TUTORIALS

SOLIDWORKS PLASTICS
2020
Contents
Legal Notice................................................................................................................................................. 8
Tutorial 1: Filling a Plastic Part .................................................................................................................... 9
Activating the SOLIDWORKS Plastics Add-In ........................................................................................ 10
Opening the Part File ............................................................................................................................ 11
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 12
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 13
Creating a Shell Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 14
Applying a Material to the Part............................................................................................................. 15
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 16
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 17
Further Exploration of Analysis Results ................................................................................................ 18
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................... 19
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................... 20
Tutorial 2: Detecting a Short Shot ............................................................................................................ 21
Opening the Part File ............................................................................................................................ 22
Creating a 3D Sketch Point for the Injection Location .......................................................................... 23
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 24
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 25
Creating a Shell Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 26
Applying a Material to the Part............................................................................................................. 27
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 28
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 29
Increasing the Injection Pressure Limit and Rerunning the Flow Analysis ........................................... 30
Investigating the Predicted Maximum Clamping Force........................................................................ 31
Increasing the Clamp Force Limit and Rerunning the Flow Analysis .................................................... 32
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 33
Further Exploration of Analysis Results ................................................................................................ 34
Exploring Other Remedies for a Short Shot .......................................................................................... 35
Selecting a Thicker Part Configuration ................................................................................................. 36
1
 Rerunning the Flow Analysis ................................................................................................................. 37
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................... 38
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................... 39
Tutorial 3: Analyzing Sink Marks ............................................................................................................... 40
Opening the Part File ............................................................................................................................ 41
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 42
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 43
Creating a Solid Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 44
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ........................................................................................................ 45
Applying a Material to the Part............................................................................................................. 46
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 47
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 48
Measuring Sink Marks........................................................................................................................... 49
Examining the Part Section Thickness .................................................................................................. 50
Exploring a Design Change .................................................................................................................... 51
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 52
Redefining the Injection Location ......................................................................................................... 53
Regenerating a Solid Mesh ................................................................................................................... 54
Reapplying a Material to the Part ......................................................................................................... 55
Rerunning the Flow Analysis ................................................................................................................. 56
Sink Marks Results for Modified Part ................................................................................................... 57
Running Pack + Warp for Accurate Sink Mark Prediction (Premium License Only) ............................. 58
Sink Marks Results Analysis from Pack + Warp .................................................................................... 59
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................... 60
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................... 61
Tutorial 4: Detecting Weld Lines and Identifying Air Traps ...................................................................... 62
Opening the Part File ............................................................................................................................ 63
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 64
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 65
Creating a Solid Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 66
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ........................................................................................................ 67
2
 Applying a Material to the Part............................................................................................................. 68
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 69
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 70
Viewing Weld Lines and Air Traps Results ............................................................................................ 71
Exploring a Design Change .................................................................................................................... 72
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 73
Redefining the Injection Location ......................................................................................................... 74
Regenerating a Solid Mesh ................................................................................................................... 75
Reapplying a Material to the Part ......................................................................................................... 76
Rerunning the Flow Analysis ................................................................................................................. 77
Weld Lines and Air Traps Results for Modified Part ............................................................................. 78
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session ........................................................................... 79
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................... 80
Tutorial 5: Modeling Cold Runners ........................................................................................................... 81
Opening the Part File ............................................................................................................................ 82
Creating a New Study............................................................................................................................ 83
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 84
Creating a Solid Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 85
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ........................................................................................................ 86
Applying a Material to the Part............................................................................................................. 87
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 88
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 89
Deleting the Injection Location ............................................................................................................. 90
Incorporating Runner Design ................................................................................................................ 91
Modifying Runner Dimensions and Orientation ................................................................................... 92
Specifying the Injection Location .......................................................................................................... 93
Creating a Solid Mesh ........................................................................................................................... 94
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ........................................................................................................ 95
Reapplying a Material to the Part ......................................................................................................... 96
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................... 97
Viewing Flow Analysis Results .............................................................................................................. 98
3
 Selecting a Part Configuration with a Runner Body ............................................................................. 99
Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 100
Specifying Domain Types .................................................................................................................... 101
Specifying the Injection Location ........................................................................................................ 102
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 103
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 104
Reapplying a Material to the Part ....................................................................................................... 105
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................. 106
Viewing Flow Analysis Results ............................................................................................................ 107
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................. 108
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................. 109
Tutorial 6: Insert Overmolding................................................................................................................ 110
Opening the Part File .......................................................................................................................... 111
Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 112
Specifying Domain Types .................................................................................................................... 113
Specifying Insert Thermal Properties.................................................................................................. 114
Specifying an Injection Location ......................................................................................................... 115
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 116
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 117
Applying a Polymer Material to the Part ............................................................................................ 118
Applying an Insert Material ................................................................................................................ 119
Setting Mold Thermal Conditions ....................................................................................................... 120
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................. 121
Viewing Flow Analysis Results ............................................................................................................ 122
Viewing Thermal Results in Mold Cavity ............................................................................................ 123
Viewing Thermal Results in Insert ...................................................................................................... 124
Generating Summary Reports ............................................................................................................ 125
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................. 126
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................. 127
Tutorial 7: Validating Injection Molding Simulation ............................................................................... 128
Opening the Part File .......................................................................................................................... 129
4
 Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 130
Specifying Domain Types .................................................................................................................... 131
Specifying the Injection Location ........................................................................................................ 132
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 133
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 134
Applying a Custom Material to the Part ............................................................................................. 135
Specifying the Fill Settings .................................................................................................................. 136
Specifying the Pack Settings ............................................................................................................... 137
Running the Flow + Pack Analyses ...................................................................................................... 138
Viewing Flow Analysis Results ............................................................................................................ 139
Viewing the Fill Pattern ....................................................................................................................... 140
Comparing Analysis Results to the Short Shot Progression................................................................ 141
Viewing Time-Dependent Pressure Results ........................................................................................ 142
Comparing Pressure Analysis Results to Experiment ......................................................................... 143
Discussion of Results Accuracy ........................................................................................................... 144
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session ......................................................................... 145
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................. 146
Tutorial 8: Cooling Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 147
Opening the Part File and Hiding the Cooling Channel Sketches ....................................................... 148
Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 149
Specifying the Injection Location ........................................................................................................ 150
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 151
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 152
Applying a Material to the Part........................................................................................................... 153
Running the Flow Analysis .................................................................................................................. 154
Viewing Flow Analysis Results ............................................................................................................ 155
Creating a Duplicate Study and Showing the Cooling Channel Sketches ........................................... 156
Incorporating Cooling Channels .......................................................................................................... 157
Creating the Baffle Cooling Channel ................................................................................................... 158
Creating the Virtual Mold ................................................................................................................... 159
Assigning Boundary Conditions to the Upper Cooling Channel ......................................................... 160
5
 Assigning Boundary Conditions to the Lower Cooling Channel ......................................................... 161
Creating the Mesh in the Cavity, Cooling Channels and Mold ........................................................... 162
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements in the Complete Mesh.................................................................. 163
Applying a Material to the Part........................................................................................................... 164
Applying a Coolant Material ............................................................................................................... 165
Applying a Mold Material ................................................................................................................... 166
Defining Clipping Plane Settings ......................................................................................................... 167
Running the Cooling Analysis .............................................................................................................. 168
Mold Cooling Results: Part Cooling Time............................................................................................ 169
Mold Cooling Results: Part Temperature at End of Cooling ............................................................... 170
Mold Cooling Results: Mold Temperature at End of Cooling ............................................................. 171
Mold Cooling Results: Measuring Mold Temperature Differences .................................................... 172
Adjusting Cooling Process Parameters ............................................................................................... 173
Rerunning the Analysis with Different Cooling Process Parameters .................................................. 174
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session ......................................................................... 175
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................. 176
Tutorial 9: Analyzing Warpage and Shrinkage ........................................................................................ 177
Opening the Part File .......................................................................................................................... 178
Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 179
Specifying the Injection Locations ...................................................................................................... 180
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 181
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 182
Applying a Material to the Part........................................................................................................... 183
Running Flow + Pack + Warp Analyses ............................................................................................... 184
Viewing Flow Analysis Results: Ease of Fill ......................................................................................... 185
Viewing Flow Analysis Results: Gate Filling Contribution ................................................................... 186
Viewing Warp Analysis Results ........................................................................................................... 187
Applying a Different Material to the Part ........................................................................................... 188
Rerunning Flow + Pack + Warp ........................................................................................................... 189
Viewing Analysis Results ..................................................................................................................... 190
Saving the Part and Closing the Session ............................................................................................. 191
6
Legal Notice............................................................................................................................................. 192
Tutorial 10: Multi-Shot Overmolding ...................................................................................................... 193
What Is Multi-Shot Injection? ............................................................................................................. 194
Opening the Part File .......................................................................................................................... 195
Creating a New Study.......................................................................................................................... 196
Specify the Domain Types and Order ................................................................................................. 197
Specifying the Injection Location ........................................................................................................ 198
Creating a Solid Mesh ......................................................................................................................... 199
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements ...................................................................................................... 200
Applying Polymer Materials to the Cavity Domains ........................................................................... 201
Specifying the Fill Settings .................................................................................................................. 202
Specifying the Pack Settings ............................................................................................................... 203
Running the Flow + Pack + Warp Analysis .......................................................................................... 204
Viewing Flow Analysis Results ............................................................................................................ 205
Viewing Warp Analysis Results ........................................................................................................... 206
Measuring Linear Shrinkage ............................................................................................................... 207
Viewing Time-Dependent Analysis Results for Global Results ........................................................... 208
Viewing Local Time-Dependent Results ............................................................................................. 209
Selecting Nodal Point and Displaying Local Results ............................................................................ 210
Analyzing the Time-Dependent Local Temperature Behavior ........................................................... 211
Generating Summary Reports ............................................................................................................ 212
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session ......................................................................... 213

7
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

8
Tutorial 1: Filling a Plastic Part
Run a Flow analysis in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to simulate how a polycarbonate material fills the mold
cavity of a decorator-style switch plate for a rocker-style light switch.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Specify the injection location
 Generate a shell mesh
 Apply a polymer material
 Run the Flow analysis
 Explore the analysis results

9
Activating the SOLIDWORKS Plastics Add-In
If this is the first time you are using SOLIDWORKS Plastics, you must activate the SOLIDWORKS Plastics
Add-In.

1. Click Tools > Add-Ins and select SOLIDWORKS Plastics.

2. Check the Start Up box next to SOLIDWORKS Plastics to ensure that it is loaded the next time
you open SOLIDWORKS.
The SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager now becomes available.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Installed to complete this lesson.

10
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\switch_plate.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Back view orientation, which you use throughout this lesson.

If feature recognition is enabled in your FeatureWorks settings, click No when prompted to proceed
with feature recognition.

Note: You use the sketch point Injection Point, highlighted by a red circle, to specify the injection
location.

11
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics CommandManager.

2. Specify the Shell analysis procedure. Shell analysis is the most computationally efficient for thin
parts with moderate thickness variations and no narrow flow channels.
3. Accept the Default Study Name, and click .
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Shell Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called
switch_plate(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

12
Specifying the Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. In this case, the
injection location corresponds to the gate. In the actual manufacturing process, it is likely that a hot
runner would feed the cold runner, minimizing the recyclable material.

Note: Runner design is not considered in this lesson. It is an advanced workflow of SOLIDWORKS
Plastics.

To specify the injection location:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager, for Selection, select the predefined sketch point Injection Point inside
the circle.
3. Click .

4. Rotate the view orientation and zoom to better see the red cone-shaped glyph, which indicates
the injection location.
5. Reset the view orientation to Back .

13
Creating a Shell Mesh
You create an optimal shell mesh by using curvature-based local refinement with the default global
mesh size:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Shell Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. You use the default Mesh Density , but select Curvature-based local refinement to refine
the mesh near the holes, the injection location, and the corners.
b. Click Create to create the mesh and view it.

c. Click to accept the mesh and exit the Shell Mesh PropertyManager.
A green check mark appears on the Shell Mesh icon under the Mesh node, indicating that
the mesh process is complete. Additional nodes now appear in the PlasticsManager tree that let
you complete the analysis setup.

14
Applying a Material to the Part
You apply a polycarbonate material to the part from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PC.
c. Select “(P) Generic Material / Generic material of PC”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

15
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the material melt flow, as it fills the cavity. You run the Flow
analysis using the default Fill Settings under Process Parameters.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes within a
few minutes.

16
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

Colors might vary due to lighting, view orientation or other settings.

2. Under Report Options, notice that the Adviser button is automatically enabled to display
the Results Adviser on the right-hand side of your screen.
3. Review the Results Adviser report under Fill Time to gain insights about interpreting results
plots.
According to the Results Adviser report, you can fill this part with an injection pressure slightly
less than 69 MPa (about 10000 psi).
Note: The results can vary by a few percentage points depending on variations of the mesh
settings, changes to the material data, or revisions of the software. Color plots might
slightly vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.
4. In the Results PropertyManager:
a. Under Animation, click Play .
The animation shows the profile of the plastic material melt as it flows through the part
cavity during the filling stage of the injection molding process.
b. Click Stop .

17
Further Exploration of Analysis Results
The Ease of Fill result plot assesses whether the cavity fills successfully with the selected process
parameters.

1. In the Results PropertyManager, under Available Results, select Ease of Fill.

The result has a uniform green color indicating that the cavity fills successfully based on the
geometry, the injection location, and the default process parameters.
2. Try selecting other Flow Results such as distributions of pressure and temperature within the
cavity. Review the associated descriptions in the Results Adviser window.
3. Click .

18
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named switch_plate in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

19
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

20
Tutorial 2: Detecting a Short Shot
Use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to detect possible short shots during the filling of a mold cavity of a thin-
walled container. Explore remedies to eliminate any detected short shots.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a sketch point for the injection location
 Create a new study
 Specify the injection location
 Generate a shell mesh
 Apply a material
 Run the Flow analysis
 Explore the analysis results
 Modify process parameters to attempt remedy the short shot
 Repeat the simulation using a thicker part

21
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\thin_wall_container.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWO RKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens with the saved view orientation named Oblique Underside, which you use throughout
this lesson.

If feature recognition is enabled in your FeatureWorks settings, click No when prompted to proceed
with feature recognition.

22
Creating a 3D Sketch Point for the Injection Location
You create a 3D sketch point at the center of the dimple on the underside of the part.

1. Orient the part to the Oblique Underside view, and zoom into the dimple.

2. Click Insert > 3D Sketch to open a 3D sketch.

3. From the Sketch CommandManager, click Point .

4. In the graphics area, select the surface of the dimple to create a sketch point.

5. Click .
6. In the Sketch CommandManager, in Display/Delete Relations , click Add Relation .
7. In the graphics area, select the point on the origin.

Under Selected Entities, Point1 and Point1@Origin are selected.

8. Under Add Relations, click Along Y to add Along Y1 to Existing Relations.

Since the circular sketch defining the dimple uses the origin to define its center point, this
constrains the sketch point to the center of the dimpled surface.

9. Click .

10. In the Sketch CommandManager, in Sketch , click 3D Sketch to exit the sketch.

23
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics CommandManager.

2. Specify the Shell analysis procedure. Shell analysis is the most computationally efficient for thin
parts with moderate thickness variations and no narrow flow channels.
3. The default study name, 0.45mm Wall Thickness Study, is derived from the active
configuration. Click to accept this Name and complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available. In this tree, a single domain, of type Cavity
, appears under the Domains node. This domain, corresponding to the part, and called
thin_wall_container(-Cavity-), is automatically created by the software. It is the volume of space that
will be filled by a polymer during the Fill process.

24
Specifying the Injection Location
You specify the injection location using the sketch point on the part because this lesson does not
consider runner design.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager, for Selection, select the sketch point you created on the center of the
dimple.
3. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

Note: A warning message occurs if the sketch point does not lie on a part surface. In this
event, you need to go back and re-create the sketch point in the center of the dimple.

25
Creating a Shell Mesh
A shell mesh is the most computationally efficient type of mesh for uniformly thin parts. You create an
optimal shell mesh by using curvature-based local refinement with the default global mesh size:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Shell Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
b. In the graphics area, expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1)
and select Thin Wall Container Part.
c. Set the Mesh Size (mm) to 10.
d. Under Advanced Mesh Control, select Curvature-based local refinement to refine the mesh
near the holes, the injection location, and the corners.
e. Click Create to create the mesh and view it.

The edges of the selected part are highlighted in the mesh view. The mesh is suitably refined
near the injection location, and near regions of curvature. Although a still finer mesh might
yield improved accuracy, it will require more computational time.

3. Click .
A green check mark appears on the Shell Mesh icon under the Mesh node, indicating that
meshing is complete. Additional nodes now appear in the PlasticsManager tree that let you complete
the analysis setup.
26
Applying a Material to the Part
You apply a low-density polyethylene material from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select the Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node LDPE.
c. Select “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of LDPE”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

27
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the material melt flow as it fills the cavity. You run the Flow
analysis using the default Fill Settings under Process Parameters.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes within a
few minutes.

28
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (default plot) in the graphics area.

It is clear from the Fill Time result plot that the cavity has not filled completely.

2. Under Report Options, notice that Adviser is selected automatically to display the Results
Adviser on the right-hand side of the graphics area. The adviser confirms that a short shot has
been detected, meaning the part has failed to fill to 100% of its volume.
3. Click .
Click File -> Save to save your work.

29
Increasing the Injection Pressure Limit and Rerunning the Flow Analysis
A possible remedy for a short shot is to increase the maximum injection pressure limit, provided your
injection molding machine supports this.
To increase the maximum injection pressure limit:
1. In the PlasticsManager , expand Process Parameters

2. Double-click Fill Settings to open the PropertyManager.

3. Set Injection Pressure Limit (MPa) to 200.

4. Click .

To rerun the Flow analysis and view the Analysis Manager warnings:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow , and click Run.
When prompted to overwrite the existing Flow Results, click Yes.
3. In the Analysis Manager dialog box, clear Close after finished.
4. After the software completes the Flow analysis, scroll through the messages in the bottom
panel of the Analysis Manager. Note the warning message about the clamping force. The clamp
force limit has been exceeded.
** Warning C1005 ** Clamping force has reached machine max.
clamp force limit= 1.000000e+002 Tonne (1.10e+002 Ton U.S).
5. Ignore the warning about the injection pressure limit being reached. Later, you will see that the
consequence of this warning.
6. Close the Analysis Manager dialog box.
7. Click to close Results.

Next, you investigate the clamping force predicted during the Flow analysis.

30
Investigating the Predicted Maximum Clamping Force
Use the SOLIDWORKS Plastics X-Y Plot to visualize the clamping force progression during the Flow
analysis, and estimate its maximum value.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Results , double-click to open X-Y Plot .
2. In the Analysis Results Manager, select Y-dir. Clamping Force, which is the intended clamp
force direction for how this part geometry is oriented. View the plot of Y-dir. Clamping Force
over Time.

The maximum clamping force, attained at the end of the Flow analysis is approximately 185
tonne. To see the exact numerical value, you can optionally click Export in the Analysis Results
Manager to save the data to a spreadsheet file.
3. Click under X-Y Plot.

The Results Adviser will display a warning in the text box located under the Results Adviser Traffic
Light when the predicted clamp force is equal to or above 65% of the set Clamp Force Limit in the
process parameters.
You address this issue by increasing the clamp force limit to 300 tonne, provided your injection
molding machine supports this. Then you rerun the analysis.

31
Increasing the Clamp Force Limit and Rerunning the Flow Analysis
To increase the Clamp Force Limit:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters .

2. Open Fill Settings .

3. Set Clamp Force Limit (Tonne) to 300.

4. Click .

To rerun the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run.
When prompted to overwrite the existing Flow Results, click Yes.
3. In the Analysis Manager, clear Close after finished.
After the Flow analysis has completed, there are no clamp force warnings in the Analysis
Manager. Again, ignore the warning about the injection pressure limit being reached.
4. Close the Analysis Manager dialog box.

32
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (default plot) in the graphics area.

2. If the Results Adviser is not displayed automatically on the right-hand side of the graphics area,
under Report Options, click Adviser to display it.
In the Results Adviser, read the warnings in the adviser about the high pressures required for
molding this part and confirm that there is no longer a warning about clamp force.
3. Click .

Although the mold appears to have been successfully filled, you follow best practice and verify the
Flow Result for Ease of Fill.

33
Further Exploration of Analysis Results
The Ease of Fill plot assesses whether the cavity fills successfully with the selected process parameters.

1. In the Results PropertyManager, under Available Results, select Ease of Fill.

The green regions indicate areas that can be filled under normal injection pressures. The yellow
regions indicate areas where the injection pressure exceeds 70 % of the machine’s maximum
injection pressure. The red regions indicate areas where the injection pressure exceeds 85 % of
the machine’s maximum injection pressure. The yellow and red regions in this plot indicate that
a short shot is still likely to occur, even though the melt front appears to have completely filled
the cavity. This result is a consequence of the warnings about the high injection pressures that
you previously ignored.
2. Click .

34
Exploring Other Remedies for a Short Shot
Due to the pressure losses in the nozzle, sprue, runners and gates, which you have not included in the
analysis, the required injection pressure is likely to be even higher than predicted. As explained in the
Results Adviser, such a high injection pressure is not viable with many injection molding machines.
Therefore, continuing to increase the injection pressure limit may not be a viable strategy.

You can use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to investigate alternative remedies, such as:

 Increasing the part thickness to alleviate flow restriction

 Using a higher-flowing grade of material
 Increasing the mold or melt temperatures to reduce the viscosity of the melted polymer
 Increasing the number of gate locations to improve the part filling

You now investigate the option of using a thicker part to improve the Ease of Fill results and eliminate
short shots. Before proceeding, click File -> Save to save your work.

35
Selecting a Thicker Part Configuration
You activate a configuration of the part with a thicker wall.

1. In the ConfigurationManager , right-click 0.9mm Wall Thickness, and select Show

Configuration.
2. In the FeatureManager design tree , click the 3D Sketch1 of the injection point, and select
Unsuppress .
The injection point 3DSketch1 is now available with the active configuration.

36
Rerunning the Flow Analysis
Repeat the previous steps to rerun the analysis.

1. Create a new Study, accepting the default Name 0.9mm Wall Thickness Study and specifying
the Shell Analysis Procedure.
2. Under Boundary Conditions , define the Injection Location on the sketch point you
previously created.
3. Recreate a Shell Mesh as before, using Advanced Mesh Control to specify a Mesh Size (mm)
of 10 on the body Move Face1, together with Curvature-based local refinement.
4. Re-apply the material, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of LDPE” from the list of
recently used materials under the Polymer node .
5. Run the Flow analysis with the default process parameters.
6. Display the Ease of Fill plot.

You have verified that the use of a thicker part has reduced or eliminated the possibility of
short shot.
7. Click .

37
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named thin_wall_container in
the same location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

38
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

39
Tutorial 3: Analyzing Sink Marks
Use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to detect possible sink marks in an injection molded part. Investigate how
you alleviate the problem with a simple part modification.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Specify an injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply a material
 Run the Flow analysis
 Explore the analysis results to identify regions of possible sink marks
 Repeat the analysis with a modified part
 Use the Pack + Warp analysis to obtain a more accurate prediction of sink marks (available with
Premium license only)

40
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\trim_piece.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Left view orientation, which you use for specifying an injection location on
the boss. Later, you use the Trimetric view to examine the mesh and the Right view for
inspecting sink marks results on the front of the part.

Note: You use the sketch point highlighted by a red circle to specify the injection location.

41
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Large Fillet Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called
trim_piece(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

42
Specifying the Injection Location
In this lesson, you specify the injection location directly on the part by using a sketch point.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Point.
b. For Selection , select the sketch point inside the circle.
c. For Pointer Diameter (mm), enter 2 mm.
d. Click .
Rotate the model to improve the view of the red cone-shaped glyph, which indicates the injection
point location.

43
Creating a Solid Mesh
A solid mesh with user-specified parameters yields the best analysis accuracy for parts of varying
thickness, and is the most suitable for sink marks analysis. You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral
Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1). and
select the part: Original Fillet.

d. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.

e. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
f. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.
g. Set the view orientation to Trimetric .

44
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages such as the gate.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of the
solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider to the left to see a sectional
view.
Notice the local mesh refinement that resolves the curvature in the fillet region between the
hollow boss and the rest of the part.

b. Set the view orientation to Right and click .

45
Applying a Material to the Part
In this analysis, you apply a polypropylene material from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PP.
c. Select the first material from the list, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PP”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results to identify areas of possible sink marks.

46
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the material melt flow as it fills the cavity.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes
within several minutes, depending on your computer’s specifications.

47
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the software completes the Flow analysis, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available
Results plots. View the Sink Marks result plot in the graphics area.
In the Results PropertyManager, under Available Results, select Sink Marks.

The large red-colored area on the front surface of the part indicates the possibility of a sink mark. A
sink mark is a depression on the molded part surface.

48
Measuring Sink Marks
You use the Measure tool in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to estimate the depth of the sink mark.

1. In the Plastics CommandManager, click Measure to show the tool in the graphics area.
2. To move the red dot, click the red-colored region of the Sink Marks result plot.
3. To move the blue dot, you first click the small blue rectangle inside the blue rectangle. Then click
a region near the red dot, but away from the sink mark, approximately as shown.

The numbers in the red and blue rectangles reflect information about the red and blue dot
locations. For sink mark analysis, the most significant number is the value of dR in the pink box.
The R value in the red and blue boxes represents the deviation from the original part surface of
the mold due to shrinkage at the respective dot locations. The dR value is the difference
between these values. The value obtained for dR is about -0.12, which varies depending on the
locations of the red and blue dots.
4. Clear Measure , and click .
Click File -> Save to save your work.

Note: Sink mark results generated from a Flow analysis produce qualitative results. Do not only
rely on them as the prediction for sink marks in an absolute sense. Use the Sink Marks plot to
identify regions of the part that are possibly problematic, and to investigate design changes that
might improve the results.

49
Examining the Part Section Thickness
Sink marks are caused by large variations in part thickness. Slower cooling in the thicker parts results in
greater shrinkage, and hence, surface depressions. You examine the cross section of the part to see
where such shrinkage might occur.

1. Select the Front view of the part.

2. Toggle off the mesh view by clicking Mesh Model in the Plastics CommandManager
3. Click Section View in the Heads-Up View toolbar.
4. In the PropertyManager:
a. Click Front Plane .
b. Click .

The model contains an excessive amount of material within the 1 mm radius circular fillet, as
highlighted above. You can reduce the material thickness in this area to help avoid sink marks.

50
Exploring a Design Change
You select a part configuration with a different fillet specification.
In the ConfigurationManager tree , right-click Small Fillet and click Show Configuration.

The cross section of the modified design shows that a smaller radius fillet reduces the part thickness.

1. Clear Section View .

2. Reset the view orientation to Left .
Next, you analyze sink marks in the modified part.

51
Creating a New Study
You create a new study for the revised part geometry:

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Small Fillet Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. You must use solid analysis for the analysis of sink
marks.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available.

52
Redefining the Injection Location
You redefine the injection location because the part configuration has changed.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Point.
b. For Selection , select the sketch point inside the circle.
c. For Pointer Diameter (mm), enter 2 mm.
3. Click .

53
Regenerating a Solid Mesh
You regenerate the mesh because the part configuration has changed and a new injection location has
been defined.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1). and
select the part: Reduced Fillet.

d. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.

e. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
f. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step.

54
Reapplying a Material to the Part
Apply the same polypropylene material from the database as before.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer .

2. Under Recently Used Material, select ‘(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PP’.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

55
Rerunning the Flow Analysis

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .

2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis.

56
Sink Marks Results for Modified Part
Once the software completes the Flow analysis, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available
Results plots.
1. Set the view orientation to Right .
2. View the Sink Marks result plot in the graphics area.
3. As before, use the Measure tool in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to estimate the depth of the sink
mark.

The Sink Marks result plot in Flow analysis provides a directional tool that indicates whether a
design change yields positive improvement. The dR value is less than -0.03, indicating that you
reduced the sink marks to 25% of the original design.
4. Clear Measure , and click .
Click File -> Save to save your work.
You can close the part file to exit the session, or run a Pack + Warp analysis to get a more accurate
prediction for sink marks (available with SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium license only).

57
Running Pack + Warp for Accurate Sink Mark Prediction (Premium License
Only)
You simulate the pack and warp stages of the injection molding process to obtain a more accurate
prediction of sink marks.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to continue this tutorial.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .

2. Right-click Pack + Warp and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Pack + Warp analysis. This takes
slightly longer than the Flow analysis.

58
Sink Marks Results Analysis from Pack + Warp

Once the software completes the Pack + Warp analysis, open Warp Results under Results.
The Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. Set the view orientation to Right .
2. View the Sink-Mark Profile result plot in the graphics area.
3. As before, use the Measure tool in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to estimate the depth of the sink
mark.

The dR value is negligible.

5. Clear Measure , and click .
The Sink Mark Profile result plot from the Pack + Warp analysis yields a more accurate prediction than
the Sink Marks analysis from the Flow analysis. These results indicate that by modifying the design of
this part, you can mold it without significant sink marks.

59
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named trim_piece in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

60
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

61
Tutorial 4: Detecting Weld Lines and Identifying Air Traps
Use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to detect possible weld lines and identify air traps in an injection molded
part. Investigate how you alleviate the problem with a simple modification to the part.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Specify an injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply a material
 Run the Flow analysis
 Explore the analysis results to identify possible weld lines and air traps
 Repeat the analysis with a modified part
 Explore the analysis results to verify the effects of the design change

62
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\mounting_plate.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Isometric view orientation, which you use for specifying the injection location
and for creating the mesh. Later, you use the saved view orientation named Results View to examine
your results.

Note: You use the small, red-colored, circular surface to specify the injection location.

63
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Original Design Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called
mounting_plate(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

64
Specifying the Injection Location
In this lesson, you specify the injection location directly on the part by selecting a surface.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the small red circular face.
c. Click .

The red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

65
Creating a Solid Mesh
A solid mesh with user-specified parameters is best suited to parts with ribs. You create a Solid Mesh
of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation by manually specifying
mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
b. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree, expand Solid Bodies(1) and
select the part: Main Body.

c. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 2 mm.

d. In the flyout FeatureManager design tree, expand Selection Sets, and select Thin Section
Surfaces, causing two faces to be inserted in the selection box .
e. In turn, select each of the faces in the selection box and set their Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.
f. Select the small, circular, red face corresponding to the injection location and set its Mesh
size (mm) to 0.5 mm. If necessary, zoom in to choose the face rather than the edge.
g. Click each of four items in the selection box and double check the mesh size settings.
h. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete.
i. The surface mesh displayed shows finer mesh resolution where you specified smaller
triangle sizes, near the injection location and on the thinner section of the cavity.

66
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of
the solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the +X clipping plane slider to the left to see a sectional
view.

Notice that two layers of prismatic elements are created in addition to the tetrahedral elements
that span the core. The surface mesh resolution you specified allows the tetrahedral elements
to be created with sufficient quality. Larger surface triangles would cause the tetrahedral
elements to be overly squished and of poor quality, potentially harming solution accuracy and
robustness.
b. Click .

67
Applying a Material to the Part
In this analysis, you apply a polypropylene material from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PP.
c. Select the first material from the list, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PP”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results to identify weld lines and air traps.

68
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the material melt flow as it fills the cavity.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes in
under about 30 minutes, depending on your computer’s specifications.

69
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. Under View Orientation , select the saved view orientation named Results View.
2. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

Note: The results can vary by a few percentage points depending on variations of the mesh
settings, changes to the material data, or revisions of the software. Color plots might
slightly vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.
3. In the Results PropertyManager:
a. Under Animation, click Play .
The animation tracks the polymer melt as it flows through the part cavity during the filling
stage of the injection molding process. This animation helps you understand the formation
of the weld lines.
b. Click Stop .

70
Viewing Weld Lines and Air Traps Results
You view the Weld Lines and Air Traps result plot.
1. In the Results PropertyManager, under Available Results, select Weld Lines and Air Traps.

The results plot shows the weld lines together with air trap locations. Although possible weld
lines and air traps are identified in several locations, the ones highlighted in the red rectangle
are of primary concern because they are in a structurally sensitive area.
Note: The weld line results can vary slightly, depending on variations of the mesh settings,
changes to the material data, or revisions of the software.
2. Click .
Next, you investigate how a modified design might reduce this concern. Before proceeding, click File ->
Save to save your work.

71
Exploring a Design Change
You select a part configuration with a modified design.
1. In the ConfigurationManager tree , right-click Modified Design and click Show Configuration
to see the design modification.

2. Reset the view orientation to Isometric .

Next, you analyze weld lines and air traps in the modified part.

72
Creating a New Study
You create a new study for the revised part geometry.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Modified Design Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process. You do not need to use multi-
material injection for this lesson.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. You must use solid analysis for the analysis of sink
marks.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called
mounting_plate(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

73
Redefining the Injection Location
You redefine the injection location because the part configuration has changed.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the small red circular face.
c. Click .

The red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

74
Regenerating a Solid Mesh
You regenerate the mesh because the part configuration has changed and a new injection location has
been defined.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
b. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree, expand Solid Bodies(1). and
select the part: Main Body.

c. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 2 mm.

d. In the flyout FeatureManager design tree, expand Selection Sets, and select Thin Section
Surfaces, causing two faces to be inserted in the selection box .
e. In turn, select each of the faces in the selection box and set their Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.
f. Select the small, circular, red face corresponding to the injection location and set its Mesh
size (mm) to 0.5 mm. If necessary, zoom in to choose the face rather than the edge.
g. Click each of four items in the selection box and double check the mesh size settings.
h. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.

75
Reapplying a Material to the Part
Apply the same polypropylene material from the database as before.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer .

2. Under Recently Used Material, select “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PP”.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

76
Rerunning the Flow Analysis
Run the Flow analysis as before:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis.

77
Weld Lines and Air Traps Results for Modified Part
Once the software completes the Flow analysis, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available
Results plots. View the Weld Lines and Air Traps result plot in the graphics area.
1. In the Results PropertyManager, under Available Results, select Weld Lines and Air Traps.
2. Select the saved view orientation named Results View.

The weld lines and air traps, previously highlighted in the red rectangle are no longer present.
The air traps can now be more easily dealt with by the addition of air vents.
3. Click .

78
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named mounting_plate in the
same location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

79
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

80
Tutorial 5: Modeling Cold Runners
Incorporate cold (unheated) runners in a SOLIDWORKS Plastics Flow analysis to simulate the filling of a
mold cavity for a 10 mm nylon wrench.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Professional or SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run
this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Run a Flow analysis without any runner to verify that the part will fill
 Rerun the analysis with a runner designed with the channel wizard (conceptual design)
 Rerun the analysis with a runner defined as a solid body (final design)

81
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\wrench.SLDPRT
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Isometric view orientation, which you use throughout this lesson.

Note: You use the sketch point Gate Location, highlighted by a red circle, to specify the gate
location.

82
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Wrench Only Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. Solid analysis is required for parts such as this that
are not uniformly thin.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called wrench(-
Cavity-), is created from the part.

83
Specifying the Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. If you do not specify a
runner, the injection location corresponds to the gate. To start, specify an injection location at the
intended gate location.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Point.
b. For Pointer Diameter (mm), enter 1 mm.
c. For Selection , select the sketch point inside the circle.
d. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

84
Creating a Solid Mesh
A solid mesh with user-specified parameters yields the best analysis accuracy for parts of varying
thickness. You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the
simulation by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1). and
select the part: Wrench.

d. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 2.5 mm.

e. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
f. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.

85
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements
of the solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider to the left to see a
sectional view.

The section view reveals the details of the solid mesh. Wedge-shaped elements, layered
near the boundaries, improve the solution accuracy. Tetrahedral elements fill the interior
very efficiently. This hybrid mesh topology combines fast meshing with good resolution of
the flow.
b. Click .

86
Applying a Material to the Part
In this analysis, you apply a nylon material from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the Polymer dialog box:
a. Select Default Database .
b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PA66.
c. Select the second material from the list, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of
PA66+30%Glass Fiber”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the results.

87
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the material melt flow, as it fills the cavity. You run the Flow
analysis using the default Fill Settings under Process Parameters.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow , and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes within a
few minutes.

88
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis completes, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

The results can vary by a few percentage points depending on variations of the mesh
settings, changes to the material data, or revisions of the software. Color plots might
vary slightly due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.

2. Under Report Options, notice that the Adviser button is automatically enabled to display
the Results Adviser on the right-hand side of your screen.
3. Review the Results Adviser report to confirm that you can successfully fill the part.
4. Click .
The software automatically saves the Plastics analysis results in a folder named wrench in the same
location as the part file. These results persist unless you overwrite them by running another Flow
analysis.
Now that you have verified that you can fill the part cavity without any problems, you design a runner
system and rerun the analysis. Before proceeding, click File -> Save to save your work.

89
Deleting the Injection Location
You delete the injection location defined on the geometry.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Boundary Conditions , right-click Injection Location-1

, and select Delete .
2. Click Yes, to delete the Injection Location.
The mesh becomes invalid . You must regenerate it to obtain a new solution.

90
Incorporating Runner Design
You create a runner domain using the Channel Design Wizard.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Domains , select Runner System .

2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Under Select Type, select Runner Wizard to activate the Runner Wizard PropertyManager.
The Channel Design Wizard automates the process of creating runner system components
such as sprues, runners, and gates.
b. Position the gate by clicking the sketch point previously created for the injection location.

The candidate runner is positioned with default dimensions and orientation.

91
Modifying Runner Dimensions and Orientation
You use the Runner Wizard to properly size and orient the runner.

In the PropertyManager:

1. Select Edge Gate .

2. Enter the following design parameters (dimensions in mm):

Sprue (S) Runner (R)

Gate (G)
Direction +Y Direction +X
Diameter1 (SD1) 2.5 Diameter1 (RD1) 2 Diameter1 (GD1) 0.6
Length (SL) 20 Length (RL) 20 Length (GL) 2
Diameter2 (SD2) 4 Diameter2 (RD2) 2 Diameter2 (GD2) 0.6
Element Count 10 Element Count 10 Element Count 4

3. Click to exit the Runner Wizard PropertyManager.

4. Click to exit the Runner System PropertyManager.

92
Specifying the Injection Location
You specify an injection location on the runner you have created, rather than on the part geometry as
before.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Point.
b. For Selection , select the point on the top of the sprue.
c. For Pointer Diameter (mm), enter 2 mm.
d. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location and the software highlights the inlet
face.

93
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the same resolution as before. You can
accept the previous settings.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager, accept the previous mesh settings:
a. Curvature-based Refinement Method and Advanced Mesh Control.

b. For the part Wrench, a Mesh size (mm) of 2.5 mm.

c. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete.

94
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of the
solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider to the left to see a sectional
view.

The mesh of the part is almost identical to the mesh obtained previously with no runner. The
Channel Design Wizard creates a structured mesh using hexahedral elements for the runner.
These layered, stretched elements resolve simple channels very efficiently.

b. Click .

95
Reapplying a Material to the Part
Apply the same nylon material from the database as before.

1. In the PlasticsManager , under Material , right-click Polymer .

2. Under Recently Used Material, select “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of
PA66+30%Glass Fiber” from the list.
A green check mark appears on the Polymer node .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

96
Running the Flow Analysis
Run the Flow analysis as before:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.
3. Click Yes to replace the Flow Results.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis. The analysis takes longer to
run than before because it now solves the flow in the runner as well as the part.

97
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

Colors might vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.

2. If the Results Adviser is not displayed, under Report Options, click Adviser .
3. Review the Results Adviser report to confirm that the part fills successfully. Due to the
additional pressure drop in the runner, the required injection pressure is much larger than the
pressure obtained in the previous analysis.
4. Click .
Now that you have verified the runner system conceptual design, you model the runner as a solid body
to achieve a more refined design and rerun the analysis. Before proceeding, click File -> Save to save
your work.

98
Selecting a Part Configuration with a Runner Body
You activate a configuration associated to a part design with a runner created as a solid body. This is a
more refined representation of the runner and gate geometries.
1. In the ConfigurationManager tree , right-click Runner + Wrench, and select Show
Configuration.
2. The PlasticsManager tab will disappear, and you will be able to create a New Study, like when
you start a new analysis.

99
Creating a New Study
You create a new study for the selected configuration.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Runner + Wrench Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure.
5. Click to complete the study creation.

100
Specifying Domain Types
A domain represents a volume in space through which flow of fluid or heat is simulated. Two domains
are automatically created under the Domains node from the solid bodies. These bodies are tagged
with the names Runner and Wrench.

You assign types to these domains.

1. Under the Domains node, right-click on SolidBody 1(Runner) and assign the type Runner .
2. The type Cavity will automatically be assigned to the remaining body, SolidBody 2(Wrench).

101
Specifying the Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. You specify an injection
location at the sprue inlet.

1. In the PlasticsManager , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location .

2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the top face of the sprue body.
3. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

102
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation
by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid
Bodies(2), and select both the parts in turn: Wrench and Runner
d. In the PropertyManager, select both entities and assign to each of them a Mesh size (mm)
of 2.5 mm.
e. In the graphics area, expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Selection Sets,
and click Gate Surfaces.
f. Under , select all eight faces comprising the gate surfaces. In the PropertyManager,
assign to each of them a Mesh Size (mm) of 0.25 mm.
g. Click each of the items in the selection box and double check the mesh size settings.
h. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
i. Click Create to create the surface mesh, then Next .

j. Set the Minimum Thickness of Boundary Layer Elements to 0.01mm.

k. Click to create the volume mesh. A green check appears on the Solid Mesh node,
indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh is displayed.

103
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages such as the gate.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of the
solid mesh.
a. Under Section Clipping Settings, move the Z+ clipping plane to approximately the middle of
the range to examine the solid mesh in the gate area.

You can zoom and rotate the view to better understand the volume mesh topology and
features. The mesh is a hybrid combination of wedge-shaped elements, layered near the
boundaries, and tetrahedral elements in the interior. The mesh layers ensure that more
than a single element spans thin flow passages and solid domains, which is a requirement
for the numerical scheme.

b. Click .

104
Reapplying a Material to the Part
Apply the same nylon material from the database as before.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer .

2. Under Recently Used Material, select ”(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of
PA66+30%Glass Fiber” from the list.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

105
Running the Flow Analysis
Run the Flow analysis as before:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow , and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis. The analysis takes longer to
run because the mesh resolution within the runner, particularly the gate area, is finer than the mesh
created using the Runner Wizard. A larger element count consumes more computational resources.

106
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

Colors might vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.

2. If the Results Adviser is not displayed, under Report Options, click Adviser .
3. Due to the additional pressure drop in the smaller gate, the required injection pressure is even
larger than the pressure obtained in the previous analysis. Review the Results Adviser report to
confirm that you can successfully fill the part.
4. Click .
You have completed the analysis of the refined runner design in the form of a solid body.

107
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named wrench in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

108
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

109
Tutorial 6: Insert Overmolding
Use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to simulate the insert overmolding process that injects a plastic material into
the cavity that is partially occupied by a solid body insert.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Professional or SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run
this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file that contains the relevant part bodies
 Create a new study
 Specify an injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply materials to the cavity and the metal insert
 Run a Flow analysis
 Explore the analysis results
 Generate a report in Microsoft® Word and PowerPoint formats

110
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\handle.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Isometric view orientation. You use this view throughout the lesson.

111
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Overmolding Study, which is derived from the active
configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. Solid analysis is required for insert overmolding,
and for parts that are not uniformly thin.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available.

112
Specifying Domain Types
A domain represents a volume in space through which flow of fluid or heat is simulated. Three domains
are automatically created under the Domains node from the solid bodies. These bodies are tagged
with the names Insert, Plastic Part and Runner-Sprue.

You assign types to these domains.

1. Under the Domains node, right-click on SolidBody 1(Insert) and assign the type Insert .
2. Similarly, assign the type Cavity to SolidBody 2(Plastic Part).
3. Assign type Runner to SolidBody 3(Runner-Sprue).

113
Specifying Insert Thermal Properties
Since you will be doing a transient thermal analysis, you need to specify initial conditions for the insert
temperature.

1. Right-click on the insert domain node SolidBody 1(Insert)(-Insert-)(-1-) and select Insert
Properties .
2. In the PropertyManager, under Insert Parameters:

a. Set Insert Part Initial Temperature to 25 °C.

b. Click

114
Specifying an Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. You specify an injection
location at the sprue inlet.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the top face of the sprue body.
3. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

115
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation
by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Use Uniform Refinement Method (the default) so that no automatic local refinement is
used to create the mesh.
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Selection Sets,
and click Gate Surfaces.
d. Under , select all four faces comprising the gate surfaces. In the PropertyManager, assign
to each of them a Mesh Size (mm) of 0.25 mm.
e. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(3). and
select all three parts: Runner-Sprue, Plastic Part and Insert.
f. Under , select all three bodies. In the PropertyManager, assign to each of them a Mesh
Size (mm) of 1 mm.
g. Click each of the items in the selection box and double check the mesh size settings.
h. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.

116
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages such as the gate.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of
the solid mesh.
a. Under Section Clipping Settings, move the Z+ clipping plane backwards by slightly more than
1 tick mark to examine the solid mesh in the gate area.

You can zoom and rotate the view to better understand the volume mesh topology and
features. The mesh is a hybrid combination of wedge-shaped elements, layered near the
boundaries, and tetrahedral elements in the interior. The mesh layers ensure that more than a
single element spans thin flow passages and solid domains, which is a requirement for the
numerical scheme.

b. Click .

117
Applying a Polymer Material to the Part
You apply a polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) material to the part Cavity from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand the material node PBT.
c. Select the first material, “(P) Generic material / Generic material of PBT”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you apply a material to the Insert.

118
Applying an Insert Material
You apply steel as an Insert material from the material database.

In the PlasticsManager tree :

1. Under Material , right-click Insert , and select Open Database.

2. Click Metal to open the Insert (Metal) material dialog box.

3. Select Default Database .

4. Under Mold Database, scroll and select Steel – 420SS.
5. Click OK.
The Insert icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you set the Mold thermal conditions.

119
Setting Mold Thermal Conditions
In this lesson, you have not created a mold geometry, and you use a “virtual” mold instead. You set the
thermal conditions for the mold.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters .

2. Double-click Fill Settings .

3. Set Mold Temperature to 70 °C.

4. Click .
Next, you run the Flow analysis and explore the analysis results.

120
Running the Flow Analysis
Flow analysis predicts the filling pattern of the melt flow and the heat transfer to the insert as the
plastic fills the cavity.

To run the Flow analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow and select Run to start the analysis.

The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.

A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes within
10-20 minutes, depending on your computer.

121
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (default) in the graphics area.

Color gradients might vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.

2. If the Results Adviser is not displayed, under Report Options, click Adviser .
3. Review the Results Adviser report under Fill Time to gain insights about interpreting results
plots.
4. In the Results PropertyManager:
a. Under Animation, click Play .
The animation shows the profile of the plastic material melt as it flows through the part
cavity during the filling stage of the injection molding process.
b. Click Stop .

122
Viewing Thermal Results in Mold Cavity
You use visualization controls to view results for the Cavity domain.

1. From Available Results, select Temperature at End of Fill.

2. Under Clipping Options, select Clipping Plane Mode to show the cross-sectional
temperature.

3. You can view temperatures in the part cavity and insert by dragging the red arrow normal to
the clipping plane.

123
Viewing Thermal Results in Insert
You view temperature field results for the Insert domain.

1. In the SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager, click Show/Hide Domain and clear Cavity
and Runner to show only the Insert results.

2. Under Clipping Options, clear Clipping Plane Mode

3. In the PropertyManager:

a. Set the maximum contour value Max to 85 °C.

b. Set the minimum contour value Min to 70 °C.

The plot shows the temperature range of the Insert at the end of filling. Rotate the view to
observe the high temperatures near the injection location and at the tip of the Insert.

4. Reset the view orientation to Isometric and click

124
Generating Summary Reports
You use the report generation tool to create a summary report.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Results, right-click Summary and Report .

MS Word and MS PowerPoint formats are selected (default).
2. Click Generate to create results in both formats.
3. In the PropertyManager, click
4. In the Report Generator dialog box, under Cover
a. For Title, type Insert Overmolding.
b. For Date, type today’s date.
c. For Author, type your name.
d. Leave Department and Institute blank.
5. Click OK to start the report generation.
The report generation takes a few minutes.

6. When finished, the software prompts you to enter a folder location. Click Yes, then select a
convenient location, such as your Desktop.
In the specified location, you find a folder named Overmolding_Report that corresponds to the
configuration name. This folder contains images, animations, and the report in the selected
formats.

125
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named handle in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

126
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

127
Tutorial 7: Validating Injection Molding Simulation
Simulate the injection molding process with SOLIDWORKS Plastics and validate the Flow and Pack
results against experimental data. The part is a simple disk shape with sprue.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Professional or SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run
this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Specify the injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Import and apply it a custom polymer material
 Run Flow + Pack analyses with process parameters that match a physical experiment
 Compare the fill pattern to a short-shot progression based on the experiment
 Compare the packing pressure to the measured experimental data

128
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\disk_experiment.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your S OLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Isometric view orientation, which you use for specifying the injection location
and for creating the mesh. Solid bodies representing the mold and cooling channels have been hidden
in the view.

129
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Default Study, which is derived from the active configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh .

130
Specifying Domain Types
A domain represents a volume in space through which flow of fluid or heat is simulated. Six domains
are automatically created under the Domains node from the solid bodies. These bodies are tagged
with the names Cavity, Lower Cooling Channel, Lower Mold, Runner, Upper Cooling Channel and
Upper Mold. You do not include the mold and cooling channel domains in the simulation.

You need to assign types to these domains, or exclude them from the analysis. Under the Domains
node:

1. Right-click on SolidBody 1(Cavity) and assign the type Cavity .

2. Right-click on SolidBody 4(Runner) and assign the type Runner .
3. Select the remaining four domains and right-click Exclude from Analysis .

131
Specifying the Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. You specify an injection
location at the sprue inlet.

1. In the PlasticsManager , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location .

2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the top face of the sprue body.
3. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

132
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation
by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
b. Expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(6) and select Cavity.

c. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.

d. Use the flyout FeatureManager design tree to select the body Runner.

e. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 3 mm and the Curvature-based

Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh Control.
3. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check appears
on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh is displayed.

133
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of
the solid mesh.
a. Under Section Clipping Settings, move the +X clipping plane slider to the center. Note the
two layers of prismatic elements near the boundary surfaces. These boundary layer elements
accurately capture the high gradients of the flow and thermal fields. The surface mesh on the
disk surface is fine enough so that the interior tetrahedral elements are not squished.

b. Click .

134
Applying a Custom Material to the Part
You import a file containing the material characterization of a custom polymer, and apply it to the part.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:
a. Select User-defined Database .
b. Under Import Plastic Material , select File.
c. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS
version\samples\Plastics Examples\ and select custom_abs.bin
In the Plastics Database tab, under the ABS node, a new material appears called Custom /
ABS.

d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you specify process parameters.

135
Specifying the Fill Settings
The software allows you to control the injection of the melted material. You use the fill settings from
the machine used in the experiment.

In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters and open Fill Settings .

1. In the PropertyManager, under Process Parameters:

a. Set Melt Temperature (°C) to 210.

b. Set Mold Temperature (°C) to 60.

c. Set Injection Pressure Limit (MPa) to 200.

d. Set Clamp Force Limit (Tonne) to 200.

2. Expand Advanced and set Flow/Pack Switch Point (% Filled Volume) to 98.
3. Under Advanced, click Show Profile to open the Flow Rate Profile Settings.
a. Under Flow Rate Control, select Volume control (Absolute control)/Base on machine max.
flow rate.
b. Set Section number to 2.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select Screw position (mm) and Screw speed (mm/s) as
headings from the drop-down lists.
d. In the top right of the panel, set Screw Diameter (mm) to 44.
e. Set Initial screw position (mm) to 23.
f. In the table, enter the following data:
Screw Screw
position speed
(mm) (mm/s)
20 52.5
10 52.5
Hint: Set the second screw position before setting the first. This ensures that first screw
position is larger than the second one, a condition otherwise enforced by the software.

g. Click Apply.
h. Click OK.
4. Click .

136
Specifying the Pack Settings

Next, you specify the Pack Settings to match the experiment. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand
Process Parameters and open Pack Settings .

1. For Pressure Holding Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 7.

2. For Pure Cooling Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 15.
3. Click Show Profile to open the Pressure Profile Setting.
a. Under Pressure Control, select Machine pressure control (Absolute control).
b. Set Section number to 1.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select the heading Time (s) from the left drop-down list
and enter the following data for a constant packing profile:
Time(s) Injection Pressure(MPa)
7 135.3
d. Click Apply.
e. Click OK.
4. Click .

137
Running the Flow + Pack Analyses
You run both the Flow and Pack analyses sequentially.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow + Pack , and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow and Pack analyses, which completes
within several minutes.

138
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, you confirm that the part fills without problems.
1. If the Results Adviser does not appear, in the Results PropertyManager, under Report Options,
click Adviser .
Note that the injection pressure required to fill the part cavity is lower than the maximum limit
that was set for the machine.
2. Under Available Results, select Ease of Fill.
The uniform green color indicates that the cavity fills successfully based on the geometry, the
injection location, and the default process parameters.

139
Viewing the Fill Pattern
SOLIDWORKS Plastics allows you to visualize the part filling by animating the analysis results. In actual
practice, you can use a short-shot progression to determine the filling pattern experimentally, by
manually limiting the shot size of the machine.
1. Set the view orientation to Bottom .
2. Under Available Results, select Fill Time.
3. In the Results PropertyManager:
a. Under Animation, click Play .
The animation shows the profile of the plastic material melt as it flows through the part
cavity during the filling stage of the injection molding process.
b. Click Stop .

4. Manually change the Max value setting to successive values as follows: 0.054, 0.075, 0.088,
0.098 and 0.121.
5. Note the resulting fill patterns at each of these discrete times.
6. Click .

140
Comparing Analysis Results to the Short Shot Progression
You compare the Flow simulation results to the experiment result for the present mold cavity. The
experimental result is shown below, where photographs of the short shot progression at various times
are superimposed on the complete geometry.

The results show exhibit good qualitative agreement, with very slight differences in the curvature of
the melt front.

141
Viewing Time-Dependent Pressure Results
You use the X-Y Plot tool to examine the transient behavior of the pressure at a point during the
injection process.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Results.
2. Click on XY-Plot and select Read X-Y Plot.
A window opens to show two groups of results. Global Profile of the Filling Process contains
results that represents the complete model. You use Local Profile of the Filling Process to
probe the results at specific locations.

3. Activate Node Pressure under the Local Profile of the Filling Process.
4. Select a point on the circumference, centered near the base of the disk as shown below, and add
this point to the Select Points (Nodes) list by clicking Add Grid . You can resize the plot window
to get a better view of the model as necessary.

5. View the packing pressure profile.

142
Comparing Pressure Analysis Results to Experiment
You export the node pressure into a Microsoft Excel file, then compare this to tabulated data from the
experiment.

1. In the analysis results plot window, select Export to save the results into a .csv file.
2. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS
version\samples\Plastics Examples\disk_pressure_data.csv
3. Copy the data file to a suitable location on your local drive.
4. You can use the charting function in Microsoft Excel or similar software to compare the
experimental and analysis results contained in the two files.

The overall trend in the packing pressure behavior is captured quite well by the analysis.

143
Discussion of Results Accuracy
For the purpose of this lesson, only the Fill and Pack analyses were run without including mold cooling.
Therefore, the mold wall temperature was assumed constant and did not accurately reflect the true
thermal boundary conditions. Furthermore, the mesh resolution was relatively coarse to reduce the
analysis run times.

You can improve these results in two ways that are beyond the scope of the lesson:

1. Use a finer mesh to better resolve the flow.

2. Model the mold and cooling channels to improve the thermal boundary conditions in the cavity.
The figures below show results obtained with a finer mesh and the inclusion of cooling analysis.

144
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named disk_experiment in the
same location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

145
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

146
Tutorial 8: Cooling Analysis
Simulate mold cooling in the injection molding process with SOLIDWORKS Plastics. The part is a screw
cap made from polypropylene.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file and hide the cooling channel sketches
 Create a new study
 Specify the injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply a polymer material
 Run a Flow analysis without cooling
 Create a new configuration
 Use the Channel Wizard to create cooling channels from a 3D sketch
 Apply polymer, coolant, and mold materials
 Run a Cool/Flow/Pack analysis
 Explore the analysis results

147
Opening the Part File and Hiding the Cooling Channel Sketches
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\screw_cap.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Trimetric view orientation.

The part contains sketches that define the cooling channels. You do not use the sketches for the first
part of the lesson. Click View > Hide/Show > Sketches to hide the sketches for an unobscured view
of the part.

148
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Default Study, which is derived from the active configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. The solid procedure is best for accurate cooling
analysis.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called screw-
cap(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

149
Specifying the Injection Location
In this exercise, you specify the injection location directly on the part.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection, select the surface of the dimple on the top face.
3. Click .

A red cone-shaped glyph indicates the injection location.

150
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the simulation
by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. Expand the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1). and select the part:
Screw Cap.

d. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 1.5 mm.

e. In the graphics area, select the surface of the dimple on the top face.

f. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 0.8 mm.

g. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
h. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.

151
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements of
the solid mesh.
a. Under Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider to the center.
Examine the sold mesh elements. The default Solid Mesh settings create two layers of
prismatic elements near the boundary surfaces. These boundary layer elements accurately
capture the high gradients of the flow and thermal fields. The automatic mesh refinement
refines the mesh near the screw threads.

b. Click .

152
Applying a Material to the Part
You apply a polypropylene material to the part from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PP.
c. Select “(P) Generic material / Generic material of PP”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you adopt the best practice by validating the part design with a basic Flow analysis before setting
up the mold cooling analysis.

153
Running the Flow Analysis
Run a Flow analysis to verify that the mold cavity fills before you run the cooling analysis.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow , and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the Flow analysis, which completes within
several minutes.

154
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, you confirm that the part fills without problems.
1. If the Results Adviser does not appear, in the Results PropertyManager, under Report Options,
click Adviser .
Note the low injection pressure required to fill the part cavity.
2. Under Available Results, select Ease of Fill.
The uniform green color indicates that the cavity fills successfully based on the geometry, the
injection location, and the default process parameters.

3. Click .
Before proceeding with the cooling analysis, click File -> Save to save your work.

155
Creating a Duplicate Study and Showing the Cooling Channel Sketches
Now you create a duplicate study for the cooling analysis.

1. In the SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager, click Duplicate Study .

2. For a new configuration name, type Mold Cooling.
3. Do not check Copy without results.
4. Click OK.
5. Switch to the ConfigurationManager to verify that the new configuration was created and is
active.
6. You use the predefined sketches to create cooling channels for a cooling analysis. Click View >
Hide/Show > Sketches to show the sketches.

156
Incorporating Cooling Channels
You create a runner domain using the Channel Design Wizard.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Domains , select Cooling Channel .

2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Use the the graphics area to Ctrl + select the four straight horizontal line segments on the
upper and lower sketches.
b. Under Channel Parameters, select General, then set 1st Point > D1 and 2nd Point > D2 to
10 mm.
c. Set Number of Elements to 5.
d. Click Assign.

Under Selections , the software creates the four cooling channel segments with the type
General.
e. Ctrl + select the two semicircular lines of the Upper Cooling Channel sketch.
f. Enter the value 10 mm for 1st Point > D1 and 2nd Point > D2.
g. Set Number of Elements to 10.
h. Click Assign.

Under Selections , the software creates two more cooling channel segments with the type
General.

157
Creating the Baffle Cooling Channel
You continue to use the Cooling Channel PropertyManager to complete the cooling channel design.

1. Under Channel Parameters, select Baffle.

2. In the graphics area, select the vertical line of the sketch Baffle.
3. Enter the value 10 mm for 1st Point > D1.
4. Click Assign.

Under Selections , the software creates the seventh cooling channel segment with type Baffle.
5. Click .
Two new domains corresponding to the cooling channels appear under the Domains node.

158
Creating the Virtual Mold
You create a domain corresponding to the Mold. In the absence of the proper mold geometry modeled
as a solid body, you create a Virtual Mold for the analysis.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Domains , select Virtual Mold .

2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Use the default settings to define the position and size of the mold
b. A wireframe box that represents the virtual mold appears in the graphics area.

3. Click .
The graphics area updates and a new domain corresponding to the virtual mold appears under the
Domains node.

159
Assigning Boundary Conditions to the Upper Cooling Channel
You create boundary conditions for the upper cooling channel:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Coolant Input .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Under Coolant Parameters, select Inlet . In the graphics area, click on the end of the
upper sketch corresponding to the coolant flow inlet.
b. Under Coolant Parameters, select Outlet . In the graphics area, click on the end of the
upper sketch corresponding to the coolant flow outlet.
Arrow glyphs are drawn in the graphics area to show the flow direction.

c. Under Flow Parameters , set Flow rate (cc/s) to 100 and Inlet Temperature (°C) to 20.
The flow rate setting ensures a fully turbulent flow. The inlet temperature setting is
sufficiently below the target mold temperature for effective heat transfer.

3. Click .
4. The Coolant Input condition is created under the Boundary Conditions node.

160
Assigning Boundary Conditions to the Lower Cooling Channel
You create boundary conditions for the upper cooling channel:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Coolant Input .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Under Coolant Parameters, select Inlet . In the graphics area, click on the end of the
lower sketch corresponding to the coolant flow inlet.
b. Under Coolant Parameters, select Outlet . In the graphics area, click on the end of the
lower sketch corresponding to the coolant flow outlet.
Arrow glyphs are drawn in the graphics area to show the flow direction.

c. Under Flow Parameters , set Flow rate (cc/s) to 100 and Inlet Temperature (°C) to 20.
The flow rate setting ensures a fully turbulent flow. The inlet temperature setting is
sufficiently below the target mold temperature for effective heat transfer.

3. Click .
4. A second Coolant Input condition is created under the Boundary Conditions node.

161
Creating the Mesh in the Cavity, Cooling Channels and Mold
You continue using the meshing tools to recreate the cavity mesh.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager, the following selections will be set as previously:
a. Curvature-based Refinement Method.
b. Advanced Mesh Control.

c. Mesh size (mm) of 1.5 mm for the part Screw Cap.

d. Mesh size (mm) of 0.8 mm for the surface of the dimple on the top face.
e. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete.
f. Click Mold Visibility in the Plastics CommandManager. The mold surface mesh is
displayed.

g. Click Mold Visibility in the Plastics CommandManager to turn off the mold surface
mesh display.

162
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements in the Complete Mesh
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh, confirming that sufficient
elements span narrow flow passages.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements
of the solid mesh.
a. Under Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider toward the center to
examine the solid mesh elements.

Notice the variation in mesh sizes and element shapes from the virtual mold to the cooling
channel elements to the part cavity. As before, the cavity contains a hybrid mesh consisting
of prismatic and tetrahedral elements. The cooling channels use hexahedral elements and
the mold mesh is comprised of tetrahedral elements. This mesh topology balances efficient
meshing with an accurate solution.

b. Click .

163
Applying a Material to the Part
You apply a polypropylene material to the part for this Mold Cooling configuration.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select ‘(P)
Generic material ‘ Generic material of PP’ from the list of recently used materials.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .
2. Double-click Polymer to access the material parameters in the database.
3. Click the Polymer-Material Parameters tab.
a. Note the recommended Mold temperature of 50 °C. The software considers this mold
temperature when it sets the coolant inflow temperature.
b. Note the value of Ejection temperature (95 °C). The software uses this temperature value to
compute the part cooling time.
4. Click OK.
Next, you apply a material for the coolant.

164
Applying a Coolant Material
A fluid coolant flows through the cooling channels. You apply water from the material database.

In the PlasticsManager tree :

1. Under Material , right-click Coolant , and select Open Database.

2. In the dialog box, select Default Database .

3. Under Coolant Database, select Water (default).
4. Click OK.
The Coolant icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you apply a material for the mold.

165
Applying a Mold Material
You apply steel as a mold material from the material database.

In the PlasticsManager tree :

1. Under Material , right-click Mold , and select Open Database.

2. In the material dialog box, select Default Database .

3. Under Mold Database, select Steel - P20.
4. Click OK.
The Mold icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

166
Defining Clipping Plane Settings
Before running a Cool analysis, you define a clipping plane.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Display Setup , open Clipping Plane Settings .

2. Under Define Clipping Planes, click to create a clipping plane at Z=0.

3. Click .

167
Running the Cooling Analysis
The Cool analysis module performs a conjugate heat transfer analysis with the objective of obtaining
the temperature distribution within the mold. First, you conduct the Cool analysis, and then use it in
the subsequent Flow and Pack analyses.

You run the Cool + Flow + Pack analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Cool + Flow + Pack , and click Run to start the analysis.
3. Click OK, when prompted to replace the previous Flow results.
Once the analysis starts, the Analysis Manager panel appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the analysis. The Cool + Flow + Pack analysis
takes longer than just running the Flow analysis, but completes within a matter of minutes.

168
Mold Cooling Results: Part Cooling Time
You examine the cooling analysis results to visualize the part cooling time.

1. In the Results PropertyManager, select the Cool tab .

The Part Cooling Time plot appears by default.
2. To get an unobscured view of the part:
a. In the SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager, clear Cooling Channel Visibility and
Mold Visibility .
b. Click View > Hide/Show > Sketches to hide the sketches.

3. Under Clipping Plane, click Clipping Plane Mode .

The software displays Clipping Plane-0 that you created.

The bluish contours on the outer surfaces of the part indicate that the cooling time is about one
second for these regions of the part. The red sections corresponding to the core of the thicker
regions indicate a cooling time of almost six seconds. The nonuniform cooling times observed
across the part geometry indicate the possibility of warpage.
Note: The part cooling time calculation is based on the ejection temperature of 99 °C for
the selected material.

169
Mold Cooling Results: Part Temperature at End of Cooling
You examine the cooling analysis results to visualize the part temperature distribution at the end of
cooling.

In the Results PropertyManager:

1. Under Available Results, select Part Temperature at End of Cooling.

2. Set Min , the minimum contour plot value for clipping, to 99 °C, the ejection temperature.

3. Under Clipping Plane, click Isosurface Mode .

The contour plot for part temperature at the end of cooling shows the regions of the part with
temperatures that exceed the recommended ejection temperature for the material. You can
reduce the overall cooling time and improve the manufacturing cycle time by minimizing the
geometry thickness in these regions.

4. Click .

170
Mold Cooling Results: Mold Temperature at End of Cooling
You examine the cooling analysis results to visualize the mold temperature at the end of cooling.

1. Before reopening the Cool results, in the SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager, select Mold
Visibility and Cooling Channel Visibility .
2. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Results, open Cool Results .
3. In the PropertyManager:
a. Under Available Results, select Mold Temperature at End of Cooling

b. Under Clipping Plane, click Clipping Plane Mode .

The mold temperature at the end of cooling exhibits a wide temperature range. Next, you
measure this range.

171
Mold Cooling Results: Measuring Mold Temperature Difference s
You use the Measure tool in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to quantify the mold temperature differences
between the outer and inner surfaces of the part.

1. Click the down arrow on Measure (SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager), and click
Measure to show the measure tool in the graphics area.
2. Zoom in to the results display. The numbers in the red and blue rectangles reflect information
about the red and blue dot locations. The value R in the blue and red rectangles is the probed
temperature at the selected locations. The value dR in the magenta box is the difference between
these temperature values.
Note: N is the mesh node number. X, Y, and Z are the Cartesian coordinates of the dots,
which you can use to pinpoint exact locations.
3. To move the red dot, click near an inside surface of the part.
4. Click the small blue rectangle inside the large blue rectangle and then click near an outside
surface of the part to move the blue dot.

The value shown for dR is about 25 °C, but this value varies depending on the selected
locations.
5. Clear Measure , and click .
The large temperature difference between the inner and outer surfaces of the mold could result in
excessive warp.

172
Adjusting Cooling Process Parameters

In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters , and double-click Cool Settings

In the PropertyManager, under Specify Control Parameters, Eject Temperature is specified by default.
This option causes SOLIDWORKS Plastics to determine the end of the cooling analysis when 90% of the
cavity falls below the material’s ejection temperature.

You can instead choose an alternative method to specify the cooling time:

1. In the PropertyManager, under Specify Control Parameters , select Cooling Time.

2. The software computes the cooling time value shown as the sum of the Filling Time (Fill Settings
PropertyManager), the Pressure Holding Time (Pack Settings PropertyManager), and Pure
Cooling Time (Pack Settings PropertyManager).
3. Click .

173
Rerunning the Analysis with Different Cooling Process Parameters
As an exercise, you can rerun the analysis with the Cooling Time method:
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Cool + Flow + Pack , and select Run to start the analysis.
3. When prompted to replace the existing results, click OK.
4. Use what you have learned about cooling results exploration to examine the effect of the
different process parameter settings on the mold cooling.

174
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named screw_cap in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

175
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

176
Tutorial 9: Analyzing Warpage and Shrinkage
Run an analysis in SOLIDWORKS Plastics to analyze warpage and shrinkage of a nylon spur gear. You
initiate three distinct analysis modules with the Flow + Pack + Warp command. Flow predicts how
material fills the cavity. Pack evaluates the phase change of the polymer material. Warp uses the
residual stress data from Flow and Pack to predict the final shape and dimensions of the part.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Specify the injection location
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply a polymer material
 Run a Flow + Pack + Warp analysis
 Explore the analysis results
 Apply a different material to improve part shrinkage

177
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\spur_gear.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Left view orientation, which you use throughout this lesson.

Note: You use the three sketch points defined in Injection Locations, highlighted by red circles, to
specify the injection locations.

178
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Accept the default study name, Default Study, which is derived from the active configuration.
3. Accept the Single Material specified for the Injection Process.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. Solid analysis is required for parts such as this that
are not uniformly thin.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . A single domain with the type Cavity , called
spur_gear(-Cavity-), is created from the part.

179
Specifying the Injection Locations
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations. If your model does not
contain a runner, the injection location corresponds to the gate. You specify three injection locations
on the part to ensure a uniform part filling and to minimize nonuniform shrinkage.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Point.
b. For Selection , in the graphics area, select the three predefined sketch points defined in
Injection Locations.
c. For Pointer Diameter (mm) , enter 1 for each sketch point.
3. Click .

4. Rotate the part to have a better view of the red cone-shaped glyphs, which indicate the
injection locations.
5. Reset the view orientation to Left .

180
Creating a Solid Mesh
A solid mesh with user-specified parameters yields the best analysis accuracy for parts of varying
thickness. You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid with the appropriate resolution for the
simulation by manually specifying mesh sizes.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(1). and
select the part: GearBody.

d. In the PropertyManager, set Mesh size (mm) to 1 mm.

e. You do not need to select the Curvature-based Refinement Method under Advanced Mesh
Control, since you already set this globally.
f. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step. A green check
appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The surface mesh
is displayed.

181
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
You use the Solid Mesh View to examine the resolution of the solid mesh.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements
of the solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the -X clipping plane slider to the right to examine the
solid mesh elements.

The section view reveals the details of the solid mesh. Wedge-shaped elements, layered
near the boundaries, improve the solution accuracy. Tetrahedral elements fill the interior
very efficiently. This hybrid mesh topology provides an efficient discretization of the analysis
domain that accurately captures the important features of the flow, thermal, and stress
fields.

b. Click .

182
Applying a Material to the Part
In this analysis, you apply a nylon material from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:
a. Select Default Database .
b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PA66.
c. Select the first material from the list, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PA66”.
d. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .
Next, you run the Flow, Pack, and Warp analyses and explore the results.

183
Running Flow + Pack + Warp Analyses
You run the Flow, Pack, and Warp analyses with a single command.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow + Pack + Warp and select Run to start the analysis.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of each of the analysis steps: Flow, Pack, and
Warp. Each analysis step runs for several minutes, with Pack taking the longest. The total analysis
completes within 10-15 minutes, depending on your computer’s specifications.

184
Viewing Flow Analysis Results: Ease of Fill
Once the Flow analysis is completed, you confirm that the part fills without problems.
1. If the Results Adviser does not appear, in the Results PropertyManager, under Report Options,
click Adviser .
Note the low injection pressure required to fill the part cavity.
2. Under Available Results, select Ease of Fill.
The uniform green color indicates that the cavity fills successfully based on the geometry, the
injection location, and the default process parameters.

185
Viewing Flow Analysis Results: Gate Filling Contribution
The pattern of filling is important for obtaining a part that shrinks uniformly. You confirm this by
examining the filling contributions from each gate.
1. Under Available Results, select Gate Filling Contribution.
The regular pattern of the three colors shown in the plot indicates that equal amounts of
polymer material are injected from each of the three injection locations.

2. Click .

186
Viewing Warp Analysis Results
You examine Warp analysis results and use the Measure tool to estimate the volumetric shrinkage.
1. In the PlasticsManager, under Results, right-click Warp Results , and select Read All.
The Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
2. View the Total Stress Displacement result plot in the graphics area. This shows the total
deformation of the part after the molded part cools to room temperature. This plot considers
stresses and thermal effects during filling, packing, and a uniform mold temperature cooling
process.
3. In the SOLIDWORKS Plastics CommandManager, from the Evaluate menu, click Measure .
4. In the graphics area, zoom in to the results display. You see black lines corresponding to the edges
of the original part geometry, and filled colors for results that correspond to the deformed shape
predicted by the Warp analysis.
5. Position the red dot of the Measure tool by clicking near the outermost boundaries of the gear
teeth. The tool snaps to the edges of the part geometry, but measures the nearest results
analysis location.
Read the value of R, which is the probed value. Try various locations to determine the
deformation range, and to confirm that specifying multiple injection locations resulted in
uniform shrinkage.
Note: N is the mesh node number and X, Y, and Z are the Cartesian coordinates of the
probed locations. These can be useful to pinpoint exact locations.

The Total Stress Displacement of the gear teeth is slightly less than 0.3 mm, which may not be
within the acceptable design tolerance.
6. Clear Measure , then click .
Next, you try a different material for the part to investigate whether you can further reduce the
total warping deformation (shrinkage).
187
Applying a Different Material to the Part
You apply a nylon material with glass fiber from the database.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:
a. Select Default Database .
b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node PA66.
c. Select the second material, “(P) Generic Material / Generic Material of PA66+30%Glass
Fiber”.
d. Click OK.
Next, you rerun the Flow, Pack, and Warp analyses and explore the results.

188
Rerunning Flow + Pack + Warp
You run the Flow, Pack, and Warp analyses as before.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow + Pack + Warp and select Run to start the analysis.
3. When prompted to replace the Flow and Warp results, click OK.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of each of the analysis steps: Flow, Pack, and
Warp. Each analysis step runs for several minutes, with Pack taking the longest. The total analysis time
takes 10-15 minutes, depending on your computer.

189
Viewing Analysis Results
Follow the same procedure as before to examine the analysis results.
1. In the Results PropertyManager, on the Flow tab:
a. Use the Results Adviser to verify that the part fills successfully.
b. Display Ease of Fill to confirm the fill results.

2. In the Warp Results :

a. Display the Total Stress Displacement plot.
b. Use the Measure tool to verify that you reduced the shrinkage by using the material
containing glass fiber, then click .

190
Saving the Part and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named spur_gear in the same
location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

191
Legal Notice
By viewing this tutorial, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

The software described in this tutorial is available only under license from Dassault Systèmes or its
subsidiaries and may be used or reproduced only in accordance with the terms of such license.

This tutorial and the software described in this tutorial are subject to change without prior notice.

THIS TUTORIAL IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, ORAL OR WRITTEN, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-
INFRINGEMENT.

DASSAULT SYSTÈMES, ITS AFFILIATES, AND ITS LICENSORS SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR DIRECT,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES THAT IN ANY WAY RELATE TO THIS
TUTORIAL, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN THE TUTORIAL’S CONTENTS.

No part of this tutorial may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior written permission
of Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries.

© Dassault Systèmes, 2019

ABAQUS, the 3DS logo, SIMULIA, and SOLIDWORKS are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Dassault Systèmes or its subsidiaries in the US and/or other countries.

Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of their respective
owners.

192
Tutorial 10: Multi-Shot Overmolding
Use SOLIDWORKS Plastics to simulate the injection molding of a two-cavity part with different polymer
materials injected into each cavity. You simultaneously initiate three distinct analysis modules with the
Flow + Pack + Warp command. You examine the temperature development over time and
investigate the resulting surface quality.

Note: You must have SOLIDWORKS Plastics Premium to run this tutorial.

In this tutorial, you:

 Open the part file

 Create a new study
 Set domain types and fill order
 Specify the injection locations
 Generate a solid mesh
 Apply different polymer materials to each cavity domain
 Specify fill and pack settings
 Run the Flow + Pack + Warp analysis
 Explore the analysis results

193
What Is Multi-Shot Injection?
Multi-shot, or more specifically in this lesson, two-shot injection, is a process in which two different
polymer materials are injected within the same cycle. The materials are introduced sequentially with
two different injection nozzles into the different cavities. This is achieved by using a special mold that
rotates between cycles.

This process is described in the following three steps:

1. The injection of the red material starts in the right-hand mold cavity, while injection of the yellow
material starts in the left-hand cavity. Note that the left hand cavity already contains a part
comprising the red material.
2. The injection of the red material completes in the right-hand mold cavity, while injection of the
yellow material completes in the left-hand cavity.
3. The mold opens, ejects only the completed part comprising both red and yellow materials, and
rotates to a new position so that step 1 can be repeated.

1.

2.

3.

194
Opening the Part File
You must first copy the part file to a suitable location so you can save your analysis.

1. Browse to drive letter:\Users\Public\Public Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS

version\samples\Plastics Examples\brush_handle.sldprt
2. Copy the part file to a suitable location on your local drive.
3. In SOLIDWORKS, open the file from that location.

Warning: Failure to copy the part file to a suitable location will corrupt your SOLIDWORKS Plastics
installation.

The part opens in the Isometric view orientation, which you use throughout this lesson.

Note: You use the two small, red-colored, circular surfaces to specify the injection locations.

195
Creating a New Study
You create a study to define the key characteristics of your simulation, specifically whether you are
simulating single or multiple materials, and whether you are choosing the solid or shell analysis
procedure.

1. Select New Study in the Plastics command manager.

2. Enter the name of the study name, Two-Shot Injection.
3. Under Injection Process select Multi Material Overmolding. This process type differs from co-
injection or bi-injection because each cavity is filled with a single material from different
injection nozzles.
4. Accept the default Solid analysis procedure. Solid analysis is required for parts such as this that
are not uniformly thin.
5. Click to complete the study creation.
The tab for the PlasticsManager tree becomes available, containing three nodes: Domains ,
Boundary Conditions and Solid Mesh . Under Domains, the two solid bodies that exist in your
part model are listed. One domain is called SolidBody 1(Body) and the other is called SolidBody
2(Grip). You assign domain types in the next step.

196
Specify the Domain Types and Order
The model contains two different bodies that define cavities to be filled sequentially. In the actual
mold, a rotary disk is typically used to connect the cavities with their respective gates. After the first
cavity is filled, the mold opens and the disk rotates while the previously-created part remains in the
fixed half of the mold. The first part is then connected to the gate of the mold half of the second cavity,
the mold closes again, and the second cavity is filled.

In the simulation process, both parts are designed in their final positions and the gates are specified on
the cavities. You specify the domain types as cavity, and then assign the fill order:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under the Domains node, right-click on SolidBody 1(Body) and
select Cavity .
2. Similarly, right-click on SolidBody 2(Grip) and again select Cavity .
3. Right-click on SolidBody 2(Grip), then under Order select 2.
The domain names are now annotated with the domain type and assigned a fill order. Their display
names are SolidBody 1(Body)(-Cavity-)(-1-) and SolidBody 1(Grip)(-Cavity-)(-2-).

197
Specifying the Injection Location
Melted polymer material flows into the part cavity through injection locations that correspond to the
gates. You specify injection locations on each of the cavities:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Boundary Conditions , and click Injection Location
.
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. For Type, select Geometry Face.
b. For Selection , select the small red circular faces on each of the two cavities.
c. Click .

The red cone-shaped glyphs, highlighted by orange circles in the figure, indicate the injection
locations.

198
Creating a Solid Mesh
You create a Solid Mesh of type Tetrahedral Hybrid using Advanced Mesh Control. The software will
make automatic choices for the mesh size in each cavity, which you overwite with slightly different
values of a similar magnitude. You use curvature-based refinement method to further refine the mesh
locally to capture local geometric features in each cavity.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , right-click Solid Mesh and select Create Mesh .
2. In the PropertyManager:
a. Select the Curvature-based Refinement Method for automatic mesh refinement on regions
of high curvature, and near the injection location.
b. Select Advanced Mesh Control.
c. In the graphics area, in the flyout FeatureManager design tree. Expand Solid Bodies(2). and
select Body. Notice that, by analyzing the size and thickness of the cavity body, the software
automatically chooses a global mesh size of about 8.7 mm. You further restrict the size of
the largest elements for a more accurate analysis.

d. In the PropertyManager, set the Mesh size (mm) to 5 mm..

e. Use the same procedure for the Solid Body named Grip to set the Mesh size (mm) to 2.5
mm. Though slightly larger than the automatically chosen value of 1.86 mm, this size is
adequate when combined with Curvature-based refinement.
f. Click to create the surface mesh and the volume mesh in a single step.
A green check appears on the Solid Mesh node, indicating that meshing is complete. The
surface mesh is displayed.

199
Viewing the Solid Mesh Elements
Once you create a mesh created, the software adds nodes to the PlasticsManager tree that let you
complete the simulation setup. Before proceeding, you use the Solid Mesh View to examine the solid
mesh.

1. Right-click on the Solid Mesh node and select the Solid Mesh View .
2. In the Solid Mesh View PropertyManager, you use section clipping under to view the elements
of the solid mesh.
a. In Section Clipping Settings, move the +Z clipping plane slider to the left to examine the
solid mesh elements.

The section view reveals the details of the solid mesh. Wedge-shaped elements, layered
near the boundaries, improve the solution accuracy. Tetrahedral elements fill the interior
very efficiently. This hybrid mesh topology provides an efficient discretization of the analysis
domain that accurately captures the important features of the flow, thermal, and stress
fields. The mesh has enough mesh elements to properly capture the physics of the
processes of filling, packing and warping.

b. Click .
3. Click File -> Save to save the current setup including the study setup, the domain assignments,
the injection location and the mesh parameters.

200
Applying Polymer Materials to the Cavity Domains
You select from the database and apply an ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styreneplastic) polymer to the
body domain and a SAN (Styrene Acrylonitrileplastic) polymer to the grip.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Material , right-click Polymer , and select Open
Database.
2. In the dialog box:

a. Select Default Database .

b. Under Plastics Database, expand material node ABS.
c. Select “(P) Generic material / Generic material of ABS”.
d. Change the Domain (located at the top of the Polymer window) to Cavity (Part) 2, and
confirm that you want to save the changes.
e. Under Plastics Database, expand material node SAN.
f. Select “(P) Generic material / Generic material of SAN”.
g. Click OK.
The Polymer icon under the Material node now has a green check mark .

Next, you specify the process parameters.

201
Specifying the Fill Settings
The software allows you to control the injection of the melted material either using a specified filling
time, by specifying the flow rate of melted polymer, or by specifying the motion of the screw of the
injection molding machine. In this lesson, you specify a variable flow rate profile.

In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters and open Fill Settings .

1. In the PropertyManager, select the domain Cavity (Part) 1.

2. Expand Advanced and click Show Profile to open the Flow Rate Profile Settings.
a. Under Flow Rate Control, select Volume control (Absolute control)/Base on machine max.
flow rate.
b. Set Section number to 3.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select Volume (%) and Flow Rate (cc/s) as headings
from the drop-down lists and enter the following data:
Volume Flow Rate
(%) (cc/s)
5 20
95 30
100 25
d. Click Apply.
e. Click OK.
3. In the Fill Settings PropertyManager, under Domain, select the domain Cavity (Part) 2, and click
Yes to save the changes.
4. Change the Mold Temperature (°C) to 50.
5. Expand Advanced and click Show Profile to open the Flow Rate Profile Settings.
a. Under Flow Rate Control, select Volume control (Absolute control)/Base on machine max.
flow rate.
b. Set Section number to 3.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select Volume (%) and Flow Rate (cc/s) as headings
from the drop-down lists and enter the following data:
Volume Flow Rate
(%) (cc/s)
5 4
95 8
100 6
d. Click Apply.
e. Click OK.
6. Click .

202
Specifying the Pack Settings
Since different materials require different packing pressure, you use relative pressure control to define
a packing pressure profile for each material, rather than using the default settings in the software.
Relative pressure control is based on the injection pressure, which is calculated at the end of the filling
time. Because both materials are injected at the same time at different positions of the rotating mold,
you use the same time period for both cavities.

In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Process Parameters and open Pack Settings .

1. In the PropertyManager, select the domain Cavity (Part) 1.

2. For Pressure Holding Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 10.

3. For Pure Cooling Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 100.
4. Click Show Profile to open the Pressure Profile Setting.
a. Under Pressure Control, select Relative to pressure at filling end (Relative control).
b. Set Section number to 1.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select the heading Time (s) from the left drop-down list
and enter the following data for a constant packing profile:
Time(s) Injection Pressure(%)
10 80
d. Click Apply.
e. Click OK.
5. In the Pack Settings PropertyManager select the domain Cavity (Part) 2, and click Yes to save
the changes.

6. For Pressure Holding Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 10.

7. For Pure Cooling Time (sec), deselect Auto and set a value of 100.
8. Click Show Profile to open the Pressure Profile Setting.
a. Under Pressure Control, select Relative to pressure at filling end (Relative control).
b. Set Section number to 1.
c. In the table on the right-hand side, select the heading Time (s) from the left drop-down list
and enter the following data for a constant packing profile:
Time(s) Injection Pressure(%)
10 60
d. Click Apply.
e. Click OK.
9. Click .

203
Running the Flow + Pack + Warp Analysis
Before proceeding with the analysis, it is good practice to use File -> Save to save the current setup and
analysis parameters.

To run the Flow + Pack + Warp analysis:

1. In the PlasticsManager tree, expand Run .
2. Right-click Flow + Pack + Warp and select Run to start the simulation.
The Analysis Manager dialog box appears.
A Flow + Pack analysis will run for the first cavity and then automatically start the Flow + Pack for the
second cavity. Once both are completed, the Warp analysis will be started.
A progress bar with text messages reports the status of the analysis, which completes within 30-40
minutes, depending on your computer.

204
Viewing Flow Analysis Results
Once the Flow analysis is completed, the Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
1. View the Fill Time result plot (selected by default) in the graphics area.

Colors might vary due to lighting, view orientation or other settings.

2. Under Report Options, notice that the Adviser button is automatically enabled to display
the Results Adviser on the right-hand side of your screen.
3. Review the Results Adviser report under Fill Time to gain insights about interpreting results
plots.
According to the Results Adviser report, you can fill this part with an injection pressure of
about 19 MPa (approximately 2800 psi).
Note: The results can vary by a few percentage points depending on variations of the mesh
settings, changes to the material data, or revisions of the software. Color plots might
slightly vary due to lighting, view orientation, or other settings.
4. In the Results PropertyManager:
a. Under Animation, click Play .
The animation shows the profile of the polymer melts as they flow through the part cavities
during the filling stage of the injection molding process.

b. Click Stop .
5. Click .

205
Viewing Warp Analysis Results
You examine Warp analysis results and use the Measure tool to estimate the volumetric shrinkage.
1. In the PlasticsManager, under Results, right-click Warp Results , and select Read All.
The Results PropertyManager lists the Available Results plots.
2. View the Total Stress Displacement result plot in the graphics area.
3. Expand Deformation Scale and enter 5.

This result shows the total deformation of the part after the molded part cools to room
temperature. The color contours represent the deformation of the part based on the mass
center of the model. The larger deformation scale exaggerates the degree of deformation of
the part relative to the cavity outline.

206
Measuring Linear Shrinkage
To evaluate the linear shrinkage in the x-direction, you define measure points at both ends of the part
and measure the degree of linear shrinkage between these points using the Measure tool .

1. Set the view orientation to Top .

2. Set the Deformation Scale to 1.
3. Expand the Component box and select X-Direction.
4. Position the red dot of the Measure tool by clicking on one end of the part.
5. Switch to the blue dot by clicking inside the blue rectangle, then position the blue dot on the
other end of the part.

The values of x-direction deformation shown by the measure tool indicate a total part shrinkage
of about 0.9 mm on both ends of the part, resulting in a total of approximately 1.8 mm (dR), or
about 1% (dR[%]).

6. Clear Measure , and click .

207
Viewing Time-Dependent Analysis Results for Global Results
You use the X-Y Plot tool to examine the transient behavior of the global results during the injection
process.
1. In the PlasticsManager tree , expand Results.
2. Click on XY-Plot and select Read X-Y Plot.
A window opens to show two groups of results. Global Profile of the Filling Process contains
results that represents the complete model and the Local Profile of the Filling Process can
represent the results at selected measure points.

3. By default, Max. Inlet Pressure, is pre-selected.

The pressure curve displays the pressure development vs time for both cavities. Note the pressure
rise in the first cavity, the defined packing pressure profile for the first cavity and the pure cooling
time of the first part with a pressure value of 0 MPa. During the Filling stage of the second cavity
the pressure rises again.

4. Use the Zoom button to better examine the maximum inlet pressure during the filling stage of
the second cavity.

Next, you use the Local Profile option to examine local results profiles.

208
Viewing Local Time-Dependent Results
You choose a reference plane to select nodal points at which to display the transient behavior of local
results during the injection process.
1. In the X-Y Plot Property Manager, choose Set Reference Plane and select the XY Plane.
2. Set the view orientation to Isometric to better see the reference plane position. You can slide
the top of your X-Y plot window down so it does not obscure your view.

The reference plane, which is colored cyan, is a cutting plane that allows you to select points on
a cross-sectional plane. You can control the position of the reference plane using the Offset
Distance slider. For this lesson, you leave it in the default mid-plane position.

3. Reset the view orientation to Back .

Next, you select nodal points along the cross-section that will be used for results display of nodal
temperature.

209
Selecting Nodal Point and Displaying Local Results
You select 5 nodal points on the cross-section for nodal temperature results display.
1. Activate the Node Temperature under the Local Profile of the Filling Process.
2. Select a point near the head of the brush and add this point to the Select Points (Nodes) list by
clicking Add Grid .

3. Repeat the process to select a second vertically aligned with the gate of the first cavity, a third
point in the middle of the second cavity, the fourth point in first cavity but close to the second
cavity, and a fifth point in the middle of the handle.

4. The temperature profiles for each nodal point are displayed. Notice the number of each point
inside the square symbols on the plots.

210
Analyzing the Time-Dependent Local Temperature Behavior
When the filling of the second cavity starts, the temperature at point 4 rises due to the overmolding. In
many two-shot injection situations, the first material is re-melted at the interface, which leads to a
better connection between the first and the second material. However, in certain cases (for example if
you are using clear plastics), the re-melting may not be desirable and with the benefit of insight gained
from simulation, you can evaluate ways to minimize the re-melting.

The time curve of points 3 and 5 shows the necessity of a large cooling time. The two dashed
horizontal lines show the recommended ejection and transition temperatures of the material. The time
curve of point 3 is still above the transition temperature. That means that the material at this measure
point is not yet frozen. Arguably, a larger cooling time might be advised. However, a small non-frozen
area inside the part is acceptable, and the time curve of point 5 shows that the first material will freeze
during the cooling time of the second cavity.

1. When done with these results, click to close X-Y Plot.

2. Reset the in the View Orientation to Isometric .

211
Generating Summary Reports
You use the report generation tool to create a summary report.

1. In the PlasticsManager tree , under Results, right-click Summary and Report .

MS Word and MS PowerPoint formats are selected (default).
2. Click Generate to create results in both formats.
3. In the PropertyManager, click
4. In the Report Generator dialog box, under Cover
a. For Title, type Two-Shot.
b. For Date, type today’s date.
c. For Author, type your name.
d. Leave Department and Institute blank.
5. Select the Generate Image File tab and select the following:
a. Under Material Parameters, Polymer Viscosity Graph.
b. Under Results, Max. Inlet Pressure and Node Temperature. These are selected by default.
c. Under Flow Results, the Fill Time and Weld Lines.
d. Under Warp Results, X Displacement and Total Displacement.
6. Click OK to start the report generation.
The report generation takes a few minutes.

7. When finished, the software prompts you to enter a folder location. Click Yes, then select a
convenient location, such as your Desktop.
In the specified location, you find a folder named Default_Report that corresponds to the
configuration name Default. This folder contains images, animations, and the report in the
selected formats.

212
Saving the Analysis Settings and Closing the Session
Click File -> Save.
The software saves information such as the details of the study, the domain assignment, boundary
conditions such as injection location and mesh parameters, with the part document.
The software saves the Plastics analysis settings and results in a folder named brush_handle in the
same location as the part file.
Close the part to exit the session.

Congratulations! You have completed this tutorial.

213
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