Goldmedal Electricals 

Goldmedal enhances surface aesthetics and cuts design time by 60% with Autodesk Moldflow

Design & Manufacturing

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Summary

Goldmedal Electricals Private Limited, an industry leader in high-quality electrical products, significantly enhanced its design process by adopting Autodesk Moldflow and Fusion. Transitioning from traditional trial-and-error methods to advanced simulation technologies, Goldmedal streamlined mold development, addressed complex design challenges, and optimized product aesthetics. By using Moldflow to predict and mitigate sink marks and integrating it with Fusion for detailed visual feedback, the company achieved a 60% reduction in design trial-and-error time, improved product quality, and reduced costs. This technological advancement solidified Goldmedal's market position and commitment to innovation.

Goldmedal Fabia Fan

About Goldmedal

Goldmedal Electricals Private Limited, established in 1979, is a leading Indian company known for its high-quality electrical products, including switches, home automation systems, LED lighting, and accessories. Headquartered in Mumbai, with state-of-the-art manufacturing units in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Telangana, Goldmedal emphasizes innovation through its in-house design facility. With 29 offices across India, the company is committed to delivering products that combine functionality, design, and advanced technology, earning it a loyal customer base and numerous accolades both in India and internationally.

Goldmedal Fabia Trim Sinkmark observed in Autodesk Moldflow

Challenges faced

Until recently, trends favoured international manufacturing of tools due to its cost-effectiveness and faster production times compared to local manufacturers. However, this often-posed challenges in troubleshooting, as collaborating with international teams can be difficult. The "Make in India" initiative has shifted the focus towards strengthening domestic production and tool manufacturing. Local tool production allows project leads to work closely with manufacturers, increasing the likelihood of getting the mold tooling right on the first attempt.

In today’s competitive market, traditional product development methods—like trial-and-error or relying on experience—are no longer sufficient. These outdated approaches lead to delays and inefficiencies in bringing new products to market.

Goldmedal Electricals transitioned from traditional design methods to 3D CAD and CAD/CAM integration, pioneering advanced technology adoption. As the company expanded into new segments, it faced challenges like shorter product lifecycles and intensified competition.

 

Adopting advanced solutions to overcome design challenges

To address these issues, Goldmedal adopted Autodesk Moldflow and Fusion, streamlining its Mold development process and launching innovative products while tackling complex challenges, solidifying its market position.

While working on the aesthetic component of a ceiling fan to enhance the fan blades' appearance, the team encountered an issue with sink marks on the part. The component's geometry included a curved surface with ribs connecting a boss to the surface and another stand-alone boss. The design's complexity, with curved faces where the ribs meet the walls, posed a challenge. To avoid overly thick sections at the rib-to-wall intersections, the ribs were designed based on previous parts as references. Unfortunately, this design choice led to excess material accumulating internally, causing visible sink marks.

The initial gating system was designed using traditional methods then modifications were made using Moldflow in hopes to optimize material flow. Despite this, the first trial revealed sink marks of 0.03mm on the A-surface, particularly where the curved faces met the wall as shown in Figure 1. These sink marks were unacceptable for such an aesthetic part.

"Plastic shrinkage is a major challenge in injection molding, particularly in the electronics industry," says Pravin Kumar Yadav, Sr. Moldflow Engineer, Goldmedal Electricals Private Limited. "Unpredictable polymer behavior during cooling can cause surface depressions and internal stress. Thick plastic regions and thin sections near thicker areas are especially vulnerable, making trial and error or molders' experience alone inadequate."

Goldmedal Fabia Trim Sinkmark intensity reduced with design change

Simulation highlights crucial insights

Moldflow analysis revealed that during the packing stage, the A-surface of the part showed an even distribution of volumetric shrinkage. However, the intersections between the part surface and the ribs exhibited uneven shrinkage. This clearly indicates that thicker ribs lead to greater shrinkage, increasing the likelihood of sink marks. To ensure the part maintains the necessary strength, it's crucial to carefully consider wall thickness. Therefore, before making any changes or decisions, running a simulation is always recommended.

Moldflow Sink Mark Analysis helps enhance quality and accelerate time to market

Figure 2. illustrates Moldflow’s Sink Mark Analysis and the location of sink marks observed on the model. The experimental results showed that as rib thickness increased, the depth of the sink marks also grew more pronounced.

To address this challenge, adjustments were done to match the wall thickness to the ribs' thickness. Minor changes were also made to the runner size while keeping the gate location unchanged. These adjustments helped reduce the pressure in the part. Initially, the wall thickness was 1.8mm with ribs on the B-surface, but sink marks appeared due to the improper rib-to-wall thickness ratio, as indicated by the analysis.

Using Moldflow, a plot was generated to display the overall thickness of the part, including the Fill Time Interval at various stages until the end of the fill. Three iterations were conducted, during which the radius at the intersection of the boss, ribs, and wall was removed. Based on the Moldflow simulations, the wall and rib thickness were then optimized.

Moldflow accurately identified the sink mark phenomenon in the injection-molded part, providing crucial insights for product optimization and parameter adjustments before production. "Moldflow's advanced capabilities for sink mark prediction, especially in areas with uneven shrinkage in rib regions, offer precise and in-depth analysis," says Rahiman D. Toolroom HOD, Goldmedal Electricals Private Limited.

This enhancement in Sink Mark Analysis highlights ongoing efforts to improve software capabilities and simulation accuracy in Moldflow. These advancements benefit users by identifying potential issues in complex plastic product designs early on, allowing for timely corrections that reduce costly mold trials and accelerate time-to-market.

"Our goal is to consistently create innovative products for our customers. Autodesk Moldflow and Fusion has been a game-changer in this process, enabling us to efficiently evaluate and refine designs before production, which drastically cuts down process time. The design phase is crucial in crafting high-quality plastic molding tools, and we're glad we chose Autodesk Moldflow."

Rakesh C, General manager product development, Goldmedal Electricals Private Limited

Goldmedal Fabia trim rendered in Autodesk Fusion

Moldflow & Autodesk Fusion Integration for cost efficiencies and enhanced product quality

With Moldflow's success in minimizing sink marks, Goldmedal also experimented with improving cooling in critical areas, resulting in a flawless A-surface. Consequently, the final molded product met all specifications. Testing the actual mold with recommended adjustments showed a strong correlation between Moldflow simulation results and the real part, validating the process and boosting confidence in Moldflow as a design tool.

The company integrated Moldflow with Fusion, allowing the design team to see how changes impacted aesthetics and manufacturability (Figure 3). Fusion's rendering capabilities provided valuable visual feedback, enabling designers to evaluate the effects of modifications on the part's appearance.

By ensuring Design Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (DFMEA) before product launch, Moldflow and Fusion became cost-effective and time-saving tools for Goldmedal Electricals. This reduced product rejection rates and cut lead times, leading to quality improvements, shorter lead times, and cost reductions of 60% or more, positively impacting the company’s profit structure.