Material Insights by CAE Type

SIGMASOFT

The Role of Material Data in the Simulation of Injection Molded Parts

The modeling of material behavior for injection molded plastics is a vital step for good simulation results. We detail the types of material data needed by various injection-molding simulation programs, factors that can affect simulation quality including test techniques and process variables such as moisture content. The case of fiber filled plastics is covered along with the extension to structural analysis applications.

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Software for Creating and Managing Material Specifications 

Material specifications define properties for incoming materials to meet required criteria. We present software that manages creation of material specifications, input of properties and material composition; and provides a way to evaluate qualification per specification. While it is designed for OEM/Tier n environments, it is also applicable for materials suppliers.

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Thermoplastic Material Testing for Use in SIGMASOFT

Thermoplastic materials are one of the largest categories of materials to be injection molded. Simulation of the injection molding process requires sophisticated and exact material properties to be measured. This presentation will discuss the testing required to characterize a material for use in SIGMASOFT, as well as the significance of material model parameters. Differences in testing methodology for amorphous and semi-crystalline polymers will be covered, along with step-by-step implementation into the software to produce a successful injection molding simulation simulation.

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Mechanical and Visco-Elastic Properties of UHMWPE for In-Vivo Applications 

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is used extensively in orthopedic applications within the human body. Components made from these materials are subject to complex loading over extended periods of time. Modeling of components used in such applications depends heavily on having material data under in-vivo conditions. We present mechanical and visco-elastic properties measured in saline at 37C. Comparisons to conventionally measured properties at room temperature are made.

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Ejection system design: Optimization with SIGMASOFT Virtual Molding

As the demand for functional integration and the need of design differentiation in manufactured products increase, the complexity of plastic parts increases as well; thus some previous knowledge on effective ejection systems becomes insufficient and the challenges in the design of ejection systems grow consistently.

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