In the search bar up on the right hand side of the screen, if you are
using google online, type mold design in search and hit the search
group button. You will find lots of information. I am not trying to be
rude or a smart ass, but this is the best way to start because lots of
other people have asked.
I am not aware at this moment of Mold Design books specifically for
SolidWorks. It is more about knowing mold design and knowing SolidWorks
seperately and then bringing the knowledge together. If you don't no
mold design then you will need a mold design book that does not include
SolidWorks info. SolidWorks has info on how to split a part or create a
cavity but that is included in the tutorial. I don't have a specific
book at this time and I have been doing mold design for 6 years. But I
understand mold design and SoldiWorks so the only thing I get from time
to time is the guidlines for a specific material.
http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&q=mold+design+guide
http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&q=mold+design+tutorials
http://www.google.com/search?complete=1&hl=en&lr=&q=mold+design+books
Wayne Tiffany and John Layne posted this one a while back.
Engineering Polymers, Part and Mold Design, Thermoplastics, A Design Guide,
put out by Bayer MaterialScience.
It's 7 chapters entitled:
1. Part design process: concept to finished part
2. General design
3. Structural design
4. Design for assy
5. Machining & finishing
6. Painting, plating, & decorating
7. Mold design
For those of us that don't design plastic parts but once every 5 years, and
then have a molder really do the design from that point, it's a good
resource to understanding the considerations in this type of application. At
least you would have some understanding of the terminology, etc.
I received a hard copy sent via snail mail just for entering my information
at http://www.designguide.bayerplastics.com /
Thanks Wayne and John
Keith
Did anybody click on Mr. Huber's link from his initial post? I don't
think he needs help with Mold design per se.... he's looking for
particulars regarding SW and mold design. Sorry I can't help...
Mike Tripoli
On Mon, 9 May 2005 07:45:37 -0500, "Keith Streich"
No I did not. Guess he knows mold stuff. Still I wanted to post that
inforamation for other users.
Since Moldflow Xpress was introduced for most of us in Solidworks 2005, I
don't believe there is much more than the help files for that information.
Perhaps something more exists at http://www.moldflow.com who own the rights
to Moldflow Xpress.
As for the basic mold tools which SW2005 has, I've heard SW2006 will be more
of what mold people want, something about multiple entries or moving mold
pieces allowing for more intricate pieces. When I took the training
involving mold stuff, it was a lot of surface stuff, splitting things and
extending surfaces, seemed like a pain. Maybe that's why there are add-on
mold packages.
Keith
surface stuff, splitting things and extending surfaces, seemed like a pain.
Maybe that's why there are add-on mold packages.
------------------------------------------
Do any of them help with that kind of stuff, or are they component
libraries?
==========================
Hi Mike,
Thanks for checking out my web site. You're right, I'm pretty comfortable
with mold design, just want to get up to speed on all of the tricks to
SolidWorks. So far, I'm not impressed. I tried to create a shut off
surface in a part opening that breaks out into two planar surfaces that are
at an angle to each other. It should have been very simple. The surface
"wrinkled" where the two planes intersect. I was able to create a core,
delete and patch a face, but had no luck using the new mold tools creating
the cavity.
I imported the part into a new file, extruded a boss on the two planar
surfaces, away from the cavity direction, and used that lump to create a
cavity in assembly mode. I think it should have been easier. My base part
is fairly simple, 93 features, but takes up too much time rebuilding. I'm
using a 3.2 GHz computer with 1 Gb of RAM, so it shouldn't be too bad.
I find the SolidWorks help files, and error messages, to be lacking. It
seems that there is very often a work-around when SolidWorks doesn't want to
do its job, but it usually requires a workaround, and I find that
disappointing too. So, I was hoping I could buy a book to make me smarter
about using Solidworks.
Thanks to everyone who made suggestions. I ordered a book by David Murray
called "Inside SolidWorks 2003". I've heard some good things about it, and
it does cover some mold design. Once I read it, I'll post my opinion here,
if anyone is interested.
Thanks again,
Rocky
www.dzynsource.com
Just to give you some incremental hints ( a brain dump on this subject
would be too much), but for shutoff surfaces, don't try to use the SW built
in tools. It will too often give, well, "entertaining" results, assuming
you have a good sense of humor about that kind of thing.
The usual tools for shut offs (for me anyway) are...
- "delete hole" This is for the case where you just want to fill in the
existing surface. It's kind of a hidden command. There is no icon or menu
item for it (except that it works like a portion of the "untrim" tool), you
will only see it if you select the edge of a closed loop on a surface and
try to delete it. It will first ask you if you are trying to delete the
surface feature or the hole in the surface. It fills in the hole with the
underlying brep.
- "planar surface". it should be obvious when this is appropriate.
- "fill surface". for basically any simple shutoff situation not covered
by the above two.
- if you have to do complex shutoffs, you'll wind up using extruded, lofted
and ruled surfaces, of course along with trim, extend and knit.
Good luck,
Matt
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