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Visualize fiber orientation in a compression molding charge

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Message 1 of 3
mbondy23
404 Views, 2 Replies

Visualize fiber orientation in a compression molding charge

I am currently working on a MATLAB script to prescribe an intitial fiber orientation to each element of a compression molding charge using data from a nondestructive inspection method. I have been unable to find a way to visualize the initial fiber orientation in Moldflow Insight other than to visualize the fiber orientation in the first steps of the results.

 

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

 

Thank you.

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Message 2 of 3
mbondy23
in reply to: mbondy23

The current iteration of this script can be found here:

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jo0k1li2366szqf/AACVeDGItcZxiIPz0ABgn7Ada?dl=0

 

Note there are a number of machine vision functions employed. Kudos to the developer (see the comments in the header of the script for attribution).

 

The basic functionality is there. The script may not be properly selecting images (cross section data) based on element depth but this should be trivial to fix. The updated script will be posted at the same link when it is fixed (if necessary).

 

I have noted in the header comments one possible procedure for using this script (there were unanticipated difficulties). The computational expense and complexity of the script are reduced by only modeling the charge before pre-processing with MATLAB (i.e. not including the compression elements). If I import the MATLAB modified model to Moldflow (creating a new model in the process) and then add the part to be compression molded (import the CAD with the 'Add' button) I cannot mesh this imported CAD. More specifically, my procedure is to turn off the layers for the charge so that only the layer containing the part CAD is visible. Then mesh the part as I normally would. A message indicating that there is nothing to mesh appears in the mesh log (as well as a prompt that meshing has failed).

 

One potential methodology for employing this script (1st simulation running now) is to create the model of the charge, export this model, modify it with MATLAB, import the resulting model back into Moldflow, create a separate model of the part (compression elements), save this 2nd model (of the compression molded part), and import this 2nd model (part/compression elements) into the 1st model (initial charge). Then set up a compression molding simulation as one normally would.

 

This script might contain some useful code for someone not interested in compression molding but with tasks well suited to MATLAB (i.e. importing nodal and element data and using this data to modify the model).

Message 3 of 3
mbondy23
in reply to: mbondy23

Note there have been some fairly significant changes to the script (same link, files have been updated).

 

I am unable to find anything in the documentation describing the initial fiber orientation parameters dx, dy, and dz. By defauly dx = dy = 0.5 and dz = 0. If this is a direction vector I would expect each entry to be 1 / sqrt(2) ~= 0.707 such that the resultant is unity. Or the software normalizes the vector automatically. I am trying to investigate this now.

 

If the dx, dy, dz parameters represent fractions of fiber in each direction I would think there would be issues with describing well oriented fiber at +/- 45 degrees. I would also expect error messages upon entering negative values (I have tried this and no error messages are displayed, the simulation runs successfully to termination). I have also tried fairly large values for dx, dy, and/or dz and there are no explicit error messages.

 

Any assistance in clarifying what these variables represent would be very much appreciated.

 

I thought I should also explain (if only for the benefit of autodesk representatives) my other forum posting. I am still looking for a Moldflow Insight license. I am currently working at a facility (Fraunhofer Project Centre) with an Insight license but I return to my home institution (University of Windsor) shortly where I do not have access to this particular Autodesk software.

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