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Gate Size and Location to Reduce Warpage

Gate Size and Location to Reduce Warpage

Customer challenge

Caterpillar needed to determine the gate location and size with these factors in mind: 1) Flow balance and flow direction - This is particularly important for the glass fiber filled material used. 2) Gate location and fiber orientation - Needed the proper gate location for the least amount of warpage, which helps assemble the part more easily.

Project goals

The ultimate goal is to mold a part successfully with minimal changes. A step to succeed in molding with little complications is making sure the gate is located and sized properly, keeping in mind the shear and packing rates that will occur due to the gate size.

Solution

Using Autodesk Moldflow Insight, the analysis initially simulated a round cashew gate. The shear rate predicted in that gate was nearly four times the shear rate limit of the PP material (100,000 sec.-1), which would likely result in gate blush. Changing it to a rectangular shape reduced it to an acceptable shear rate of approximately 89,000 sec.-1. The gate size and location were determined and due to the simulation iterations, the warpage was reduced to tolerance because of the uniform fiber orientation. The parts assembled with no issues.

Business outcome

Brian McBride from Caterpillar commented, “Without Moldflow, we wouldn’t be able to evaluate all of our gating options. Moldflow saves us time and money.”

Conclusion

As is always the case in plastics, there is a balance that must be struck among several variables, and that is most easily done by simulation. These are all things that we evaluate through a series of trials in the simulation software, which in the end identify the best overall solution.

Project summary

    Duration & delivery

  • 37
  • 2020-04-22

    Autodesk solutions

  • Moldflow Insight

    Services provided

  • Simulation

    Customer industry

  • Design & Manufacturing
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