Flowfront Apr. 2004: The magazine of choice for plastics professionals

Moldflow has been conducting regularly scheduled CAE software training classes at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, Michigan) for over 10 years. In 1998, Moldflow donated multiple seats of the Moldflow Plastics Insight® (MPI®) software products and additional resources to establish the Moldflow Center for Design Excellence with a dedicated training room at the university. This partnership has provided several benefits to Moldflow customers who attend Moldflow Plastics Insight® software training classes at Western Michigan University.

Western Michigan University has a well-established research program involving injection molding process optimization and injection mold tooling design. A dual role as Moldflow’s education manager and an adjunct assistant professor at Western Michigan University allows me to participate actively in research activities that the university conducts.

In the last several years, Western Michigan University has conducted research involving the use of copper alloys in injection molding tooling. There have been two major projects. The first is to understand and quantify the efficiencies gained in using high thermal conductivity alloys compared to traditional steels for both cycle time and part warpage. The second major project is to understand the wear mechanisms of abrasive polymer flow in injection molds so wear of copper alloys can be minimized. These two primary research activities have lead to several secondary studies, several of which involve Moldflow.

Moldflow Plastics Insight software was used to optimize the design of the tooling for these studies, including the feed system wall-thickness selection and cooling line design. The production runs for these studies have provided excellent validation studies for not only MPI/Cool analysis, but also MPI/Flow and MPI/Warp analyses, as well.

Information derived from the studies has a direct impact on the training materials developed for the MPI modules. Several tooling studies have provided part samples and tooling components that help describe issues with cooling system design. Tools used in research have also been used in models used in the MPI/Flow classes as well, so the models used for MPI analyses can be compared to the actual molded part.

Research conducted in late 2003 and to be published in May 2004 looks at the relationship between mold material thermal conductivity, cooling line depth and cooling line pitch (distance between the cooling lines). Through this study, guidelines for properly laying out the tool’s cooling lines were determined. In addition, this study identified the statistical and practical importance of mold material selection with regard to mold temperature uniformity and the difference between the part and coolant temperatures. This information will be integrated into Moldflow’s Advanced Simulation — MPI/Cool training class.

In September 2003, Western Michigan University dedicated a new, $99 million campus for the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences as part of a Business, Technology and Research Park. The main engineering complex is a $72.5 million facility totaling 343,000 square feet (31,800 square meters). This facility boasts a plastics processing laboratory of 8,000 square feet (740 square meters).

Figure 1. East wing of Western Michigan University's College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

In addition, the Moldflow Center for Design Excellence was built and furnished into the new facility. AMD Corporation has donated eight computers for the new training center, which now has plenty of room and comfortable chairs at each workstation. The center features indirect lighting which can be dimmed for optimal control during presentations and work on the computer. Presentations are given using a 3M digital wall display.

(a)	(b)
Figure 2. (a) The Moldflow Center for Design Excellence features computers donated by AMD Corporation. (b) Customers who attend Moldflow training also may visit the plastics processing laboratory for a look at a production facility in action.

Customers who attend a typical training course at the Moldflow Center for Design Excellence also benefit from a visit to the new plastics processing laboratory. Often, Moldflow customers may not have had much exposure to an injection molding production facility in the course of their work. The plastics lab is set up like a production facility. The larger machines are hooked to a Motan resin drying and distribution system, there are several types of chillers and thermalators by the presses, and there are material handling components by the presses.

This direct experience can help customers relate the various analysis inputs to the actual equipment used on the production floor. Often the molds in the lab can be used to show the components of a tool or how a tool can be designed. The lab operations can also demonstrate what impact Moldflow simulations have on the part and mold design. In many cases, a research production run is in progress during the class. The production cell can be viewed so Moldflow customers can see the system integration.

The interactions that take place when customers participate in training courses at the Moldflow Center for Design Excellence facilitate learning much more than just how to use MPI software. Customers have the opportunity to learn more about the entire injection molding product life cycle. Viewing operations in the plastics processing laboratory often sparks questions about ongoing research activities at the university and at Moldflow. Many customers finish a training class having taken away not only information about Moldflow software, but also a better understanding about the entire injection molding process.