This dialog is used to view the properties of the selected thermoplastics material.
The Recommended Processing tab of the Thermoplastics material dialog is used to specify the recommended processing conditions for the thermoplastics material.
Note: Once an analysis is finished, you can check the ejection temperature, maximum shear stress and rate against the analysis results to determine if they are acceptable.
Note: If a property name is shown in red, it indicates that the property has not been tested for this specific material. However, material data from the testing of a comparable generic grade was found to be suitable and has been assigned to this material.
Dialog elements
- Mold surface temperature
- The temperature of the mold at the plastic-metal interface, where the plastic touches the mold.
In cases where this is an input box, enter the required mold temperature.
Note:
- The temperature of the mold affects the cooling rate of the plastic.
- The mold temperature cannot be higher than the ejection temperature.
- Melt temperature
- The temperature of the molten plastic, or melt, as it starts to flow into the cavity.
In cases where this is an input box, enter the required melt temperature.
Note:
- If the model has a runner system, the melt temperature refers to the temperature of the melt as it enters the runner system. If the model does not have a runner system, the melt temperature is the temperature of the melt as it exits the gate(s).
- The melt temperature cannot be lower than the Transition temperature.
- Filling control
- Specifies the method by which the filling phase of the analysis is controlled.
Select the method to control polymer injection during the filling phase.
Note: If you select Ram Speed Profile, you must select the profile variables, and enter the profile.
- [Relative/Absolute/Legacy ram speed profile] by
- Specifies the two variables by which the ram speed profile is controlled.
Select the ram speed control method from the drop-down list.
- [Injection time] of
- Specify the time it takes for the part to fill completely.
Click Edit profile and enter the ram speed profile.
- [Flow rate] at
- Specify the flow rate of the polymer as it is injected into the mold cavity.
- Filling control
- Specifies the method by which the filling phase of the analysis is controlled.
Select the method to control polymer injection during the filling phase.
Note: If you select Ram Speed Profile, you must select the profile variables, and enter the profile.
- %Ram speed vs %stroke
- Controls the injection ram using the percent of stroke and percent of speed of the ram.
Click Edit profile and type your values in the table to change the profile.
- %Flow rate vs %shot volume
- Controls the speed of the ram (flow rate) as a function of the ram position (shot volume).
Click Plot profile and type your values in the table to change the profile.
Note: You can also set a reference point for the profile as a nominal flow rate or injection time.
- Velocity/pressure switch-over
- The criteria by which the molding machine will switch from velocity control to pressure control.
Select the required switch-over method in the drop-down list, and then specify the switch-over point.
Note: On a typical molding machine, the standard setting will be 99% of volume filled. If the switch-over is occurring early, look for a short shot or check material compressibility has been taken into account when setting the velocity/pressure switch-over point.
- [By % volume filled] at
- Specify the percentage of volume filled value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
- [By injection pressure] at
- Specify the injection pressure value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
- [By clamp force] at
- Specify the clamp force value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
- Velocity/pressure switch-over by pressure control point
- Specify the switch-over point by selecting a pressure control point inside the cavity. Once the specified pressure is reached at the selected node, the program will change from velocity to pressure control, and the pressure profile will be applied.
Enter the node number and pressure to specify the pressure control point.
- [By injection time] at
- Specify the injection time value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
Velocity/pressure switch-over will occur as soon as this amount of time in the filling phase has elapsed.
- [By ram position] at
- Specify the ram position value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
- [By hydraulic pressure] at
- Specify the hydraulic pressure value at which the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control should occur.
- By whichever comes first
- Specify the switch-over point from velocity control to pressure control, by setting more than one of the available switch-over criteria.
Click Edit switch-over settings to set the switch-over criteria. Velocity/pressure switch-over will occur as soon as one of the specified criteria is fulfilled.
- Pack/holding control
- Specifies the method by which the pressure phase of the molding process is controlled.
Select the required control method, click Edit profile, and then enter the pressure profile.
Important: For Injection-compression analysis, Pack/holding control controls the injection unit, not the compression unit.
- %Filling pressure vs time
- Controls the packing phase of the molding cycle as a function of percentage filling pressure versus time.
- Packing pressure vs time
- Controls the packing phase of the molding cycle as a function of injection pressure versus time.
- Hydraulic pressure vs time
- Controls the packing phase of the molding cycle as a function of hydraulic pressure versus time.
- %Maximum machine pressure vs time
- Controls the packing phase of the molding cycle as a function of percentage maximum pressure versus time.
- Cooling time
- Specify a cooling time, or have it calculated automatically during the Fill+Pack analysis.
During a Fill+Pack analysis, cooling time can either be specified or calculated automatically. If the required cooling time is known, enter it here.
- [Specified] of
- Specify the time, after the packing phase, when the part is sufficiently frozen to be ejected from the mold.
- Automatic
- Sets the cooling time automatically.
Note: Click Edit ejection criteria to specify the part ejection criteria for a Cool analysis with automatic calculation of the required cooling time.
- Advanced options...
- Displays the advanced options for the analysis.
- Fiber orientation analysis if fiber material
- Enables a Fiber orientation analysis if the material includes fiber.
- Birefringence analysis if material data includes optical properties
- Produces stress-optical birefringence results if the material has optical properties.
Birefringence calculations add extra time to the analysis. Leave this option off if you do not need birefringence results.
Note: You must also enable principal stress output results in the Warp process settings.
- Crystallization analysis (requires material data)
- Enables a Crystallization analysis when the material is semi-crystalline and material data includes crystallization morphology parameters.