Moldflow Plastics Advisers are easy-to-use, 3D solids-based plastics flow simulation tools that allow plastics part designers and injection mold makers to predict the manufacturability and quality of their designs during the preliminary product development stages and avoid potential downstream problems which can lead to delays and cost overruns. MPA is commercially available in two products — Moldflow Part Adviser and Moldflow Mold Adviser.

The Moldflow Part Adviser module is the ideal tool to quickly check the manufacturability and quality of plastic part designs when the cost of change is least — early in the design process. Users can get rapid feedback on how modifications to wall thickness, gate locations, material choice or part geometry can affect the filling pattern and pressure and temperature distributions in the part cavity. The analysis results and detailed design advice can be used to determine the optimum part thickness and gate locations as well as to identify and eliminate quality issues such as weld lines, air traps and sink marks.

The Moldflow Mold Adviser module extends the capabilities of Moldflow Part Adviser to allow mold designers to create and simulate plastic flow through single cavity, multi-cavity and family molds. Users can optimize gate type, size and location as well as runner layout, size and cross-sectional shape. Analysis results include cycle time, clamp tonnage, and shot size, all of which help the design-to-manufacturing team size the injection molding machine, minimize cycle times and reduce manufacturing waste. Optional Moldflow Mold Adviser add-on modules allow users to simulate more phases of the injection molding process and evaluate molded part performance and cooling circuit design.

Moldflow Corporation , the leading provider of design through manufacturing solutions for the plastics injection molding industry, recently announced the release of Moldflow Plastics Advisers (MPA), the easy-to-use, solids-based simulation software tool that enables plastics part and mold designers to validate and optimize designs for manufacturability.

MPA delivers new technologies and key enhancements to help users analyze a broader range of parts with 3D technology, improve productivity with a redesigned user interface, interpret results more efficiently using new results visualization options and increase collaboration with expanded communication capabilities.

MPA features true 3D analysis capability for the accurate simulation of parts with thick, solid regions or excessive variations in wall thickness. Based on Moldflow’s market-leading Moldflow Plastics Insight (MPI) technology, the 3D functionality now available in MPA raises the bar for accessibility and ease-of-use. As plastics part geometry becomes increasingly more complex, the 3D technology in MPA ensures that our customers will be able to predict and avoid manufacturing defects before a mold is ever made, saving them costly and time-consuming production delays.

We are pleased to offer 3D technology to supplement MPA’s patented Dual Domain technology to increase the range of models that can be accurately analyzed by MPA. The implementation of 3D technology in MPA is unique in its ability to completely automate the model preparation process. Additionally, MPA delivers a new Optimal Technology Solution (OTS) that automatically checks model suitability to determine which analysis technology – Dual Domain or Advanced 3D – is appropriate to achieve optimal results. This eliminates the requirement for the user to make this determination unassisted.

From the first time I imported a model into MPA and saw the geometry check and repair features, I was impressed and pleased, and the software’s capability to recommend the appropriate analysis technology removes the guesswork from evaluating the model for analysis. I realized the benefits of 3D technology firsthand on a project involving a highly complex part design that was not suitable for Dual Domain analysis. Instead of pursuing expensive and time-consuming part design or mold tooling changes to address a potential manufacturing concern, I used the new 3D technology to help me identify an alternative plastic material as the most efficient solution.

Other significant features in MPA enable users to:

Improve productivity – New panel-based user interface streamlines workflow, provides uninterrupted access to the model, and improves overall user productivity. New project management capabilities help organize various studies performed within a single project to easily capture design iterations and manage changes. The new MPA user interface enables faster analysis of various iterations of a project. It is easier to keep track of project status and to do more focused analyses.”
Interpret results with greater efficiency – New results visualization options allow effortless comparison of analysis results from two or more iterations to realize design improvements. Simultaneous display of combinations of two analysis results enables a more thorough understanding of plastics material behavior and new Dynamic Help functionality allows users to quickly understand the results that have the greatest impact on optimizing their part and mold designs.
Increase collaboration – Enhanced report generation capabilities make it possible to automatically generate reports in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint formats in addition to HTML to easily communicate analysis information with other members of the product development team or to prepare for design reviews.
Work smarter – A host of new and enhanced tools are provided specifically to help users work smarter. The redesigned Cost Adviser facilitates detailed part cost analysis for better planning. The New Job Manager allows monitoring and setting priorities of multiple analysis jobs to take maximum advantage of available CPU resources and free engineers for other tasks. The ability to compare material properties aids in selecting the best material for the job.