Generate Mold Mesh tool dialog

This panel is used to define and create a finite-element 3D mesh for a mold imported into, or created in Autodesk Moldflow Insight.

To locate this dialog click

(Mesh tab > Mesh panel > Mold Mesh)

Note:

Set an analysis sequence which includes Cool or Cool (FEM) for this dialog to be available.
Not all tabs are visible all of the time. How you generate your mold will determine the available tabs.

Dialog element	Explanation
Mesh Now	Starts the mesher
Preview	Preview nodes on feature edges for CAD models

Surface tab (only for the first step of mesh generation for non-CAD Molds)

Dialog element	Explanation
External mold surface edge length:	Specify a target value for the mold mesh external element edge length. Default: 3.6mm
Internal mold surface edge length:	Specify a target value for the mold mesh internal element edge length. Default: 1.8mm
Target number of nodes on circumferences for cylinders	Specify a target value for the number of nodes along the circumference of runners and channels in the internal mold.
Check contact interfaces between internal bodies	Make sure this box is checked if you have mold inserts, part inserts or cores, to ensure that the contact interfaces between all internal components are checked prior to meshing the mold.

General tab (only for CAD Molds or 3D mold mesh generation)

Dialog element	Explanation
Global edge length on surface	Specify a target value for the mold mesh element edge length. Default: 1.8mm
Stop after surface mesh generation	Check this option to mesh in two steps. You can check the surface mesh before generating the 3D mold mesh.

Curves tab

Dialog element	Explanation
Use global edge length	Enables you to use the global edge length defined in the General tab for the beams on your curves. Alternatively, define a length to diameter ratio. Note: If no General tab is displayed, the Internal mold surface edge length of the Surface tab is used.
Ratio of edge length to diameter for Circuits	The ratio of edge length to cooling circuit diameter is used for beams with a property of Circuits. Values for this ratio must fall between 0.5 and 8.0 with the default value of 2.5
Ratio of maximum chord height to chord length	Straight beams are used to emulate all of the curve. When a curve bends, applying an edge length that is suitable for straight section of a feed system could result in an inaccurate representation of the turn. To allow ensure an appropriate edge length is applied, the cord height (distance 3 to 4 in the following diagram) is divided by the chord length (distance 1 to 2). The default value for this ratio is 0.05 with an available range of 0.02 to 0.3. Shortening the edge length will reduce the chord height and so reduce this ratio. The edge length for the beams in a bend of the curve is calculated so that the resulting ratio falls into the allowable range.
Minimum number of elements on each curve for baffles and bubblers	This value corresponds to the minimum number of beams elements that need to be created on the sections of the curve that represents the baffles and bubblers. 3 beam elements is the default and minimum value, and can be adjusted in integer steps between 3 and 50.

CAD tab

Dialog element	Explanation
Use auto sizing	Check this option to automatically set the edge length and chord angle based on the dimensions and curvature. Note: The global edge length defined in the General Tab do not apply when this option is checked.
Scale factor	Allows you to adjust the size of the mesh elements generated with the Use auto sizing by applying a scale factor.
Use global parameters	Check to use the global edge length defined in the General Tab.
Chord Angle	When selected, you can control the mesh density of curved features of the model by defining a chord angle.
Contact interfaces	There are three options that can be used for meshing assembly contact faces. Precise match When the CAD model assembly has no geometric errors in the contact areas between components, there will be a precise duplication of nodes and elements that are on the contact surfaces. Fault tolerant With the Fault tolerant option, small variations in the CAD model are compensated for, and the mesh is aligned where possible. Ignore contact The assembly components are meshed without considering surface contact. If there is significant mismatch between the contact area meshes, the contact area nodes may need to be manually aligned.

NURBS tab

Dialog element	Explanation
NURBS surface mesher	Advancing Front Method used for mold meshing.
Enable chord height control	Increases the chance of creating a mesh that closely corresponds to curved surfaces. Without chord height control, some surface curves, such as fillets, degrade when meshed. Chord height control is effective only with parts that have curved surfaces. Tip: Keep the value of the chord height somewhere in the range of 5-25% of the global edge length. If the value is below approximately 5%, the resulting mesh tends to contain several long and/or thin triangles. If the value exceeds 25%, the chord height control has little effect. By default the Chord height is a value between 5 and 10% of the global edge length internally. If mesh matching (Dual Domain) is a higher priority than getting a good curved mesh, use the edge length control instead of the chord height control. A small edge length gives you a mesh that matches well and closely corresponds to curved surfaces.
Optimize aspect ratio by surface curvature control	Adjusts the size of the mesh to the local curvature on NURBS surfaces automatically.
Optimize aspect ratio by proximity control	Detects the proximity of boundary curves automatically, and ensures adequate mesh refinement at locations where boundaries are close to one another.
Smooth mesh (NURBS surfaces only)	Allows you to smooth the edges of a Midplane mesh.
Merge tolerance	Sets the minimum distance between nodes that will be targeted when generating the mesh. If adjacent nodes are closer than this distance, these nodes will be merged together during mesh creation.

Tetra tab

Dialog element	Explanation
Minimum number of layers between external and internal mold surfaces	Specify the minimum number of layers you would like through the mold. The more layers you specify, the more accurate the temperature, but the longer the analysis will take. The default is 6 layers
Mesh size gradation ratio from surface to interior regions	Specify the change in size of the mesh as a ratio, from the coarser (larger mesh) outside surface, to the finer (smaller mesh) inside surface. The default is 1.3
Number of enhancement layers on mold blocks and mold inserts (Induction Heating only)	Specify the number of extra layers created inside each layer. Note: Check Meshing guidelines for Induction Heating for more information on the recommended values.
Scale factor to the thickness of enhancement layers (Induction Heating only)	Adjust the enhancement layer thickness. Default value is 1