Sequentially Coupled Plastic Injection to Structural Analysis Workflows

Injection molding is a widely used manufacturing process for the mass production of plastic parts. The injection molding process includes the following key steps: filling, packing and cooling. The shape distortion (warpage) caused by the cooling process poses major challenge for designers.

SIMULIA offers an end-to-end sequential workflow to predict the warpage developed during the process using the following simulation tools:

• Plastic apps in 3DX. The injection molding simulation tool that can predict part defects such as short shots, weld line, sink marks, etc. The injection molding simulation tool can also predict fiber orientation, temperature and residual stresses in the plastic part at ejection.
• Multiscale technology in Abaqus. The multiscale technology in Abaqus can accurately predict   material responses both at the composite level and at the constituent level. Nonlinear behaviors can be accurately captured using the vast selection of material models available in Abaqus solvers. Fiber orientations can also be taken into account with the multiscale material model.
• End-to-end workflow in 3DX allows the results from the injection molding simulation to be  imported into the subsequent structural analyses for warpage and further deformation prediction under service load.

In this Tech Talk the speakers will give a detailed introduction of the simulation tools above. An example will be given at the end of the talk to demonstrate the full sequential workflow.