The software, Part Adviser, provides part and mold designers with feedback on the manufacturability of proposed designs even as it reduces the complexity of preparing designs for analysis. Intended for nonspecialists, the software tells users whether a part will fill properly, where weld lines are located, and if and where air traps will appear. Using these data, engineers can quickly analyze many design alternatives to identify the one that best meets key design and manufacturing parameters. Part Adviser helps simplify the analysis process partly through its tight integration with leading CAD programs. In addition, Part Adviser can be launched from within the CAD program, and analyses are performed directly on CAD geometry.
Users select the three-dimensional solid model and define material and injection locations.
Preparing a model for analysis takes minutes, according to the company, because geometry doesn't have to be translated, and a midplane mesh does not need to be created. Tools for dynamically manipulating models and obtaining online design advice, tool tips, progress and status bars, and a result-summary dialog box make the program even easier to use for nonspecialists. The program's online advisers aid users in identifying manufacturing constraints and determining how plastic-flow behavior affects part quality. The program also suggests corrective action when manufacturing problems are identified. Streamlining Work Flows Workgroup Technology Corp. in Lexington, Mass., has released CMS 7.0, a software suite that helps manufacturers reduce time to market, manage innovation, and improve product quality by controlling collaborative work processes more effectively.