In a Q&A session, Casey Miller and Joe French from C&J Industries share their views on how SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding has improved the workflow of the organization. Both have been users since 2012.

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You have tried other simulation packages. Why did you choose SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding?

We have utilized two other simulation packages. In our opinion, SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding correctly predicts shear imbalances that we see in production. It also provides the significant benefit of calculating multiple consecutive molding cycles. This approach has a big effect on accuracy and provides more consistent, reliable results.

Can you comment on a specific example where using the software has brought a benefit to C&J?

Years ago, we used a simulation package to balance a runner on a family mold that was causing flash and parts to stick in the mold due to the imbalance in filling and resulting high pressure. We re-cut runners and over time found we still had the same problem. We struggled through processing with this issue until we ran the problem through SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding which correctly showed the imbalance. Our SIGMASOFT® results showed us what we saw in our actual molding process. The ability to correctly capture this phenomena and understand it, allowed us to confidently make changes to the runner design to rebalance the filling and solve the issue.

Which areas of your organization are using SIGMASOFT®?

We sometimes use it up front during new program quoting to understand and communicate effectively about cycle time and critical problem areas. We always use it for new mold designs and for supporting ongoing optimization in production.

What is the feedback from your customers about the use of SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding?

Many of our customers are happy we have SIGMASOFT®, some even demand that we use it. Sharing the results with our customers helps us communicate more effectively and leads us to making better decisions.

With over 50 years’ experience and headquartered in Meadville, PA, C&J Industries is a contract manufacturing and plastic injection molding company that specializes in complex, high-precision injection molded components and assemblies. C&J focuses on six key plastic injection molding industries: medical device, pharmaceutical, telecommunications, industrial, consumer product and business machines. This diversity has resulted in a broad expertise. The company relies both on cutting edge technology and an experienced team.

What is C&J using SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding for?

Optimization of new mold processes, efficiently troubleshooting existing problems and investigating “out-of-the-box” scenarios.

Since you began using SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, what has changed in the way C&J works?

We use Virtual Molding to prove or disprove tribal knowledge prior to making major and costly mold changes, where before it was trial and error methodology with less than certain outcomes. We have also started using the software during quoting and are planning to use it even more in the future.

What would happen if you stopped using SIGMASOFT®?

We would rely on older, less productive methods of trial and error to evaluate potential improvements. The information we get out of SIGMASOFT® allows us to pinpoint the root cause of any problem and quickly identify where to focus our efforts.

Issue 4 – April 2015

“The support we receive from the SIGMA engineers is outstanding. Same day service is normal for that group. They have a strong knowledge of materials and molding so when we talk to them, they provide solid insight into the problems we face. Their experience was also very beneficial during the software training. I can honestly say that we have a much clearer understanding of what is going on inside our molds than we ever did before.” - Joe French , Lead Design Engineer

Casey Miller and Joe French from C&J Industries

Virtual MoldingProvides Consistent Results

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Kevin Klotz, from MGS Mfg. Group, addressed the topic of conformal cooling and mold materials; he demonstrated which mold materials respond best to which types of cooling systems, and how they directly impact product cycle times and quality. Art Schubert, from RJG, showed several examples of how SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding is used to educate their customers about the complex interactions which occur between polymer, mold, and molding process.

SIGMA Engineers discussed application examples and tips on how to improve the overall user experience; labor reduction, improved accuracy, and faster project completion. Amongst the presentations given, Eric Gerber, Project Engineer at SIGMA Inc., showed how to set up a multi-cycle simulation of a complete 3D hot runner manifold. With this analysis, it is possible to know which areas can potentially degrade the polymer due to residence time, thermal imbalances from heaters and excessive shear heating.

International SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding User Meeting

To get the most from SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, it is valuable to learn how others are using the software and what results and benefits they can get from it. This is why every year users get together with SIGMA Engineers and software developers in a two-day event. Both the SIGMA engineers and the users see the value in sharing their experiences, gaining an understanding of each other’s needs while learning new techniques and how SIGMASOFT® can be better utilized to achieve success.

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North American User Group Meeting, Itasca Illinois, just outside Chicago. Eaglewoo’d Resort & Spa.

North American SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding User Group Meeting

September 10th through 12th 2014, North American users gathered at the Eaglewood Resort & Spa, in Itasca, IL, for their annual User Group Meeting. The program covered new developments, the application of quality material data in stress and distortion calculations, conformal cooling designs combined with various mold materials, molding thermosetting materials, and, as always, application-specific case studies.

The topic of material data was covered in two presentations: Brian Croop, from DataPoint Labs, discussed how to measure the material properties used in SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding and how to feed the software with this information. Jason Williams, from Penn State University, described the measurement of crystallization properties using a high speed DSC at high speed cooling rates, which more closely mimics what happens in a real molding process.

Chad Yates, from Bard Medical, presented their approach for optimization of product designs and gate locations. Jeet Sangupta, from Hoerbigger Compression Technologies, shared their experience regarding process settings and material data to determine the best methods for improving tooling design and product quality. Rich Pokorski, from S&C Electric, showed the sequel of a previous presentation on how they correlate what happens in the molding process of thermoset materials with SIGMASOFT® calculations, in order to fine-tune their Virtual Molding approach.

The Second International SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding User Meeting, presented in the English language, took place between October 21st and 22nd 2014 in Potsdam, Germany. This meeting took place for the first time in parallel with the MAGMASOFT® International User Meeting totaling more than 400 in attendance.

In the presentations about rubber applications, Dave Stening, from DTR VMS Limited (Great Britain), shared their experiences in using the software to analyze gate configurations in multi-cavity molds. Junior Cesar Pinto, from ASPEM – Unisagem Ferramentaria (Brazil), demonstrated the use of SIGMASOFT® in a 2-cavity mold for a rubber air duct. Besides proper gating, Virtual Molding was used to identify cold regions in the mold and to increase the heat transfer towards the part; this benefited both cycle time and part quality.

Matthias Kohlmann and Frank Schmidt from Anvis (Germany) described the challenges faced when measuring the pressure in the mold cavity and compared the results obtained with the simulation outcome. The characterization of elastomer material properties and their influence on simulation results was the focus of the presentation from Dr. Jens Meier, from Henniges Automotive, Germany.

Regarding thermoplastic applications, Jan Bayerbach from /H&B/ Electronics (Germany) concentrated on the shrinkage and warpage calculation. In his analysis they discovered that

SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding Annual User Group Meetings: Shareing Knowledge, Gaining ValueThe SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding community gathers every year to share experiences regarding how the software is used in addition to receiving first-hand information about new developments. This meeting is presented by SIGMASOFT® staff and users and benefits both staff and users: everyone participates and everyone gains. In 2014, the North American meeting was held in Chicago and the International meeting was in Germany, together gathering about 150 users from all around the world.

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regions shrinking without packing pressure, thermal gradients in the mold and geometric features increasing stiffness would determine the final warpage behavior. Herwig Juster, from the Johannes Kepler University Linz (Austria), demonstrated how SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding also supports the process optimization of special applications; the example was a pharmaceutical polymeric system for the controlled release of an active agent. Juster demonstrated the implementation of SIGMASOFT® in a DoE (Design of Experiments) to find the optimal gate diameter for a hot runner nozzle. The optimum gate size and mold tempering to minimize gate freezing was found.

Expert Engineers and Developers from SIGMA rounded out the presentations; Manuel Schmellenkamp (Senior Application Engineer) and stress-solver developer Dr. Michael Heitzer explained the influence of material data over shrinkage and warpage calculations. Tobias Mansfeld, Senior Application Engineer, demonstrated how the calculation of the complete molding cycle, including non-productive time between cycles, influences warpage prediction. Vanessa Schwittay, Application Engineer, discussed the simulation of inductive mold heating.

SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding Development: What comes next?

Dr. Michael Thies, SIGMASOFT® Development Leader, gave an overview of the topics which are included in Version 5.1, currently under development. The topics are optimization, modelling of long glass fibers, consideration of special processes such as transfer molding and compression injection molding and new features in the user interface. Also the mesh and CPU performance are targeted.

Andreas Laudien, SIGMASOFT® Developer, explained the advantages of flow calculation in tempering channels, which will be included in the next release of SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding. This feature, which allows calculating the heating of the tempering media, is especially relevant for conformal cooling channels. Georg Weinhold, Developer, is leading a work group in the topic of elastomer simulation and he addressed the differences in pressure prediction arising from scattered material data obtained through rheological measurements.

International User Meeting, Potsdam, Germany.

Timo Gebauer, Product Manager, discussed the developments in the user interface and the possibility to simulate particle segregation in MIM applications in Version 5.1.

Why should you attend?

Casey Miller, from C&J Industries, stated that he attends the SIGMASOFT® user Group Meeting annually to hear and see how others are using the software. In his own words, “presentations are always very informative and presenters are always more than willing to discuss further after the presentation. The whole group is very talented and intelligent”.

For Kevin Klotz, from MGS Mfg. Group, the best aspects about the user meetings are “the in-depth discussions between the attendees and presenters and the wonderful facility where the event takes place”. He attends the meeting annually to hear the things his peers are doing with SIGMASOFT® and to learn from their experiences.

According to Brian Croop, Laboratory Director at DatapointLabs, “Attending the SIGMASOFT® User Group Meeting allowed for in-depth discussions about current projects our customers are working on and the problems they are facing. We were given the opportunity to share our knowledge in the area of material modeling and the complexities involved in generating relevant data. We also were able to learn firsthand about the many fascinating new features and advances being made in SIGMASOFT® and what to expect in the future. Altogether, it was one of the best software user meetings I’ve ever attended”.

Rich Pokorski, from S&C Electric Company, added, “We want to see how other people are using SIGMASOFT®. We also like to see the techniques that other people are using to address some of the challenges in injection molding. The presentations are always excellent. There were two other companies working on problems which were very similar to ours. We were all verifying methods to determine the best ways to correlate what was happening inside of the mold, while it was closed. It was interesting to see that they were encountering some of the same challenges that we were.”

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Figure 1 – Comparison of the viscosity vs. shear rate for the three grades at 190°C. For the first two grades, the differences in viscosity become less prominent at high shear rates, typical in processing conditions.

controlled amount of resin is brought to a given melt temperature and pressed through the device using a standard weight. The amount of resin that flows in 10 minutes is recorded as the MFI number. Resins which are more fluid will transfer more material and be given a higher MFI number.

MFI is often used to provide some insight as to how a polymer will process. While useful for general purposes, this index does not account for the shear rate at processing speeds or shear history and as such is not necessarily a good measure of the processing window for a specific polymer. To predict the flow behavior of the melt in the cavity it is necessary to describe the material viscosity over a wide range of shear rates and at different temperatures. In Figure 1, the viscosity of the three materials is compared at a temperature of 190°C. The shear range typically present in injection molding processes is highlighted. It is evident that while the 45 and 60 MFI grades differ at low shear rates, as is indicated by different MFI numbers, the viscosity is very similar at the high shear rates typical during processing. While the 80 MFI grade does have a lower viscosity at higher shear rates typically found during processing, it also has a significant impact on the processing conditions.

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With an ever increasing number of resin grades available, injection molders around the world are confronted with the challenge of finding the most suitable option for their process. Several factors affect the decision depending on the application: price, performance, ability to process and energy consumption.

The resin manufacturer ESENTTIA, headquartered in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, supplies polypropylene and polyethylene grades to several countries worldwide. The company complements their grade portfolio with direct technical support to their clients. One of their goals is to help molders find the most suitable material for their particular application.

In order to justify the increased cost of high-performance grades, the benefit of using a new material must be quantified. To evaluate performance, the engineers at ESENTTIA, until now, used to try the different grades at the customer production floor, replacing the current grade by a new one and evaluating directly parameters such as energy consumption, required molding pressure, molding temperature and part warpage.

While this method had proved to be successful, it was also time and resource demanding. ESENTTIA decided to try the SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding approach to evaluate their resins and to communicate the advantages of a specific grade to their customers. The objective was to replace the floor-trial with Virtual Molding. Instead of data collection at the machine; the computed outputs of cycle time and energy consumption were monitored.

The MFI alone does not tell the whole story

In one particular case, the company wanted to compare three grades with differences in fluidity. Recently the company released a grade with a MFI 80, and wanted to show the customers the benefits of switching from conventional grades (MFI 45 - 60) to this new resin.

The Melt Flow Index (MFI) is an indicator of how easily a resin flows under controlled conditions. In the MFI test, a

Virtual Molding replaced molding trials

A complete electronic 3D model assembly of a 4-cavity mold was used for the Virtual Molding resin performance evaluations. All the mold components with their individual thermo physical properties were considered in the simulation, including hot runner system, electrical heaters, and tempering channels. Three resins, with

SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding: a new approach to resin selectionThe resin manufacturer ESENTTIA replaces actual floor-trials with Virtual Molding to assess the benefits of using high performance grades.

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MFI of 45, 60 and 80, were tested in the virtual mold. Ten consecutive molding cycles for each material were used to establish the true thermal gradient of the mold which ultimately affects melt temperature and viscosity. The cavities were filled at a constant flow rate of 27 cm3/s. In the first trial, the melt temperature was kept at 220°C and the parameters of required pressure, clamping force and solidification temperature were compared.

The results achieved in Figure 2 demonstrate the benefits of using the higher MFI. When increasing the MFI from 45 to 80, the clamping force was reduced by ~19%; the injection pressure dropped by 16%.

With the reduced MFI, due to the lower viscosity, the molding pressure is reduced. As the pressure in the polymer is reduced, the molecules have more freedom to move, and therefore they remain molten for a longer period of time once they have entered the mold. This means that the temperature at which it will solidify is lower. Two opportunities are derived from a lower solidification temperature: on the one hand, the packing pressure can be applied for a longer time; on the other hand, the temperature in the plastification unit can be reduced. So, by using an 80 MFI grade it is also possible to reduce sink marks and to lower energy consumption.

Once the benefits of using a resin with a higher MFI were quantified in the same scenario (using the same processing conditions for the three grades), the next question arrived: would it be possible to reduce melt temperature and cycle time by using the 80 MFI grade?

Figure 2 – Benefits of increasing MFI in energy-related processing parameters.

Figure 3 – Solidification behavior when using a lower MFI resin (injection pressure is maintained while reducing molding temperature and increa-sing injection speed).

SIGMASOFT® EVENTS

MARCH 2015:

NPE 2015:Thank you to all of you who stopped by our booth at NPE 2015. It was nice to see our current customers and meet some potential new ones.

Please contact us if your have any questions, or would like more information. Feel Free to reach out to us with you most difficult injection molding challenge and give us the opportunity to show you how Virtual Molding can help you.

APRIL 2015:

April 22, 2015AMBA Supplier NightAddison, IL, USA

The next SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding experiment was to test the same grade (80 MFI) under two production scenarios. In the first scenario, a melt temperature of 220°C and a flow rate of 27.0 cm3/5 were used. In the second scenario, a melt temperature of 205°C and a flow rate of 29.7 cm3/5 were used. Again, 10 consecutive molding cycles were run.

The solidification behavior of the part was evaluated in great detail. In Figure 3, the average part temperature over the cycle time was recorded for both production scenarios. The average solidification time was reduced by about 2 s when using the 80 MFI grade. The faster cooling and faster injection added to a reduction of 2.12 s in cycle time, while at the same time the energy consumption was reduced, due to a lower processing temperature.

The use of SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding allowed ESENTTIA to replace real world trials and arrive at the same results, yet more quickly and at a lower cost. It also delivered valuable information which could not be visualized in the actual machine. Ultimately, a new method was established for the evaluation of alternative resins in existing production tooling.

JUNE 2015:

June 16-18, 2015Molding 2015Rosemont, IL, USAhttp://www.ptonline.com/events/details/b7f25477-e718-4975-bd14-c80187608835

June 25-26, 2015Medical Device SummitLas Vegas NV, USARed Rock Resort & Spahttp://www.medicalrdsummit.com/

SEPTEMBER 2015:

Sept 23-25, 2015User Group MeetingItasca, IL, USAEaglewood Resort & Spa

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“I want to change the way molders work”

Dr. Laura Flórez is a SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding partner and distributor in Colombia, South America. With over four years’ experience in the use of the software, she shares her experiences and vision.

“Always pursuing more”, is Laura’s life motto. Born in 1980 in Bogota, Colombia, Laura Florez graduated as B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Los Andes. After working as a technical editor for a plastics magazine in South America, she moved to Germany to work towards her PhD in Plastics at the IKV in Aachen. In 2010 she joined SIGMA Engineering, and worked in Engineering and Technical Marketing until 2013. After that, she returned to Colombia to start her own company, PM Tec Engineering, where she works as SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding partner.

You have had quite a restless career. What are you looking for?

I have been pursuing a highly technical position, where I can be in direct contact with the industry, use cutting edge technology while continuously learning. My goal was to accomplish this in my home country, where I feel the best, and where I can make my work count to support development. I can finally say I have reached this position: I am working with SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, supporting molding companies to help them make the best out of their own resources, while at the same time I keep deepening my own experience and knowledge in polymers and injection molding.

Why SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding?

The Virtual Molding process has what I would call a “perfect” combination. It uses extremely complex mathematic models

Employee Profile

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to mimic equally complex molding processes and phenomena which allow us to understand and solve real molding problems. I can utilize my education and experience to help support the profitable growth of our customers here – something I’m truly passionate about.

What do you want to achieve with SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding?

I want to change the way molders work. SIGMASOFT® shows you, in a unique way, how your process functions and why some phenomena occur. For example, in SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, you can watch a part shrink inside and outside of the mold as it cools to understand the effects of local mold temperature (hotspots) and packing pressure. Perhaps some of the molding experts are already aware of the causes for the distortion, but with Virtual Molding, the information can be clearly communicated to all levels of the organization. The information generated can easily spread through the companies, from sales all the way to production, allowing us to make better decisions more quickly.

Can you remember an especially rewarding moment in your experience with SIGMASOFT®?

Recently, a company reached out to me because they found strange marks in an ABS part. They were not sink marks and they were nothing I had seen before. I was stumped when I saw the part. Without knowing what to expect, I followed the normal procedure; open the complete mold in SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, describe the process as closely as possible, include all the material information available and… voilà, there it was! The root cause happened to be hot spots localized in the ejector pins. The hot spots were forming “ghost marks”, which in ABS are only visible at given illuminations and angles. Virtual Molding showed that by using a more conductive alloy for the pins, this problem could be solved. Nobody suspected this at the start of the project and we all learned from the outcome. Even though I’ve been using SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding every day for the past four years, I was marveled. We were able to identify the root cause, understand it, and fix it quickly. This is what makes SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding such a powerful pain reliever for injection molders.

What do you enjoy to do outside of work?

Starting and running my own company does not leave a lot of room for further activities, so I’m happy that I have so much enjoyment from what I do. Of course, I also enjoy spending time with my five year-old and two year old daughters (separately, though, as they fight so much!), as well as reading – I love historical novels. In my previous life I enjoyed dancing, although now I only get to do it the German way: after a large consumption of beer.

Dr. Laura Flórez is a SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding partner and distributor in Colombia, South America.

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Injection molded parts for medical components are upheld to the most stringent regulations to ensure part reliability and product safety. To achieve this high level of quality, first, and most obvious, is the careful selection of raw materials necessary to optimize the production process. Once a process window to produce parts within the specified quality requirements is determined, this window is certified and the production conditions are used as an ongoing reference with little allowable deviation.

To set-up an injection molding process window, the common approach is to invest significant time in the trial-and-error phase on the production floor. However, once the mold is manufactured, many of the factors that influence the product properties and the production conditions are not easily adjustable. The production department has to “make it work” and there is little room for modifications. This can limit the potential to optimize for profitability and product quality. Frequently the production is trusted with the mission of accomplishing this optimization. This contradiction can be avoided if the production knowledge is integrated early in the mold manufacture.

SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding was developed to avoid this contradiction. The approach is to conduct virtual process optimization through the complete product and tooling development process. Every time a change is introduced in the mold, the outcome in the process can be evaluated, and a suitable window can be determined long before the mold is even built. The goal is to increase profitability and product quality by reaching the optimum process window, while minimizing cycle time and scrap production.

Reducing the Number of Scrap cycles During Start-up

Figure 1 - A 6-cavity hot-runner mold for medical applications was analyzed through SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding. Temperature distribution after 20 molding cycles.

A part was “sticking” to the wrong mold half. A calculation of the contact pressure revealed the root causes of the problem.

A 6-cavity hot-runner mold producing medical components was certified with a start-up of 20 cycles. This produced a large amount of scrap of costly raw material. The molder reached out to SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding to thoroughly analyze the process and identify any areas for potential cost reduction.

The complete mold was evaluated with SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, primarily; the complete mold with temperature dependent thermo physical properties is combined with the computation of multiple consecutive production cycles and actual molding process. A sliced view into the mold at 50% filled after 10 molding cycles is presented in Figure 1. The image depicts the temperature distribution in the hot runner manifold and its surroundings.

Figure 2 – The thermal behavior of the mold is monitored with a virtual sensor (position indicated to the left). The sensor shows that a steady-state is achieved after five production cycles.

A stable process is achieved when the mold reached a quasi-steady thermal state. This means that even though the mold temperature is changing throughout an individual cycle, it does not change notably from one cycle to the next. To monitor the thermal state, a temperature sensor was installed as shown on the left side of Figure 2, and the temperature at this location was studied over several production cycles, as shown on the right side. After nine cycles, production was interrupted for several seconds and the restarted. After the interruption the temperature drops, and after five additional cycles, the mold again reaches its stable transient oscillation.

Using SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding, the molder was able to demonstrate that instead of 20 cycles, only five cycles were required to achieve a steady process. By doing this, they were able to reduce 75% of the scrap after every production interruption.

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CONTACT

SIGMA Awarded as Innovation-Driven Company

USA Matt Proske SIGMA Plastic Services Inc. 10 N. Martingale Road, Suite 620Schaumburg, Illinois 60173, USAPhone: +1 847 558 5600contact@3dsigma.com

Germany Goetz C. HartmannSIGMA Engineering GmbH Kackertstr. 1152072 – Aachen, Germany Phone: +49-241-89495-0info@sigmasoft.de

Brazil Fabio Rola MAGMA Engenharia do Brasil Alexandre Dumas, 1708, 1st floor04717-004 São Paulo, SP, BrazilPhone: +55 11 5535 1381f.rola@magmasoft.com.br

Singapore MAGMA Engineering Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.25 International Business Park#02-24/25 German Centre609916 SingaporePhone: +65 6564 3435info@magmasoft.com.sg

Robert Bosch GmbH in Hungary develops solutions for Mobility, Energy, Building, Industrial Technology as well as consumer goods. Amongst their products are counted a large variety of electronic appliances, car parts and accessories, tools for home and industrial usage as well as systems and products for auto manufacturers. The company purchased a Thermoset S IGMASOFT® Virtual Molding License, and has closely cooperated with SIGMASOFT® developers and engineers to accurately simulate the process of transfer molding in thermoset applications.

Günther Heisskanaltechnik GmbH founded in 1983, is dedicated to manufacturing hot runner systems and nozzles for the plastics industry. Headquartered in Frankenberg, Germany, the company has devoted to setting innovation trends, and today is among the leading manufacturers of hot runner systems, from precise standard and complete systems to customized products. The company employs around 200 people, and supplies to injection molders around the world. Günther purchased two SIGMASOFT® Vir tual M o l d i n g t h e r m o p l a s t i c licenses to support the thermal design of their systems.

Starkey Hearing Technologies i s a w o r l d l e a d e r i n manufacturing and delivering advanced hearing solutions. The company, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was founded in 1967 and since its beginning has been committed to innovation. It created the industry´s first in-canal hearing aid and first custom, digital and fu l ly programmable invisible hearing aid. Starkey was also the first company to use nanotechnology in hearing aids. The company acquired a S I G M A S O F T ® V i r t u a l Molding thermoplastic license.

Röchling Advent Tool & Mold provides world class solutions in plastics and contract manufacturing. From part inception through part production and assembly, the company specializes in creating custom solutions specific for individual needs, which range from high speed automated assembly in a clean room to the combination of multiple technologies, like two-shot and insert molding. A part of the Röchling group, Röchling Advent has over 35 years´ experience and is headquartered in Rochester, NY. The company purchased a S I G M A S O F T ® V i r t u a l Molding thermoplastic license

to support their complex manufacturing operation.

In September 2014, SIGMA was awarded the prize “Innovative through Research”, a recognition from the Foundation for German Science to companies with a strong commitment towards research and development. “To provide our customers with a product that assists them in their daily challenges, development is a key-factor to our technology-driven company”, explained Dr. Götz Hartmann, General Manager of SIGMA Engineering GmbH. “For this reason we continuously invest in research and development, and maintain close partnerships with universities and research institutes”. Together with their partners, SIGMA regularly engages in research projects to expand the boundaries in plastics technology. “This is our motivation”, adds Dr. Hartmann.

The Foundation for the German Science awarded SIGMA with the quality seal “Innovative through Research”. The seal is awarded to companies that are involved in research activities and use what they have learned as a base for their ongoing development.

Besides the commitment to research, SIGMA is also actively involved in a number of associations. “Here we have the ideal opportunity for exchange on up-to-date development topics. At the same time we learn about the challenges that are faced by plastic processors while identifying fields where development is crucial”, explains Dr. Hartmann.

The quality seal “Innovative through Research” honors SIGMA’s commitment in these fields. “Our revenue is completely invested in development, thus expediting innovations”, adds Dr. Hartmann. “As we are driven by the needs of our customers, SIGMA will remain active as a researching company for years to come.”