Moldflow Launches Moldflow Plastics Advisers 5.0 Software
18 December 2000
Moldflow Launches Moldflow Plastics Advisers 5.0 Software
WAYLAND, Mass.--Dec. 18, 2000--Moldflow Corporation , a world leader in process-wide solutions for optimizing the design and manufacture of plastic products, announces the latest release of the Moldflow Plastics Advisers(TM) (MPA(TM)), release 5.0.
The software, which is made up of the Moldflow Part Adviser and the Moldflow Mold Adviser, identifies critical manufacturability and quality issues and recommends appropriate actions to address those issues.
Using Moldflow Plastics Advisers, part and mold designers are able to take control of their designs early on, enabling every part and mold concept to be tested for manufacturing feasibility before the tool is cut, when the cost of change is minimal. Developed as a companion to all CAD solid modeling systems, MPA allows users to run simulations and view results directly on the solid model where they can identify and resolve part quality issues such as weld lines, voids, burn marks and sink marks.
Some of the new features in MPA 5.0 include:
| -- | Sink Mark Analysis: For many plastic parts, exterior aesthetics are important. Sink marks can cause cosmetic problems that can delay production and lead to additional costs in the product development cycle. MPA 5.0 provides a unique sink mark locator that explicitly identifies sink mark locations and predicts their severity so that designers can take preventive steps to eliminate costly sink marks. |
| -- | Cooling Quality Analysis: Cooling quality analysis provides critical feedback on areas of a part that are poorly designed. This awareness allows part and mold designers to take corrective actions early in the design cycle. The analysis identifies excessive heat concentrations or heat loss on the model that could be due to the thickness or geometry of the part. The adverse effects of sharp corners, deep cores, and close proximity of geometric features can be studied through the cooling quality analysis. Extending MPA's now familiar traffic light analogy, the analysis identifies regions that have high (green), medium (yellow), and low (red) cooling quality. |
| -- | Consolidated Materials Database: MPA 5.0 combines C-MOLD's and Moldflow's material databases into a single database consisting of nearly 7,500 grades of materials. The database represents a 50% increase in offerings compared to MPA 4.0. |
| -- | Cost Adviser: MPA 5.0's Cost Adviser feature helps part designers quantify the projected cost to manufacture a given part's design, as well as realize the impact of a design or material change on part cost. Mold designers using Cost Adviser can accurately estimate piece-part cost and be able to forecast profit and yield expectations. |
| -- | Analysis Selection Wizard: For new MPA users, the Analysis Selection Wizard serves as a one-stop analysis launch window |
| -- | one easy to use interface to access any analysis. The Analysis Selection Wizard also indicates which analyses can be performed, which cannot, and why. The visual feedback is especially helpful for infrequent or novice users. The automatic feedback helps users understand what to expect, what data is missing from the model to be analyzed, and what data is required to launch an analysis. |
"MPA 5.0 contains a wealth of powerful tools that help both part and mold designers address mission critical issues early in the design cycle. The new technology helps our customers strategically and much more effectively improve product quality and avoid costs that are traditionally absorbed in downstream processes," said Murali Anna-Reddy, product line manager for Moldflow Plastics Advisers.
Mick D'Agostino, design engineer at Tri-Mack Manufacturing Corporation, says, "I am particularly pleased with the overall enhancements in MPA 5.0. The Analysis Selection Wizard is a great time saver and helps me quickly determine which analysis is right for a particular scenario. The instant feedback helps me set up the most appropriate analysis much faster than traditional methodology."
Richard Heyworth, design engineer at Rainbird, adds, "We design and manufacture more than 400 products so it's important for us to use tools that help us address design problems early in the design cycle. MPA 5.0 provides features that will help us stay ahead of our competition. For example, the Sink Mark Analysis and Cooling Quality Analysis are significant enhancements that will help us improve product quality and shrink time to market."
Availability
MPA 5.0 is shipping now. For more information, contact your local Moldflow representative or visit www.moldflow.com