecords, analyzes, reports, and allows access to the information foruse in critical decision making. This art icle discusses how Vision

Plastics has implemented Moldflow's Shotscope system to

monitor its injection molding process and the value derived frommeasuring what it has to manage in order to control and grow itsbusiness.

Eliminating Guesswork and Downtimewith Shotscope

Vision Plastics, Inc. started out in 1988 in Tualatin, Oregon, USAwith five molding presses and five employees. Today, the companyis relocated in a modern facility in Wilsonville, OR that houses

more than 38 machines and 150 employees. Vision Plastics is ISO

The Benefits of ProcessMonitoring in theReal World

By Peter Rucinski, Moldflow Corporation

cover story


19/32


9002 certified and one of the most highly regarded custominjection molding companies in the Pacific Northwest.

Today, Vision Plastics utilizes the Shotscope process monitoring

and analysis system from Moldflow to assure that the very bestparts are being manufactured. This system, installed directly oneach molding machine, is a real-time program designed to capturea picture of each injection shot through predeterminedparameters. The data collected is available for review through anumber of display screens. Shotscope provides shot profiles,statistical process control trend charts, shot-to-shot comparisons,and a number of other displays. Each molding press is equippedwith an analyzer to capture the data and with a remote screen todisplay that data.

Each injection molding job has a set of predetermined parametersthat are input into the Shotscope system. Should any of theparameters move outside the control limits, the machine alarmsand highlights the discrepancy for immediate appropriate actionby the mold technician.

Any changes to the established molding processes that might benecessary are well documented through a Cause and Effect system.This closed-loop system identifies the root cause of anydiscrepancies in the process and documents changes that are madeto the injection molding machine settings to bring the operationback within the pre-set limits.

Mike Olson is Vision Plastics' Shotscope coordinator. It's his jobto keep all 26 Shotscope-based plastic injection molding machinesrunning at peak performance. "Shotscope generates profiles or

overlays of what the machine is doing internally at all times," saysOlson. "I save the overlays as references and as historical data. Ican pull any overlay up at any time and lay it on top of another tosee if there is any variation in the process. The overlays tell us if themachine is varying from shot to shot, showing inconsistency."

When Olson first joined Vision Plastics several years ago, thecompany was not actively using Shotscope. "We used it once ortwice but that was only because one particular customer wantedcavity pressure and mold temperatures from every shot. Once wemade the run, we downloaded the data to a diskette and sent it tothem with the parts. At that time, that was the extent of Shotscopeuse here."

At that time, Olson approached the company owner to find out

why. "We used Shotscope at my previous place of employmentand the software was considered a valuable tool. I volunteered to

get the system up and running at Vision and we have been usingit ever since to its full potential." Shotscope monitors 26machines, although the software can monitor up to 32 machinesat once. Olson installed the Windows version of the software inAugust of 1997.

Shotscope Benefits

The software provides a graphical overview of the Vision Plasticsshop floor. Different colored icons depicts each machine. Grayicons depict machines with no communication between themachine and Shotscope. If the machine is not running, then theicon is red. A yellow icon represents an operating machine that hasexceeded one or more parameters. "Yellow signals me toinvestigate what is causing the machine to go beyond our setparameters," says Olson. A green icon indicates a machine that isrunning within all parameters.

"Anyt ime something goes wrong, I canquickly single out which machine needsattention," adds Olson. "Usually a quickadjustment or two is all that is needed andwe are back in business. Shotscope saves atremendous amount of time. Tradit ionally, i twould take several technicians and a lot oftime on the shop floor trying to figure out

the problem and how to remedy thesituation. Shotscope eliminates all thatguesswork and down time."

Recently, Moldflow engineers from the company's Oregon andAustralia-based offices visited Olson. I gave them a tour of thefacil ity and showed them how I use Shotscope. I made somesuggestions as to what I would like to see added to the next versionof the software such as pop up windows that give the userinformation about what the machine is doing. They seemed verypleased with the recommendations that we provided," says Olson.

During the visit with Moldflow, a Vision Plastics technician madean adjustment to one of the molding machines without confiding

with Olson or Shotscope. The adjustment caused a yellow icon toappear on Olson's monitor, indicating the highlighted machine's

"We used Shotscope at my previous place ofemployment and the software was considered avaluable tool. I volunteered to get the system upand running at Vision and we have been using itever since to its full potential," said Olson.


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process had been changed. Overlays were created to show beforeand after process profiles. Upon comparison, it was clear that thenew process would cause an unstable process from shot to shot an out-of-control condition and questionable parts. The

information proved that the technician did not use Shotscope inhis decision making. The process was subsequently re-adjustedand the machine was brought back into a controlled condition.

Three overlays originate from a linear transducer that measuresthe positioning and velocity of the screw. A pressure transducerprovides pressure overlays. These profiles can be downloaded justseconds after the machine completes a shot and Shotscopeanalyzes the data. "After a few shots, I know pretty much what isgoing on with each machine's process. Whereas, out on the floor,it would take me 20-30 minutes to gather the same data," Olsonsays.

It can be busy at times. However, Olson says that once he and the

technicians start the machine and a stable process is established,his work is nearly complete for the whole run of each particularmachine. He adds, "If a heater band goes out, Shotscope will alertme now before we start producing rejects. I can keep my l imits sotight that if the size of a part changes as minutely as 1/1,000 of aninch, I will know about it. Or, if I lose temperature, Shotscopehighlights it and we can address the issue then, not when themachine stops making parts, or when it starts making burnedparts, or when one of the zones overheats. Shotscope keeps a closeeye on all those areas that could become potential problems.

"In this competitive market, Shotscope is invaluable. It helpsVision Plastics remain a viable contender in the industry as a

leading producer of high quality parts," Olson explains.

Conclusion

You cannot manage what you cannot measure. These words ringespecially true for injection molder Vision Plastics, who relies onMoldflow's Shotscope system to measure and track key businessperformance indicators so that they can control and grow theirbusiness profitably and with a significant competitive advantage.

Shotscope profi le

analysis revealed that

the press was fighting

to hi t the transfer

positi on, resulti ng in

inconsistent fi ll time

and hold time from

shot to shot.

After the shot size

was decreased, a

stable process was

achieved.

Shotscope resul ts

showed that the press

was not holdi ng a

steady cushion length.

Upon investi gation,

i t was discovered that

the machine's check

rings needed to be

replaced.

After check ring

replacement,

Shotscope verifi ed

that the machine

performed as

expected.

Visit the Education Zone to ...... Get Moldflow Software Training!

... Get Moldflow Software User Certification!

... Participate in a Moldflow Web Seminar!

www. plasticszone.com

To learn more about Moldflow's Shotscope product, visitwww.moldflow.com. To learn more about Vision Plastics, visit

www.visionplastics.com



21/32

Do you know what job your machine is currently running? Is it running that job at its peak efficiency?What are the optimal settings on this machine for this specific job? This is information you need to knowwhen producing your parts,but you dont have to carry that burden on your back!

Moldflow Manufacturing Solutions products can answer all of these questions for you. Whether you are a small,custom injection molder or a large multi-national corporation,our products will enable you to:

Collect critical data in real time from the injection molding machines on the factory floor

Analyze process and production data and access real time reports

Improve molded part quality and labor productivity

Access plant-wide production information from anywhere in the world

Automate the process of scientific molding to decrease mold set up time,cycle time and scrap

Let Moldflow Manufacturing Solutions take the weight off you.To find out more,contact us or go to our Web site atwww.moldflow.com to download our new Manufacturing Solutions white paper.

C O R P O R A T I O N

Moldflow Corporation430 Boston Post Road Wayland,MA 01778

Tel +1 508 358 5848 Fax +1 508 358 5868

www.moldflow.com

THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COLLECT DATAFROM YOUR INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE!


22/32


23/32

22F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Issu e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . co m

the polymer pages

as previously described. By comparing theoretical modelpredictions to experimentally measured shrinkages on moldedsamples, the CRIMS technique creates a function to minimize the

error. The coefficients of this function are the "CRIMScoefficients" and are stored in the Moldflow Material Database.When users perform perform shrinkage and warpage predictionson their parts, these coefficients are used to correct the calculatedresidual streseses and so minimize the error introduced by using asimplified model.

The CRIMS method may be used for filled and unfilled materialsand also performs well for polymer blends. It allows us toovercome the inaccuracy inherent in simplified models whileretaining the ability of these models to follow trends. It alsoenables predictions using conditions outside the range ofmeasurement of the samples used to obtain the coefficients.

The instrumented experimental mold is shown in Figure 3.Shrinkage values are measured both along and across the directionof flow under a variety of thicknesses and molding conditions.Figure 4 shows the measured results obtained for an unfilledpolypropylene. The anisotropy in shrinkage between the flow andcross-flow directions is evident. Figures 5 and 6 each showexperimental results, the mathematical theory result, and theCRIMS result for shrinkage in the flow and cross-flow directions,respectively. The improvement in the prediction is dramatic.

Moldflow supplies its mathematical model in both a CRIMS formand in a form that does not use measured values. The latter isuseful for showing trends, for example, how a change in processingconditions would affect shrinkage, and allows predictions usingthe over 7000 grades of thermoplastics in the Moldf low MaterialDatabase.

For more information we recommend the art icles and books listedon the following page.

Figure 3. Diagram of Molded

Shrinkage Sample

Figure 5. M easured and Calculated Shrinkages in the

Flow Di recti on

Figure 6. M easured and Calculated Shrinkages in the

Cross-Flow Directi on

Figure 4. Measured Parallel and Perpendicular Shrinkage

For information on the Moldflow Material Database, CRIMSshrinkage modeling, or comprehensive material testing services,contact Moldflow Plastics Labs at [email protected].


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References:

[1] Santhanam, N. and Wang, K.K., A Theoreti cal and ExperimentalInvesti gation of Warpage in Injecti on Molding, Soc. PlasticsEngineers, ANTEC 90. 270-273, (1991).

[2] Kabanemi, K.K. and Crochet, M .J., Thermoviscoelasti cCalculation of Residual Stresses and Residual Shapes of Injection

Moulded Parts, Inter. J. Polym. Process., 7, 60-70, (1992).

[3] Lee, E.H., Rogers, T.G. and Woo, T.C.,Residual Stresses in a GlassPlate Cooled Symmetrically from Both Surfaces, J. AmericanCeramic Soc., 48, No. 9, 480-487, (1965).

[4] Baaijens, F.P.T.,Calculation of Residual Stress in Injecti onMoulded Products, Rheol. Acta, 30, 82-89, (1991).

[5] SWIS (Shrinkage Warpage Interface to Stress) Manual, MoldflowPty. Ltd., Melbourne, 1990.

[6] Walsh, S.F., Shri nkage and Warpage Prediction for Injecti onMolded Components, J. Reinforced Plas. Compos., 12, 769-777,(1993).

[7] Rezayat, M. and Stafford, R.O., A Thermoviscoelasti c Model forResidual Stress in Injection Moulded Thermoplasti cs, Polym. Eng.Sci., 31, 393-398, (1991).

[8] Zuidema, H., Flow Induced Crystal li zation of Polymers,Appli cation to Injecti on Molding, Ph.D. Thesis, EindhovenUniversity of technology, 2000.

[9] G. Eder and H. Janeschitz-Kriegl and S. Liedauer, CrystallizationProcesses in Quiescent and Moving Polymer Melts Under Heat

Transfer Condi ti ons, Prog. Polym. Sci., 15, 629-714, (1990).

[10] Zheng, R. and Kennedy, P., Numeri cal Simulati on ofCrystalli zation in Injection Molding, Proc. 6th World Congress ofChemical Engineering, Melbourne, September 2001.

[11] Doufas, A.K., Dairanieh, I.S. and McHugh, A.J., A ContinuumModel for Flow-Induced Crystal li zation of Polymer Melt s,J. Rheology, 43, 85-109, (1999).

[12] T. Huang and M.R. Kamal, Morphological M odeling of PolymerSolidification, Polymer Eng. Sci. 40, No. 8, 1796-1808, (2000).

[13] R. Zheng, P. Kennedy, N. Phan-Thien and X.J. Fan,Thermoviscoelasti c Simulati on of Thermally and Pressure

Induced Stresses in I njecti on Mouldi ng for the Prediction of

Shrinkage and Warpage for Fibre-reinforced Thermoplasti cs, J.Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech., 84, 159-190, (1999).


cont inu ed from Page 22


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learning curves

Emphasis on CAE

Students who opt for the Technology Accreditation Commissionof the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology(TAC/ABET)-accredited plastics engineering technology (PLET)program at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, get educationand training that make them "Impact Players" in the plasticsindustry, says John P. Beaumont, their professor, department chair,and a former technical manager at Moldflow. With the program'sunique integration of computer-aided engineering (CAE)programs into courses from the sophomore year forward, PennState Erie's PLET graduates are exceptionally well prepared to

compete in the plastics industry.

"I came to Penn State Erie with a mandate to develop the newesttechnology in the plastics industry and teach our PLET studentshow to use it," said Beaumont. "CAE is a continually evolvingtechnology, and since the program's inception we've made it partof our students' daily classroom experience."

"CAE is an accelerated learning tool, sort of like an X-ray thatgives you insight into how a plastics mold should be made toproduce successful plastic parts," said Beaumont. "A mold cancost a quarter-million dollars or more, so anything that ensures it'sproperly made saves time and money. We want Penn State Erie'sPLET graduates to be able to use CAE for just those reasons."

However, according to Beaumont, just as an X-ray needs a doctorto interpret results, CAE needs someone skilled to interpretanalysis results. Therefore, Beaumont and his colleagues require allstudents to complete industry-like projects using mold filling,cooling, shrinkage, and warpage analyses in both mold andproduct design courses.

PLET majors begin their computer foundation in the freshmanyear with solids modeling using Pro/ENGINEER. In theirsophomore year they begin to use mold filling simulation in theplastics processing courses to better understand what occursduring molding. In the first semester of their junior year, studentsbegin a progression of design courses that deeply involve them inCAE technologies. During the junior year, they work withMoldflow's mold filling, cooling, shrinkage, and warpageprograms as part of mold and plastic part design classes. Inaddition to the details of modeling, studies at this level emphasizeinterpretation and practical application of CAE technologies.Further courses focus on structural analysis using ANSYSsoftware and thin-shell modeling and meshing usingPro/ENGINEER software for plastics applications. During theirsenior year, students continue to learn and apply CAEtechnologies in both required and elective courses. Throughoutthis process, the faculty requires students to link their knowledgeof plastic materials, processing, mold design, and part design;CAE technologies provide an efficient tool to connect all four of

these areas.

Penn State Erie's PLETprogram has grown toinclude four engineeringcomputer labs with morethan 100 networkedcomputers running thelatest releases of CAEsoftware. Over the years,instructors have evaluateda variety of CAE

programs, but they havealways featured Moldflowsoftware, because of itsquality and US-basedsupport structure. As aresult, Moldflow employsa significant number ofPenn State Erie graduatesbecause of their solidunderstanding of the applications.

In addition to the fourPLET computer labs,the R.J. FasenmyerBuilding in theengineering complexhouses a plasticsprocessing laboratoryoutfitted by industrywith the most up-to-date equipment. Thelab, a 180-foot-long,two-story, high-baystructure with a five-ton overhead bridgecrane, is equipped withc o n v e n t i o n a l

hydraulic, fullyelectric, and hybridprocessing machines.Adjacent to the

processing laboratory are three labs for water treatment, plasticsquality control, and rapid prototyping.

Student Opportunities

Since the beginning of the PLET program, Beaumont and otherfaculty have taken their students to the Society of PlasticsEngineers Annual Technical Conference (ANTEC) each Spring.In 1989, Penn State Erie presented three of the 11 student papersat ANTEC; in 1996, they presented 20 of 28 papers. In 2001,faculty escorted 59 students to ANTEC, where 27 papers werepresented and six won Best Paper Award in their student divisions.

Penn State Erie: Teaching the PlasticIndustry's "Impact Players" of Tomorrow


Overhead shot of plastics processing lab in

the R.J. Fasenmyer Bui lding at Penn

State Eri e.

Students util izing Moldflow software

in the engineeri ng computer lab as

part of their course work at Penn

State Eri e.


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"The ANTEC opportunities provide unique experiences for thestudents," said Beaumont. "They learn to organize their thoughtsand go before a professional audience to defend their work. Oncethey do it, they've taken a major step toward proficiency andmaturity. The experience helps build confidence and public

speaking skills."

One aspect of the PLET program that helps to make Penn StateErie's students "Impact Players" is the opportunity forinternational travel. Each year, faculty and upper-class PLETmajors attend an international plastics show outside the US. "Newtechnologies are showcased every year at international tradeshows," Beaumont said. "In addition to giving our students

international competency how to travel, eat, and live outsidethe American culture we want them to see what's the latest andgreatest. We live in an international economy, and there is nodoubt we will continue to exchange technologies and productsaround the globe."

Applied Research Centers Make IndustryConnection

One beneficial result of Penn State Erie's PLET program has beenthe several outreach centers that resulted from the industryorientation of the program. The first, the Plastics TechnologyCenter (PTC), originated in 1989 when Beaumont and his

colleagues responded as consultants to the industry's request forhelp. The PTC also provided a mechanism to get studentsinvolved with real industry problems, and this remains a primaryobjective of faculty outreach activities. In a very short time, thedemand outgrew faculty time to respond, so they first hired a staff

assistant, then hired their graduates as engineers. One of the firstto join the PTC was Jon Meckley, a former student who, afterworking for several years with the PTC and as a consultant,returned to the PLET program as a faculty member. Today anumber of former students currently work for the PTC.

Six years ago, Jon began to experiment with CAE applications inblow molding, the plastics technology used for molding hollowparts. Out of his work grew the Blow Molding Consortium,which serves the growing sector of the industry that uses thistechnology. The college, with the support of industry and grantsfrom the National Science Foundation, the PTC, and the BenFranklin Partnership, was able to acquire three blow-molding

machines, several molds, and blow molding simulation software.Today, several regional plastics companies are members of theconsortium and receive support in the areas of training, productand process development, equipment selection, and processoptimization.

History

The concept of Penn State Erie's plastics program originated inthe early 1980s, when a group of local plastics manufacturingCEOs, including Hoop Roche from Erie Plastics, Joe Prischakfrom Plastek, and Bill Witkowski from Port Erie Plastics, askedthe School of Engineering and Engineering Technology at PennState Erie to consider developing a plastics engineering technology

program that would improve and advance the skill base of theiremployees. The college agreed, and by 1989 had a core group ofthree faculty, Robert Farrell, Paul Koch, and Beaumont, to get theprogram under way. Before coming to Erie, Farrell, a mechanicalengineer, was vice-president of engineering at Reed Machine, andKoch, a chemical engineer, was program manager for AveryInternational, Fasson Division. Beaumont was employed as thetechnical manager for Moldflow in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Today, the PLET program enrolls more than 250 students. Newfaculty-educators who average more than 10 years of industryexperience-add practical knowledge to their teaching and industryoutreach. Together, the great faculty and the engineering staff ofthe PTC give the PLET program a total of more than 50 years'experience in the application of CAE technologies. By hiring newfaculty with expertise in materials and processing, and bynurturing its strong ties with the plastics industry, Penn State Eriehas built one of the strongest CAE educational centers in theworld.

learning curves


PLET majors traveled to China in 1997 to attend the Chinaplas

show in Shanghai .

For more information about Penn State Erie's PLET program,contact Loretta Brandon in the Office of University Affairs(tel: +1 814 898 6063, email: [email protected]) or visithttp://engr.bd.psu.edu/degrees/plet.html.


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design & molding

Medical devicedevelopers are

rapidly realizingthe benefits andchallenges ofusing CAD andmanufacturingtools, rapidp r o t o t y p i n gservices, mold

design and support services, and new Web-based product development resources.Speed-to-market was the mantra in the1990s and with the growth of or ratherthe "shrinking of" computerization,

more features can be built into next-generation products.

High Tech but Easy-to-use

I believe that in spite of all the hype aboutspeed and power and the ability to dothings better than ever before, we mustconsider other factors. The bottom line isthe ability to create a product that can andwill be used in a way that avoids setupproblems and mistakes in usage in the field,and offers intuitive simplicity. Medicaldevices provide life-saving therapies if used

properly. They are used in several settings;emergency rooms, during critical surgery,and in the delivery of medication. Anymistakes in setup, use, or function of thedevice can put the life of the patient at risk.Fail-safe systems are not really fail-safe, ashas been repeatedly shown in reports ofuser-caused errors.

Medical device designers are faced withtough challenges, especially since regulatoryagencies worldwide are mandating fail-safeproducts. It is the responsibility of theproduct designer and engineer to create the

product in a way that will meet the needs ofthe user as efficiently as possible while notcompromising the wealth of features thatcan be built into the product.

An Infusion Pump

Consider, for example, a new infusionpump for IV drug delivery. The designengineer must understand issues such as:

What solutions or drugs will thepump be used for?Will it be used for high volume or slow

infusion of low volumes? Are the drugs to be infused controlledsubstances that need to be stored securely?

Who will use this pump - a trainedhealth care professional such as a nurse or

physician, or will it by used at home bythe patient or their family?Where will the pump be used - in theemergency room, ambulance, intensivecare unit, on the hospital floor bedside orat home, or will it be for the activeambulatory patient?Will this product be used in developingcountries?What language or symbology will beused? If the unit is in a harsh environmentwhat are the chances damage will be

incurred? How will maintenance be performedand I .V. tubing and sets be changed?

A Clean Sheet of Paper

The designer starts with a clean sheet ofpaper and initiates designs that meet thephysical and functional requirements of theproduct. Considerations include the shape,colors, controls, and interfaces that give theproduct its unique characteristic that willappeal to the user and enhance their abilityto do their job. Ease-of-use and reliabilityseparate the mundane products from thegreat ones. The so-called plug-and-playproduct will more quickly be accepted bythe user than one that requires extensive in-service training to be able to use it.

The Layout, WallThickness, and Materials

Once the initial design layout is complete,the mechanisms, boards, cabling, andcontrols can be laid out more formally andbuilt into the design. CAD systems allowrapid assessment of space utilization and

areas of interference. Proper materialselection can offer thinner wall sections,longer runs, and greater resistance tobreakage with better impact resistance. Byusing appealing, colored thermoplasticelastomers (TPEs) in the housing, aproduct can be given drop impactprotection and an enhanced appearance.Color displays that have high resolutionand readability from wide angles anddistance add to the tendency of the productto be used correctly. The science of humanfactor interaction with the user interfacemust be considered as new regulationsmandate systems that are designed toprevent mistakes.

The manufacture of the product with agood idea of annual volume requirements

must also be considered early in the designof the product. This factor will dictate whattype of tooling will be built and used tomake the parts. If new software isdeveloped and used, it must be carefullyand extensively tested and validated.Meanwhile, during all this development,the regulatory requirements must be met.Design controls requirements need theattention of the design team throughoutthe development program, not just whenthe product is ready to be marketed. Aproperly run development program will

support a filing to the FDA, for example,and the filing will be tremendously easier.

Inside or Outsource

Product development programs of any sizecan be maintained and managed internallyor by outsourcing some components of theproject. Depending on the talent andresources on staff within an organization,the decision can be made to use the internalskill set or to rely on external experts. Formany companies, the use of outsideresources makes good business sense-

allowing the company to do what it doeswell while outsourcing parts of the projectto outside pros. This collaborative effortresults in obtaining a better product, in lesstime, and for less cost.

It is the ultimate responsibility of thedesign engineer to develop the productsthat customers need, as well as adhere tothe requirements set for that product.Don't overlook the need for in-processproduct reviews. Evaluate and test theprototypes. Engage typical users with theproduct in the early stages of the program.

The feedback from the non-informed,eventual user can be sometimes moreinsightful than a whole roomful ofengineers and designers. Consider theproduct from cradle to grave. Throughoutthe process, consider product lifecycle, aswell as disposability, waste disposal (arebatteries a disposable part of the product?)and whether the device is recyclable.

Finally, it can be a challenge to develop anew medical device given the currentengineering and regulatory environment.

But, if executed properly, the process can beprofitable, gratifying, and an enjoyableoccupation!

Medical Device Design ChallengesBy Len Czuba, President, Czuba Enterprises, Inc.

26F l o w f r o n t Vo l . 2 Issu e 1 w w w . m o l d f l o w . co m


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whats new

For certain types of part geometry, the gas-assisted injectionmolding process is a common alternative to conventionalinjection molding. However, the level of processing complexity isincreased versus conventional injection molding due to theinjection of the gas within the polymer melt. Understanding andpredicting the behavior and flow of the gas within the polymermelt is critical to achieving success in designing both parts andmolds for the gas-assist process. Through years of research andindustry alliances, Moldflow has developed an understanding ofnot only the gas-assisted injection molding process, but also howto accurately predict the flow behavior of both the polymer meltand the injected gas. Furthermore, in Moldflow Plastics Insight

3.0 (MPI 3.0), the capabilities of M PI/Gas have beensignificantly extended (M PI/Gas is the MPI module forsimulating the gas-assist process). MPI/Gas now interfaces withboth MPI/Warp and MPI/Fiber to predict both the shrinkage andwarpage of gas-assisted injection molded parts, as well as topredict the effects of fibers during the filling of the part and theeffect of the fibers on post-molding shrinkage and part warpage.MPI/Gas recently introduced capabilities that benefit those whoneed to optimize part and mold designs, as well as the gas-assistedinjection molding process itself.

The gas-assisted injection molding process has found a nicheamong certain types of applications such as television cabinets,automotive interior door handles, appliance parts, toys, and manyothers. It is common knowledge that by using the gas-assistprocess, it is possible to produce parts that are rigid, devoid of sinkmarks, and have a lower tendency to warp. The gas-assist processalso has been proven to reduce material consumption, machineclamp tonnage and cycle time. The gas-assist process is frequentlyused to produce complex parts that consist of a combination ofthick and thin sections.

Because the gas-assist process involves the dynamic interaction oftwo rheologically dissimilar materials flowing within typicallycomplex mold cavities, the optimization of the part design, molddesign, and process conditions is, at best, extremely difficult.Furthermore, even years of experience with conventional injection

molding are not sufficient to deal with the gas-assist process,especially in designing the gas-channel network and optimizingthe processing window.

MPI/Gas is a powerful software tool that provides the know-howto better understand the complexities of the gas-assisted injectionmolding process. The knowledge gained from using MPI/Gastypically equates to improved part and mold design and thereduction or elimination of problems during the production ofgas-assist parts. The software assists part and mold designers in:

Evaluating material selection for gas-assisted injectionmolding part design.

Optimizing the plastic part design to obtain the desired gaspenetration.

Evaluating mold design options and their impact on gaspenetration.

Determining the appropriate processing conditions forproducing acceptable quality parts, including the volume ofplastic to inject and the timing of the gas injection.

New MPI/Gas Analysis Capabilities

New with the release of M PI 3.0, the MPI/Gas analysis modulesupports the simulation of shrinkage and warpage of a gas-assistpart through an interface to MPI/Warp. As a result, it is possibleto estimate the residual stresses in the gas-assist part and consider

the effects on part warpage. All things being equal, a gas-assistmolded part typically will be more structurally rigid versus thesame part made by the conventional injection molding process.Part designers can now validate this in the early stages of partdesign, where the cost of change is minimal and the impact of thatchange is greatest.

Below is an example of an actual part produced by conventionalinjection molding, which was found to have an unacceptableamount of post-molding warpage. The same part was moldedusing the gas-assist process in an attempt to reduce warpage towithin accepta

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