real world success-Avenue Mould Nears Decade as Moldflow Customer _ Company Wins Top Honors as Toolmaker of the Year

By Laura Carrabine, Editor

Avenue Mould is Ireland's and the UK's leading mold-making company. The company specializes in manufacturing ultra-precise, multi-cavity, hot-runner injection molds for the medical device, closure, and personal care industries. Its molds are designed for long service life with fully interchangeable cores and cavities.

Established in 1988 in Sligo, Ireland, Avenue Mould heralds a customer list of world class manufacturers including Abbott Laboratories, Bausch & Lomb, Braun Ireland, Becton Dickinson, Ferrero, Donegal Healthcare, Tyco Healthcare, United Closures & Packaging (UCP), Hewlett-Packard, Honeywell/AlliedSignal, Nypro, SIMS Portex, and Tech Group Ireland.

According to Avenue Mould Director Felim McNeela, "We have been using Moldflow software since 1992. We were the first Irish company to implement the technology to prove we are committed to using state-of-the-art products and techniques to develop our molds. As a result, we have retained top manufacturers and enjoy 98% return business from them. Product quality and customer satisfaction go hand-in-hand. Our goal is to exceed their expectations. Using our experience, Moldflow, and the best mold making equipment help us achieve that."

Due to the increasing complexity of product shapes, material properties, and the relentless drive for minimum cycle times, Avenue Mould uses Moldflow tools as an inherent part of the design process performing analyses on fill, cooling, pressure, and volumetric shrinkage.

Process flow path Once Avenue Mould engineers obtain a mold design, they export the solid model as an STL file to initiate a Moldflow analysis. Typically, fill analyses are performed first to establish optimum gate locations. Temperature simulations are invaluable aids to design mold cooling circuits. The simulations also provide valuable information on areas that might be prone to short shots. Complex, thin-walled parts can be analyzed directly with minimal preparation. Hot runners can be incorporated at this stage. Using Moldflow, a variety of different materials can be tested in each simulation. McNeela adds, "Moldflow helps us investigate how the plastic will flow in the mold prior to machining the mold. We use it as a technique to confirm with the customer that the plastic will flow reasonably well without too much stress and without air traps. Generally speaking, the models we work on are reasonably well designed without major problems. Using Moldflow provides customer peace of mind and satisfaction that the mold will work well once we manufacture it. The customer knows that the part design is acceptable and the mold will function effectively."

Moldflow as proactive tool

"The software is a confidence booster for both us and our customers," says McNeela. "If we didn't use Moldflow, Avenue Mould would out-source much of the work and lose revenue. We would also take a lot of shots in the dark practicing risky trial-and-error efforts," notes McNeela. "This business has enough risks without adding taking technical risks. Our work demands precision and quality. Using Moldflow assures us and our customers of both."

He and his team also use Moldflow for large projects in which proposals require analyses and results. The Moldflow simulation results are submitted as part of the complete quotation package.

Avenue Mould molds range in price from $75,000 to $200,000 and are intended for high volume, long term production — three to five years or longer. "Our customers invest a lot of money in their molds, and they expect them to work according to specifications. If a post-manufacturing problem occurs with the mold, it's going to compromise that customer's volume production and the life of the mold," adds McNeela. "Our customers are focused on mold quality for long term use. Using Moldflow is invaluable for achieving this objective."

Advanced testing center Avenue Mould maintains a very advanced tool-testing center that utilizes Moldflow’s MPX product, and adheres to clean-room standards. McNeela says, "Since we do a lot of work for the health care and medical device industries, a facility that meets their testing criteria is necessary." MPX allows production professionals to take control by eliminating the usual trial-and-error method of injection molding machine setup and optimization and replacing it with systematic technology. Bringing the benefits of injection molding simulation to the shop floor enables process engineers and molders to quickly optimize machine setup, reduce cycle times, and monitor and correct molding processes during production.

Some of the major benefits that Avenue Mould has found using MPX include the ability to: