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® SPE MISSION: To promote and provide the knowledge and education of plastics and polymers worldwide. THURSDAY NOVEMBER 17 SIGMASOFT INJECTION MOLDING POLYMER SIMULATION SOFTWARE Speakers: JIM CHIAMARDAS JACK DOOLITTLE TPStek will provide an overview of SIGMASOFT Injection Molding Polymer Simulation Software. This overview will discuss the importance of Post-Molding simulation and the benefits of simulating Multiple Cycles. They will conclude with a case study that was completed with Philips Respironics. N O R T H W E S T P E N N S Y L V A N I A S E C T I O N e Pr VOL. 32 NO. 3 NOVEMBER 2011 Looking Ahead to the December Meeting: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9 SPE Christmas Party Meeting Location: SYD'S PLACE 2992 West Lake Road, Erie 5:30 P.M. - SOCIAL 6:00 P.M. - DINNER 6:30 P.M. - SPEAKER Menu to Include: Baked Haddock, Baked Ham, Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Rice Pilaf, Vegetable, Applesauce, Coleslaw, Salad, Dessert $16.00 members $20.00 for non-members and you can cancel up until Tuesday, November 15 otherwise all reservations will be charged. For those who show up without a reservation there is a price penalty of $5.00 Students: A fixed price for Student Members of $10.00 for dinner has been set for 2011 - 2012, not including the December Meeting or Golf Outing RESERVATIONS: Call LUCY at 814.898.6146 or e-mail [email protected] BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Tuesday, January 3, 2012 5:30 pm at ECTS Oliver Road

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®

SPE MiSSion:To promote and provide the knowledge and education of plastics and polymers worldwide.

THURSDAYnovEMbER 17

SIGMASOFTINJECTION MOLDING

POLYMER SIMULATIONSOFTWARE

Speakers:JIM ChIAMARDASJACK DOOLITTLE

TPStek will provide an overview of SIGMASOFT Injection Molding Polymer Simulation Software. This overview will discuss the importance of Post-Molding simulation and the benefits of simulating Multiple Cycles. They will conclude with a case study that was completed with Philips Respironics.

n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o nThe Press voL. 32 no. 3

NOVEMbEr 2011

Looking Ahead to the December Meeting:

fRiDAY, DECEMbER 9SPE Christmas Party

Meeting Location:syd's place

2992 West lake Road, erie5:30 p.M. - sOcIal6:00 p.M. - dINNeR6:30 p.M. - speaKeR

Menu to Include:Baked Haddock, Baked Ham,Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes

with Gravy, Rice Pilaf, Vegetable, Applesauce,

Coleslaw, Salad, Dessert$16.00 members

$20.00 for non-membersand you can cancel up until

Tuesday, November 15otherwise all reservations

will be charged. For those who show up without

a reservation there is a price penalty of $5.00

students:A fixed price for Student Members

of $10.00 for dinner has been set for 2011 - 2012,

not including theDecember Meeting or Golf Outing

ReseRvatIONs:Call LUCY at

814.898.6146 or e-mail [email protected]

BOaRd Of dIRectORs MeetING

tuesday, January 3, 20125:30 pm at ects

Oliver Road

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President's MessageMason Myers

2011 / 12 offiCERSAnD boARD

President / ElectMASON MYERS

Lord Corp.814-868-0924

[email protected] President / Chair-Elect

LYNZIE COLLARDAccudyn

[email protected]

SecretaryLUCY LENHARDT

Penn State [email protected]

TreasurerDENNIS SANDERS

Sanders Tool833-5497

[email protected] Councilor / Membership

BRIAN YOUNGPenn State 898-6149

[email protected] President

ROBERT COONEYPlastikos

[email protected]

Education Committee ChairJON MECKLEY

Penn State [email protected]

DirectorMARK DeHAVEN

X-Cell Tool814-860-6101

[email protected]

RICHARD DEETERDeeter Tool

814-838-4062Director

DON McMILLENEngineered Plastics Inc.

[email protected]

Awards ChairSHELLY CZULEWICZ

Encore814-833-3721

[email protected] Chair / Tech Programs

JASON WILLIAMSPenn State 814-898-6142

[email protected] Interest / Tech Program Chair

TREVOR THORWARTPlastikos

[email protected]

2

n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

page 2 november 2011

SPE MEMBERS,I became an SPE member of the NWPA chapter in November of 2002. I realize that is a relatively short time compared to others within our local chapter. At that time, it was a requirement for the PSU Plastics Engineering student officers to be a member of the local SPE chapter. Over the next 4 years, various professors stressed the importance of attending the monthly meetings in order to learn about certain topics and network with the local plastics professionals. I was also awarded two scholarships by the local SPE chapter during my college career which really helped with the costs of higher education.After college, I was glad to find a job in town with a company that supported the local SPE. Having my membership and meeting costs reimbursed was an added bonus that I took for granted. My current position is a little outside of the plastics community so I am finding that I have to pay out of pocket for my SPE membership and meeting costs. These costs average to $23 a month to be involved with the local SPE chapter. I think this is a very small price to pay for the benefits of being a part of this organization. The networking alone has been very beneficial for me personally over the last 10 years. There have been plenty of times over the last decade when I have contacted an SPE member about a specific question and received the correct answer. Likewise, several times I have helped answer questions from fellow SPE members regarding suppliers or material selections.Since it's November now, I will be renewing my SPE membership. Please take the time to consider the benefits of the SPE and feel free to join our local SPE chapter or continue to play an active role with the NWPA SPE Chapter.

Mason

Friday, DECEMbER 9th ........SPE Christmas Party Ricardo'sTuesday,JANUARY 3rd ..........SPE board of Directors Meeting ECTS, Oliver Road, 5:30 pm JANUARY 19th .........Quaker Steak & LubeFEbRUARY 16th.......Past President's Night Siebenbeurger ClubMARCh 15th ............PLANT TOUR - Eriez Magnetics

UPCoMing EvEnTS:

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n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S Sn o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

page 3 november 2011

AbOUT OUr SPEAKErSNATIONAL SPE

ExECUTIvE bOARD2011-2012 SPE President

RUSSELL C. BROOMEPolyOne CorporationTel: +1 [email protected]

President-ElectJAMES S. GRIFFINGThe Boeing CompanyTel: +1 425-717-1203

[email protected] Vice President

JON RATZLAFFChevron Phillips Chemical Co.

Tel: +1 [email protected]

Vice President / TreasurerVIJAY BOOLANI

Boolani Engineering CorporationTel: +91 22 [email protected]

Vice President / SecretaryBRENT F. STRONG

SP Mold LLCTel: +1 801-602-8254

[email protected] President / Membership

DR. RAED AL-ZU’BIRadiuSenaat (Pipes & Fittings) LLC

Tel: +1 971 5 075 [email protected]

2010 – 2011 PresidentKEN J. BRANEY

Thermoforming Solutions Ltd.Tel: +44 (0) 7793144542

[email protected] Director & CEO

SUSAN E. ODERWALDSociety of Plastics Engineers

Tel: +1 [email protected]

Vice President / Event ManagementWILLIAM ARENDT

Emerald Kalama Chemical Co.Tel: +1 360-431-7012

[email protected] President / Marketing

OLIVIER CRAVEO.C. Team

Tel: +33 6 20 24 64 [email protected]

Vice President / OperationsSCOTT E. OWENSChemtrusion, Inc.

Tel: +1 [email protected]

Ad Hoc Member / TechnologyDR. BRIAN P. GRADYUniversity of OklahomaTel: +1 405-325-4369

Email: [email protected] Hoc Member / Council Relations

LANCE M. NEWARDTurner Group

Tel: +1 [email protected]

Ad Hoc Member / Student RelationsROBERT B. DUNCAN, Jr.

University of Massachusetts LowellTel: +1 [email protected]

What are your SPE benefits really worth?

www.4spe.org Society of Plastics Engineers – Extrusion Division Board of Directors www.spexdiv.com

JIM CHIAMARDAS, TPStek., LLC has more than a decade of experience in computer simulation. His careerstarted in 2000 after graduating from Penn State Behrend’s plastics program. Jim has worked at top simulation companies such as Moldflow and Ansys. He has held multiple positions in engineering and sales at these companies including Application Engineer, Regional Manager, and Director of Sales. In 2010 Jim founded TPStek a reseller of technology to the injection molding industry. TPStek’s offerings include their premiere product SIGMASOFT polymer simulation. Aside from work Jim enjoys

camping and fishing with his family.

JACK DOOLITTLE, TPStek, LLCJack has more than 20 years of experience in computer simulation of the injection molding process. He attributes his passion for better part and mold design through computer simulation back to his undergraduate studies in the Plastics Engineering Technology (PLET) program at Penn State – Erie.

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n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

page 4 november 2011

•Pins/bushings/sPrings•PressKnocKoutextensions•cyclecounters•Metric/inchsidelocKs•suPeriorslidelocKs•Metric/inchejectorPins•brassextensionPlugs•ceraMicPolishingstones•MetricMoldcoMPonents

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TOOLING COMPONENTS, INC.(MoLD / DiE / PoLiSHing) SUPPLY & EqUiPMEnT

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BEFORE APPROVING, PLEASE CHECK CAREFULLY! Although every effort has been made to produce the finest possible artwork, errors may occur.Content may be Confidential and subject to © Copyright BANG! creative communications a division of DOC creative inc. www.creativitygoesbang.com

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Sept 6INCOEAdsIncoe_ad_SPEerie_3.5x6

OCTObEr MEETING ATTENDEESDennis Vasbinder, IncoeJack Doolittle, TPStekMason Myers, LordDennis Sanders, Sanders ToolLucy Lenhardt, Penn StateBruce Buchman, Tri PennChris Prenatt, Ring PrecisionGreg Timco, Ring PrecisionBrian Young, Penn StateDavid St. George, Damar DesignLynzie Collard, AccudynChris Stewart, PlastikosChris Hanes, PlastikosNick Schroeck, PlastikosDan Synder, PlastikosBob Koch, BOY MachinesRichard Deeter, Deeter ToolHank Graygo, HFG EngineeringBruce Doppleheuer, Rhetech ColorDale Smith, Engineered PlasticsDon McMillen, Engineered Plastics

Travis Belz, BTIChris Schreck, SamtecPat McDonough, student]Rex Beyerbeach, studentGreg Heddeerman, studentMark Anderson, studentDean Tabich, SigmaMark Lewis, studentShelly Czulewicz

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n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

page 5 november 2011

MOld - tOOl - pROdUctION MacHININGcNc - edM - GRINdING

2130 Warfel AvenueErie, PA 16503

DEAN M. TABICH, [email protected]

TOOL &

MACHINING INC.

814.455.7500

Hello SPE Members,The senior class trip was a blast for all of the students that were able to go. An interesting

twist of events was the riots that greeted the students upon arriving in Rome. The FAKUMA international trade show was one of the many highlights on the trip. Many of the students had not experienced such a large trade show, and were able to see many new trends in the plastics industry. Other memorable things from the trip are all of the sights and people. Communication at times proved to be challenging, but everyone had fun time.

The semester is now over two-thirds over, but there are many hurdles to go through until the end of the semester. For the graduating seniors it is crunch time for their senior projects, and for everyone else major deadlines are also approaching. The beginnings of the projects this semester seem like an eternity ago and we have put a countless amount of hours into them so far. The work for these projects keeps everyone busy on top of the normal weekly class work.

On October 27th the School of Engineering held the official opening of the medical plastics facility. Numerous businesses and news channels were in attendance, and received tours of the facility. The medical facility is a major factor in the newly formed medical certificate program. The medical certificate enables students to pursue their interests in the rapidly growing medical sector of the plastics industry.

Best Regards,Bradley Koren (Class of 2012 President)

PENN STATE STUDENT CHAPTEr

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n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

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For the last six years, Penn State Erie students in my technical elective have taken a concept drawing and turned it into a working prototype. The project is to make “Hot Wheels” sized cars based on designs by two local grade schools, Diehl and Rolling Ridge. During the project, the Penn State students send weekly memos to the grade school students. They try to keep them involved in the design process. They meet a few times throughout the semester to see how the project is coming. At the end of the semester, the Penn State students race the cars that they have built.During the six years that the Penn State students are here, they hear about all aspects of the design and manufacturing process. They really do not have opportunity to experience a project from concept to finished product. This class gives them the chance to use their education on a comprehensive project. There are marketing and psychology students involved in this project. By having these students as part of the team, it gives my students a taste of what it is like to work in a company with other employees who have diverse job descriptions. All of the students have to work together to create a marketable product.One of the goals of this project is to interest grade school students in engineering. Only a handful of grade school students are actively involved in this project during the semester. The grade school

PlASCAr - SPE SPONSOrED EVENT

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TUESDAY, DECEMbER 13 • 11:00 AM in ERiE HALLSPE MEMbERS ARE inviTED!

JON MECKLEY 814.898.6147 for more info

teachers keep the rest of the class informed about the project. It is during the race that all of the students in the grade are involved.Last year Rolling Ridge won. It will be a nail-biter to see who wins this year. Diehl is looking to take the trophy back!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DME Accepting Applications for 2012 Spring Semester

SCHoLARSHiP PRogRAMStudents encouraged to apply before December 1, 2011 deadline.

Madison Heights, Mich. – DME Company, a leading manufacturer of mold technologies, is now accepting applications for the DME Plastics University® Scholarship Program.

The program is designed to support the plastics industry by ensuring the availability of a highly-skilled, well-trained workforce. The program’s two components – a Student Scholarship and a Con-tinuing Education Support Scholarship – provide funds to support students interested in plastics-relat-ed careers as well as to advance the skills of DME customers working in moldmaking and plastics.

Like many manufacturing companies, moldmakers are beginning to face a labor shortage as first- and second-generation experts retire and companies feel the strain of the lack of newcomers to manufacturing professions. By offering educational support programs, DME is committed to enhanc-ing education in plastics-related fields, helping to fill the increasing workforce gap. How to Apply for a DME Scholarship

Applicants for a DME Student Scholarship must be enrolled in a plastics program at any accred-ited trade school/university offering a 2-year certificate, 2-year associate or 4-year bachelor’s degree. Those enrolled in related coursework will be considered if they demonstrate a strong academic em-phasis and interest in plastics.

To be eligible for a DME Continuing Education Support scholarship, applicants must be employed by a current DME customer and training courses must be in the plastics industry, although related coursework that is not plastic-specific may be considered.

Scholarship applications (available at www.dme.net/education) must be received by December 1, 2011 for consideration of monetary awards for the 2012 spring semester.

“For several years we’ve offered these programs to help students advance their talents and con-tribute to the plastics industry’s future,” said Dave Lawrence, President of DME Company. “As one of the preeminent leaders in the industry, it is our obligation and in our best interest to help develop and groom tomorrow’s moldmaking and plastics industry experts.”

DME will contribute $20,000 toward the DME Company Student Scholarship Program and DME Company Continuing Education, awarded in $1,000 increments. Winners will be selected by the DME Education Team and will be notified by mail.

Many schools have participated in this program across the United States, including Penn State Erie, Shawnee State University, University of Wisconsin – Stout, Pittsburg State University and Zane State College. DME hopes to help more schools and students benefit as the program continues.

About DME: DME Company is an essential mold technologies resource to customers worldwide. Through aggressive new product development, global product standardization and a powerful combi-nation of in-house manufacturing centers of excellence and strategic global partnerships, DME is help-ing customers succeed in changing times. The company’s standard-setting, comprehensive product line — including hot runner systems; control systems; mold bases and components; mold making and molding supplies; and cold runner systems for elastomers — is backed by expert technical service every step of the way. DME also manufactures and sells standard tooling for the die-casting industry. Visit www.dme.net for more information. For more information contact: MATT MENTE • (414) 270-3514 • [email protected]

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Injection mold simulation has become a standard tool for molders and mold designers. Like any tool, it should be appropriate to the job at hand and it should be comfortable to use. In those regards — as well as others, such as cost — there is room for individual choice.

But how is a molder to select from the handful of competing simulation software packages? They are big, complex programs that take time to learn well enough to make comparative judgments. Given the substantial investment involved, and the great potential value of simulation to a molder’s bottom line, it is not a choice to be taken lightly.

One molder, MGS Mfg. Group in Germantown, Wis., undertook a thorough evaluation of three commercial simulation packages and benchmarked them by comparing simulation of the same parts. It’s a rare example of such a competitive evaluation — or at least of the willingness to discuss it in public. Even molders who don’t have the resources to emulate the MGS approach can gather valuable tips from its experience that could be applied to their own circumstances.

AN 18-MONTH PROJECTMGS is a 29-year-old company involved in moldmaking,

custom injection molding, and special hardware for multi-shot molding. MGS has around $153 million in revenues from eight plants in the U.S., Mexico, and — since June — in Ireland.

The simulation evaluation project was handled by Kevin Klotz, sr. project engineer for simulation services in the MGS QA department. In the fall of 2007 he was a new hire — for the second time, having previously worked at MGS as a project manager for two years. Most important, he had ample experience in mold simulation/analysis, having performed simulation services for the Plastics Technology Group of Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation.

In 2007, MGS was all set to buy a simulation package from Moldflow, the best-known brand in North America. MGS already used the simpler Moldflow Advisers software for quick upfront moldability analysis, and was considering moving up to the full-featured Moldflow Insight package.

Reprinted with Permission from Plastics Technology Magazine, November 2011

Benchmarking Simulation Software: How One Molder Did ItOn-Site: MGS Mfg. Group, Inc. By Matthew H. Naitove, Executive Editor

Injection mold simulation has become a standard tool for molders and mold designers.

But before taking that step, MGS management asked, Why not consider the others? If we’re going to invest all this money, let’s do our homework and make sure we buy the best package for our needs.

Klotz was assigned to examine the alternatives and to develop objectives for choosing between them. “We expected the whole project to take three to six months,” he says, “but it ended up taking almost 18 months from the day this began to the day we fully implemented our software choice. Fortunately, MGS management saw the value in this exercise and devoted an engineer to the task for the duration.”

Klotz began work in mid-2008. He spent a few weeks doing online research and talking at length to other simulation users and to software vendors. He wanted to know about software capabilities, cost, maintenance, and ease of use. He also wanted to know whether the software was suited not to just general injection molding but to highly engineered, complex parts and tooling and to MGS’s specialty — multi-shot molding.

Klotz initially looked at all four of the major packages available in North America: Moldflow (now Autodesk Moldflow), Moldex3D from Coretech of Taiwan (moldex3d.com), Sigmasoft from Sigma Services of Germany (3dsigma.com), and VISI-flow from Vero Software. Before long, Klotz decided he couldn’t effectively evaluate more than three, so he narrowed the field to Moldflow, Moldex3D, and Sigmasoft.

Klotz gave those three vendors CAD files of three plastic parts that MGS had molded and asked each of the vendors to run complete 3D simulations of each. After two weeks, during which Klotz was in close touch with simulation engineers at the three software vendors, each vendor came to MGS to present its results.Klotz says that filling, packing, and cooling results from all three vendors correlated well with MGS’s real-world experience. Where they differed was in the warpage predictions, especially for glass-reinforced parts. “We’ve been burned many times by problems related to part distortion, so this was a high priority for us,” Klotz explains.

TECHNICAl rEPOrT

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“We value accurate warpage prediction because many of our tools are very complex and can be expensive to modify.” One candidate was significantly closer than the others in predicting warpage of parts that MGS had documented from prior experience. Still, no clear and absolute winner had emerged. “We had discovered that each package had unique and attractive modular offerings and good performance capabilities. We also discovered that each package had weaknesses. Further review was deemed prudent before a final choice could be made.”

WHERE DOES SIMULATION FIT?“While all this was going on,” says Klotz, “we were

thinking about how we would implement simulation once we decided on a purchase. How could we use it best for the greatest effect? What CAD solid modeling packages were best suited to each simulation candidate? What was the best method for importing models and exporting results for our eventual choice of simulation package? What were the potential traps that we could fall into with each of the simulation programs?”

“It took six months of discussion to decide where simulation belonged in our organization. If applied properly, simulation could help solve problems at every stage of a project. It can help in part design, material selection, tool design, and even processing. In the end, we decided that the one organizational function tied into all of those stages is Quality Assurance. So we placed simulation in the QA Dept., where I now work.”

After that initial benchmarking phase, Klotz engaged in more discussions with engineers at other companies who were experienced in simulation. He could not find anyone that had extensive experience with all the software candidates. Some had experience with two, but not all three. However, their experience largely matched what MGS had learned from the early benchmarking.

“We needed to test-drive the candidates,” Klotz concluded. “We couldn’t be sure unless we had experience in using the software ourselves. There were big differences among the programs in how the analyses were set up and meshed and how long they took to run. Those were important considerations because, for example, sometimes we have only a few days to a week to design a tool. In such a situation, if the simulation took two to three days, it wouldn’t meet our needs.”

That became Phase II of the benchmarking project. Klotz already had experience with Moldflow, so he invested three months to learn to work with Moldex3D and another three months to do the same with Sigmasoft. “I knew I wasn’t going to become a pro at using these packages in just a few months, so I was careful to use the same new

parts while evaluating the software.”Klotz practiced with several parts that MGS had

molded. “I learned how models are built in each software product, how they are meshed, and about the merits of different meshing techniques. I learned about their post-processing capabilities and how they generate reports.” In comparing results from simulating different parts, Klotz evaluated the accuracy of results, ease of use, simulation time, software cost, and ease of implementation in the MGS business structure. “I also looked at who had the strongest development group and what they had done to develop their software over the last five years.”

Klotz identified certain merits and weaknesses in each candidate. One, for example, offered a variety of meshing styles while another did not. Was that an advantage or was it a limitation to be investigated? This and other questions arose during the evaluation and could only be answered through real-world part simulation at MGS.

Additionally, Klotz gained first-hand experience at mesh cleanup, model import/export challenges, material database manipulation, and post-processing results interpretation, presentation, and report generation with the various programs. Computer hardware became an important item of discussion due to the processing demands of 3D mesh techniques. A more powerful computer was purchased as a result of the review.

“I am confident that any of these simulation programs could have been implemented successfully at MGS,” Klotz concludes. But after weighing all the factors, MGS chose Sigmasoft in May of 2009. “We still use Autodesk Moldflow Advisers for early product reviews,” notes Klotz. “In 15 minutes, it can help us screen gate locations, fill patterns, gas traps, and pressure to fill. But if we pursue a more in-depth review of a part or tool, we use Sigmasoft.”

Klotz keeps current on development of the other software programs through contacts with other users. He expects that over time these vendors will “leapfrog” one another in capabilities. He has also developed relationships with outside analysts that MGS uses on a consulting basis. For example, MGS called on an outside service bureau to use Moldflow simulation for an injection/compression application and used another service source to simulate a gas-assist application in Moldex3D. These simulation functions are not yet available for Sigmasoft.

HOW SHOULD YOU DO IT?Klotz offers this advice to other molders who are

considering a simulation software purchase: “Number one, it is important that you understand your goals for simulation within your organization. Are you looking to

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improve quality or reduce cost or time to market? The level of simulation capability you need is a critical early decision. By first determining your goals for simulation you can then choose the appropriate level and not waste resources.”

“Many molders think of simulation as belonging to the part-design function,” Klotz notes. “But that means the recommendations developed through simulation don’t always make it down the line to tooling and processing groups. You want the benefits of simulation to reach every stage of product development.”

Klotz developed the accompanying Simulation Software Review sheet to help prioritize and evaluate all the criteria that MGS applied to simulation software. He weighted the various factors according to his estimation of their relative importance to MGS. Other molders obviously might weight them differently.

Second, Klotz advises molders, “Give your criteria to software providers and ask them to demonstrate how their product and organization would satisfy those needs. For example, if warpage predictions are important to you, give the software vendors one or two product designs and compare their warpage predictions to your reality.”

“Third, communicate with other simulation users. Ask about ease and simplicity of model building and meshing — steps that can take a great deal of your time. Ask how long it takes to convert a solid model into a simulation model. How fast can you obtain a good-quality mesh? How easy is it to modify a model and mesh when considering ‘what-if’ scenarios? How easily can a simulation analyst produce a useful report?”

By useful he means a report that serves as a good communication tool throughout the organization so product and tool designers and processing specialists can understand the relevance of the results and their potential impact on their activities. “For example, 30 pages of colorful simulation images with very little text to explain what the images mean to a tool designer or processor is ultimately of very little value.”

Fourth, hire a trained simulation analyst. Trained, that is, in part and mold design and processing, not just in using the software. “Simulation is a mathematical approximation of a very complicated manufacturing process. Always remember that simulation is just a tool. It doesn’t make decisions — people do. Simulation provides information on which a knowledgeable person can base decisions with greater likelihood of success.

Putting it another way, simulation does not guarantee quality in molding. A quality molded part is the result of the cumulative effort of a team of capable people. Simulation

can be a valuable tool for that team if the results can be interpreted by members of the team.”

When comparing simulation programs, Klotz says, you will likely be looking for one that gives the most accurate results. “But it is important to determine the level of accuracy you need and in what time frame. Inclusion of finer tool and process details often leads to more accurate final results, but the additional time investment may be more costly than the benefit received.”

Valuable as it is, MGS doesn’t use simulation on every job. “Sometimes the project budget and time frame won’t allow for it,” says Klotz. “Sometimes the cost of simulation can make or break a sale. For a customer to truly understand the savings possible with simulation, they have to assign a value to problem avoidance. That can be one of the hardest parts of selling the need for simulation.”

“And simulation is not always necessary. If, for example, the part is relatively simple or similar in design to ones with which we are familiar, we’ll rely on prior experience. But if a part is very complex or uses an unfamiliar material—that’s where we’ll use simulation to help resolve potential problems early on.”

Klotz feels that all simulation programs have improved considerably in recent years at the basic functions of modeling, meshing, and analysis of filling, packing, and cooling. Still, at any point in time, one package may outshine another in its ability to handle more complex levels of simulation like multi-shot or insert overmolding, gas assist, injection/compression, etc.

Among areas of simulation technology that Klotz feels still need the most work, one critical area is material databases. He says they are most often not accurate or complete enough to accurately predict shrinkage and warpage. This is especially true for crystalline and glass-filled materials. “Regardless of the software used, poor material data virtually guarantees an equally poor simulation result,” he warns.

He also sees a need for better estimation of the probability of defects occurring in a molded part. “Simulation will show with great accuracy where you can expect a sink or a void. But will it be a sink or will it be a void? And if it’s a sink, how visible will it be in the molded part? That’s up to the analyst’s interpretation.”

Which leads him to the last item on his wish list — that software providers direct their development teams toward making their post-processing results as intuitive to the analyst as possible.

n o R T H W E S T P E n n S Y L v A n i A S E C T i o n - T H E P R E S S

page 10 november 2011

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