Getting Started with Simulation on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform #5: Is the Plastic Part Strong and Manufacturable?

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Are Your Plastic Parts Strong and Manufacturable?

By watching our recently recorded live webinar, you can discover how to design and analyze your parts to meet strength requirements without a single physical prototype with SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation (MODSIM).

Thanks to everyone who attended the fifth live webinar in our series, Getting Started with 3DEXPERIENCE® Works: Is the Plastic Part Strong and Manufacturable? We appreciate your participation and feedback. It is the best way for us to tailor these events to provide maximum benefit to you, our valued SOLIDWORKS® and 3DEXPERIENCE users worldwide.

Better Together

Utilizing SOLIDWORKS in conjunction with 3DEXPERIENCE Works can significantly enhance the design and simulation processes of your plastic parts. As many of you already know firsthand, SOLIDWORKS enables engineers and designers to create detailed and accurate models of parts. 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation facilitates virtual testing of numerous real-world injection molding conditions to assess part strength and performance, optimize designs, and minimize the need for physical prototypes.

This design and simulation combination (MODSIM) enables early detection of design flaws and potential product failures. When leveraged together, SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation support iterative design improvements from the earliest stages of design. Integrating 3D CAD and FEA technologies is a comprehensive, cost-effective, and efficient approach to preventing downstream manufacturing issues and producing reliable, high-quality deliverables.

Furthermore, because the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is cloud-based, collaboration with team members, including suppliers and customers, is simplified. Decision-making is streamlined as all stakeholders can participate in the process. Once on the platform, your team can access SOLIDWORKS files from the office, at home, or anywhere with an internet connection. You can also easily share your results with others in real time with a web-based viewer—no CAD or simulation skills are required.

The Value of Digital Simulation

Designing and manufacturing injection molded plastic parts is challenging in many ways. The list below is just a small sampling of issues that must be addressed. But remember, collaboration among designers, engineers, and manufacturers, which is streamlined with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, is often the key to a successful plastic part design.

  •          Material Selection – Consider the unique characteristics of different plastics. The material should suit the part’s function and aesthetic requirements and withstand environmental factors like UV exposure, chemicals, and temperature extremes.
  •          Wall Thickness – Ensure even cooling with uniformity in wall thickness, which reduces warping and other internal stresses. Wall thickness also impacts cycle times and material consumption.
  •          Shrinkage and Warpage – Understand each material’s shrink rate and design to mitigate its effects on the final part dimensions and aesthetics.

With 3DEXPERIENCE Simulation, you can answer questions upfront: Is this plastic part going to fill? Will there be air traps or weld lines visible? Will the part satisfy strength requirements?

Reduce Risks

Testing the strength of plastic parts is critical because it enables engineers and designers to mitigate risks during the design process. Simulation allows you to test components under a variety of conditions in a virtual environment before they’re manufactured. This approach prevents potential manufacturing errors, saves time and costs associated with physical testing, and fosters a more iterative design process.

Moreover, 3DEXPERIENCE Works Simulation enables you to predict when parts might break or wear out over time. Simulation can also help make it easier to meet regulatory standards, improve product reliability, and even determine when maintenance may be required.

Learn More

To watch the recording of this or any previous session or to register for upcoming sessions for the live Getting Started with 3DEXPERIENCE Works series, visit the information and registration page.

 

 

SOLIDWORKS

SOLIDWORKS

Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp. offers complete 3D software tools that let you create, simulate, publish, and manage your data. SolidWorks products are easy to learn and use, and work together to help you design products better, faster, and more cost-effectively. The SolidWorks focus on ease-of-use allows more engineers, designers and other technology professionals than ever before to take advantage of 3D in bringing their designs to life.
SOLIDWORKS

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