Family Tools Analysis Guide: Balancing Techniques & Optimization Strategies

1. Analyzing Family Tools

2. Family Tools • Aim • Learn to create and size runners for a family tool • Why do it • Combining parts into a family tool creates a balance problem • Ensure parts can be molded together • Size runners to ensure balanced filling • Overview • Optimize each part separately • Ensure same conditions will work for each part • Balance runners

3. Family Tools • Tools with 2 or more different parts in it • Parts normally assemble together • Volumes should be similar between parts • The farther apart the volume the more difficult to balance • Runners must be sized to balance the flow between the parts

4. Analyze Family Tools Create a study for all parts Move parts to tool position Determine molding conditions (Same conditions for all parts) Find same conditions for all parts? N Don’t build a single tool Y Break up parts into more than one tool. Put in the same tool parts whose optimum conditions are similar Verify filling Create family tool study Create runners End Balance family tool End Analyze Family Tools

5. Balance Family Tools Calculate flow rate Run fill analysis Determine target pressure Run balance analysis Increase pressure Decrease pressure Runners small? Review results N Y Balance Good? N Determine new pressure Y Review runner sizes Round runner sizes Verify runner sizes Revise runner sizes Balance good? N Y End Balance Family Tools

6. Analyze Family Tools • Create study for each part • Prepare model as normal • Move parts to tool position • Best if all parts are moved into tool position before they are combined • Determine molding conditions • For all parts • All parts must use the same conditions • Set range of molding conditions to analyze the same • Set advanced options for zone plot

7. Box Lid Molding Window • Set mold temperature • Compare zone plots to find melt temperature & Injection time

8. Analyze Family Tools • Verify Filling • Ensure molding conditions produce good parts • Ensure no filling problems exist • Create family tool • Use FileAdd to combine parts • Create runner system • Manual methods • Runner system wizard

9. Total volume of the parts Flow Rate = Injection time for the parts Balance Family Tools • Calculate flow rate • Run fill analysis • With Flow rate • Switchover 100% • Pack profile 100% • Determine target (balance) pressure

10. Balance Family Tools • Run balance analysis • Use target pressure • Constrain runners not to be sized • Set Advanced options to tighten tolerances if necessary • Review results • Screen output • Look at balancing iterations • Fill time • Pressure

11. Balance Family Tools • Review runner sizes • Too large or small • Round runner sizes • To nearest standard sizes if possible • Verify runner sizes • Ensure rounded sizes don’t create problems

12. Practice • Parts • Box, volume 21.66 cu.cm • Lid, volume 6.69 cu.cm • Use SAN • Huntsman Chemical Company, Austran SAN23 • Run molding window analysis on both parts • Find molding conditions that are acceptable for both parts • Build 3-plate runner system per drawing • Model round runners • Equal to the height of the runner • Fix drops to prevent balancing

13. Family Tool Runner System

14. Practice • Run flow analysis family tool model • Use flow rate as fill control • Based on part volume • Volume can be found in mesh statistics • Flow rate is vol/time • Set the switch-over to 100% filled • Balance runners • Use 70 MPa as the target pressure • Review results • Round runner sizes

15. Review Results • Balanced? • Time • Pressure • Sizes acceptable?

16. QUESTIONS?