What is mold flow?
Mold flow analysis is widely employed in mold making industry, utilizing data simulation software, the injection molding process can be simulated and presented on the computer, you can improve part design or mold design base on the out put results. Moldflow, Moldex3D are very popular mold flow analysis software used by many mold makers.
Advantages of mold flow analysis
Mold flow analysis will advise if the cavity is fulfilled, it can also provide other useful information such as the required injection pressure and clamping pressure.
You can get benefit by knowing whether the filling problem exists or not. Many filling problems, such as short shot, bubbles and imbalances, can be predicted by a careful analysis of the filling curve. Mold flow analysis allows you to change the position of the gate, injection speed, and other processing conditions, so you would know if these problems can be improved or corrected.
Mold flow analysis can predict the deformation of parts. Predictions can be used to compare the deformation by changing gate location, wall thickness.
You can check and correct the problem by mold prototype. The best way to detect mold problems is to do “short shot” with the mold prototype. Mold flow analysis can suggest what changes will be effective.
The cooling analysis analysis can evaluate the cooling efficiency and increase accuracy. It is very difficult to modify the cooling after the mold making is finished, so it is very important to make it right at the beginning.
Mold flow analysis can predict the location of weld lines. Weld line usually is not allowed on some critical area, and weld line on the part also weaken the strength of the part. Injection mold designers can alter the position of weld line by changing the gate locating.
Evaluate and optimize your part design
The advantages of using the moldflow analysis to avoid potential defect like deformation, shrinkage, welding line etc, part designers can change the wall thickness or enhance the ribs to improve their part design base on the analysis result.
Do mold flow analysis before mold making
Simulation of injection molding helps to determine the best mold design solution before cutting steel, cooling layout, temperature distribution, gate location, venting area are all important issues to determine the success of a mold project, a blind design sometimes lead to modification on mold many times, which means longer lead-time and much more cost of mold making.
