SOLIDWORKS release a new version of their products each year, and this year is no different. In this Blog I want to show you some of the things we can look forward to in SOLIDWORKS Plastics 2015. There has been numerous ‘Sneak Peek 2015’ posts in the last couple of weeks but none for SOLIDWORKS Plastics. Potentially, Plastics is one of the most improved areas of the SOLIDWORKS suite of applications in this release.
SOLIDWORKS release a new version of their products each year, and this year is no different. In this Blog I want to show you some of the things we can look forward to in SOLIDWORKS Plastics 2015. There has been numerous ‘Sneak Peek 2015’ posts in the last couple of weeks but none for SOLIDWORKS Plastics. Potentially, Plastics is one of the most improved areas of the SOLIDWORKS suite of applications in this release. Simple but vital enhancements are going to make it easier than ever to design in mind of the Injection Moulding Process.
In all levels of the software 2015 users will have access to a ‘Nominal Wall Thickness Adviser’ that can be used to interrogate a given CAD models suitability for injection moulding. The function will highlight areas of the model outside of an average wall thickness, assisting users in their attempts to design out sink marks and optimise the design of their products. In the image shown below & left the green areas are within 10% of the optimal thickness, yellow 20%, and red 30%. Another feature available in all levels off Plastics 2015 is the option to export results directly to eDrawings making it easier to share information & results with non-CAD users, see below & Right.
The new functions detailed above
will undoubtedly make the software easier to use but these next three
enhancements will make a huge different to how we set up our plastics studies
and will even give us a new result to look at, ‘Venting Pressure’. Let’s start
with new features related to study set-up. A new mesh type the ‘Non orthogonal
Voxel’ will replace the ‘Regressive’ mesh type. The new type of mesh has all
the speed benefits offered by the old ‘Regressive’ type but yields more
accurate results and will offer automatic refinement in tricky to mesh areas of
the model.
As mentioned the ‘Non orthogonal
Voxel’ mesh is time efficient and this efficiency is further complimented by a
new symmetry option for runner design. This new feature will simplify the
simulation of multi-cavity moulds. Where all cavities in the mould are
identical this feature will allow you to quickly design a layout of multiple
cavities and then obtain results that treat sections of the runner system share
between multiple cavities as they would be in real life. It’s a great feature
with virtually no set up time.
Finally, a new addition to the
already comprehensive selection of results offered by SOLIDWORKS Plastics,
‘Venting Pressure’ will allow tool designers to investigate where to best
locate vents around the cavity to avoid surface imperfections such as Dieseling
(Burn Marks).
With all these enhancements, and
others yet to be revealed, SOLIDWORKS Plastics 2015 offers a comprehensive set
of tools for Part Designers, Tool Makers and Plastic Part Manufactures to
optimise the design of their parts.
Peter Harkness
Elite Applications Engineer
Solid Solutions Management