Thermoplastics Injection Molding + Sequential Valve Gating

[Anonymous]

I have been asked to run moldflow on a Cowl Top that is made of PP and has a strip of TPO on the bottom to be overmolded. They are also going to implement Sequential Valve gating for the PP portion. Is this possible in Moldflow Insight 2015?

[Anonymous]

Hi Ben, 

honestly i use Moldflow 2014 version, but i think the procedure to insert a sequential gate is the same:

-if you don't have the hot runner system:

insert the first gate (yellow cone) in your mesh

in the position where you want to create the sequential gate create a line (10mm is enough). You can use commands in the geometry menu (you can select a node, make a new node using the command nodes, create nodes by offset)

connect the new node and the selected node of your mesh with a line.

Right click on the properties of the line, add the property of hot gate. Then right click on the line, set mesh density of 3.3mm (so 10mm/3.3 you will have 3 elements in the hot gate).

Click on mesh now, so you will have beams where you have the second gate.

-(from this point to the end the procedure is the same, both with your "little" hot runner system created above, or with a full hot runner system)

Then click of one of the three beam elements and open properties (be sure you are not modifiyng the properties of all the three elements), click on the second tab valve gate controller, default controller, modify, time, modify, initial state "close" and below insert when do you want to open the second gate.

Hope this helps.

Regards, 

Matteo

[Anonymous]

Hello Ben,

I understand that you want to simulate the secuential injection of the PP and then the overmolding of the TPO using the "Thermoplastics overmolding" solver, right? I just did a fast test in 2015 SP2 and while the first injection works flawlessly, the overmolding fails to start. I an error window prompts referring to the logs but there is no information there.

If you want to simulate this in the current version I would say that your best option is using this macro:

http://autodesk.typepad.com/beyondmoldflowinsight/2014/11/script-for-multi-shot-overmoldings.html

I have not been able to try the version available in the link though.

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I've been trying to run a sequential valve gate in an overmolding analysis with no success.

The analysis fails without a warning message.

I am experienced with both the valve gate sequence process and the overmolding analysis.

Is there something new for this 2015 version regarding this analysis in particular?

thanks

Hugo Herrera

[Anonymous]

Hugo,

Basically, the tooling engineeris wanted to see the part in moldflow with both the PP and TPO materials and sequential valves.

They have past part history they can reference.

I'm not sure about anything different from 2014 to 2015.

Thanks,

Ben

[mppkumar · Accepted solution]

Hi

It's possible to simulate sequential valve gating in Overmolding module of ASMI 2015

refer the below image and attahced the study file for reference

If any further queries, suggest to share your study file to me (mppkumar@gmail.com) 

[mppkumar]

Hi

In the study i have used generic PP material for both shots

if needed can change the materials

[vherna48]

Hi,

If this is possible in MF2015 I think in 2018 R2 is possible too.

I am trying to do this but the simulation does not follow the VG controlled. 

I will be trying. 

Regards