Autodesk Moldflow provides a variety of databases for you, from which to select materials. These databases include materials for parts, molds, and more.
There are many different types and grades of plastics available. The end use of the part can help determine the most suitable plastic for a given application.
A. Thermoplastic
These materials can be melted and re-melted multiple times without undergoing significant degradation.
B. Thermoset
These materials undergo a chemical reaction during curing, resulting in a rigid and durable structure.
Plastic injection molds can be manufactured from a variety of metal and metal alloys. The material properties of a range of different metals are listed in the Autodesk Moldflow material database so that the impact of the material that the mold is made is of can be taken into account.
Different mold materials will have different characteristics such as specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity, which could influence the behavior of the plastic within the cavity. To achieve an accurate analysis, all aspects of the molding process must be considered.
A database of more than forty different coolants is available to help you achieve the correct analysis results. Coolants are the fluids that flow through the cooling channels of a mold to extract heat from the system. These materials are used to control the temperature during the molding process.
Coolant properties include specific heat, thermal conductivity, and viscosity.
A filler is a material that can be added to a polymer for injection molding, to alter its properties and improve the quality of the part. Fillers can be added to increase the strength, change the cost, and alter the brittleness of the part. The addition of fillers can also affect the shrinkage of the part.
A Microcellular material properties database is provided in the software from which you can select a gas material for simulating the Microcellular Injection Molding process. A Microcellular material is a gas, such as nitrogen (N2) or carbon dioxide (CO2), that is used in conjunction with the thermoplastics material in the Microcellular Injection Molding process.
In underfill encapsulation, when the encapsulant is dispensed, the driving force is the capillary force at the melt front. In order to analyze this dispensing process, surface tension data is required to analyze the dispensing process. Underfill encapsulants include an additional data category, surface tension.
Preforms are fiber materials that are manufactured for inclusion in plastic molding. Fiber preforms are often manufactured in sheets, continuous mats or as continuous filaments for spray applications.
Preforms are used to enhance the strength and elasticity of plastics. The fibers used in preforms are usually glass, carbon or aramid. The original plastic material, without fiber reinforcement, is known as the matrix and is typically a tough but relatively weak plastic. The extent to which strength and elasticity are enhanced in a fiber reinforced plastic depends on the mechanical properties of both the fiber and matrix, their volume relative to one another, and the fiber length and orientation within the matrix.
The final step in semiconductor device fabrication is the packaging of the chips. This process, also known as microchip encapsulation, involves mounting the integrated circuit or die on the leadframe, connecting the die pads to the pins with wire, and sealing the die. This final step can be simulated and the effect on the wire assessed. Microchip encapsulation materials are used to protect microchips from environmental factors, such as moisture or mechanical stress.
Leadframes are used in semiconductor device fabrication to support the die during packaging. They are made of a conducting material and provide an electrical connection between the die which is encapsulated within a plastic material for insulation and protection, and the external circuitry.
Historically leadframes were plated with solder, but current leadframes are lead-free. Different, non-toxic metals can be used, although copper is frequently used.
Fiber mat composites (3D) are the materials that result from the injection of a liquid thermoset resin, or matrix, onto a fiber preform in resin transfer molding (RTM), providing enhanced mechanical properties in multiple directions.
The final performance of a composite depends not only on the choice of the matrix and the fiber but also on the manufacturing process by which it is made. The fiber mat composites material data is required to perform a warp analysis in RTM.