Guidelines for preparing IGES files for import

To successfully translate an IGES model into an Autodesk® model suitable for analysis, the model must have been correctly prepared in the CAD system.

• The entire model must be described by IGES surfaces, not just lines and curves.
• Lines and curves can be used to import the cooling channels of a mold, and can be used as the basis for cooling channels construction. You may be able to export the center line geometry of the cooling lines from the CAD package.
• If possible, simplify the model to remove unnecessary detail, such as reference planes and very small features that have no effect on a Fill+Pack or a Stress analysis.
• Before exporting a model to be used by Dual Domain analysis technology, check in the CAD system that the part is fully closed, i.e. no gaps between surfaces.
• Export as surfaces, not shells.

ANSA IGES guidelines

On occasion, you may see an error message, when trying to import IGS curves from ANSA, indicating that no CAD entities exist for import. The issue is usually related to nested subfigures in the ANSA model. Autodesk Moldflow Insight supports independent subfigure instances in IGES, but not nesting of subfigures. A subfigure instance is of type 408. If a subfigure instance is nested, that is, a subfigure instance refers to another subfigure instance indirectly via a subfigure definition (type 308 entity), we will not read the nested entity.

If there is an option in the ANSA export to prevent nested subfigures, it may write out a file that works better. One manual way to fix this is to open up the IGES file and then change the line that says something like:

408 165 0 0 0 0 0 000010000D 63 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ to something like this:

408 165 0 0 0 0 0 000000000D 63 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Flow leader and deflector surfaces

Flow balance, where the extremities of the product fill at the same time, is achieved by changing the thickness of flow leader or deflector surfaces. The location and shape of such surfaces can be estimated and introduced before running a Fill+Pack analysis.