Moldex3D Wizard

The Moldex3D Wizard creates boundary layer solid mesh model for injection molding starting from solids, surfaces or surface mesh. Every solid mesh is placed in a component collector with the name flow3d_mesh#n, where n can be any integer depending on the number of solids in the model or number of set of closed surfaces or surface mesh. For solids, if the feed system is also solid, then the Moldex3D Wizard meshes the feed system first to capture the material flow properly and then meshes the part. After meshing the runner system with the Runner Meshing Wizard, Moldex3D Wizard can be used to mesh the part. This would complete the meshing process of the entire mold.

The Moldex3D Wizard can be used with part volume represented in three different ways:

•	With a set of solids representing the part volume

•	With a clean set of surfaces enclosing the part volume

•	With a surface mesh enclosing the part volume

When you click on the Moldex3D Wizard macro, it opens a separate tab showing all the steps in the Moldex3D Wizard. You must complete each one of these simple steps, one at a time, for the Moldex3D Wizard to run successfully. No knowledge of HyperMesh is necessary to complete the steps.

Moldex3D Wizard Tab

Steps used to create solid BL mesh are represented using check boxes.

If the model has surface mesh, then the Surface Mesh step is disabled. The steps completed and the status is indicated in the project message bar. Click the Close button to close the Moldex3D Wizard tab and return to the Utility menu.

Information created will be retained even when you close and re-open the tab, or when you close HyperMesh and start it again using the same model file.

The first checkbox on the Moldex3D Wizard tab is Set Project Directory.

moldex3d_wizard_01

Specify the appropriate project directory and a suitable project name for the job to begin. Browse the folder by clicking on the folder icon in the window and select the directory. Click OK to save the settings and Cancel to abort the operation without saving.

Select the suitable units using the Set Model Units dialog. After selecting the units, click OK to save the selection.

moldex3d_wizard_02

This step is valid for model with solids. It is an optional step.

moldex3d_wizard_03

•	Click Merge to merge n solids into a single solid.

•	Click Share to detect shared surfaces between solids.

•	Click Close to close the dialog.

The fourth checkbox in the Moldex3D Wizard is Set Model Info.

moldex3d_wizard_04

In this step, four questions define the model under consideration.

•	Select Yes for the first question if the model has surface mesh. Selecting Yes will disable all other questions.

•	Select Yes for the second question if the model has only surfaces. Selecting Yes will disable the third question.

•

The third question is valid only for a model with solids; that is, if the first two question’s answers are No. If the third question’s answer is Yes, and you click on Next, component collectors for Feed and Part and Feed Inlet surfaces need to be specified in the Select Components dialog. If the runner mesh has been created using the Runner Meshing Wizard, select No for this question.

For a model that does not have solids for the feed, the Select Components window will appear as shown below.

select_components_mf

For a model with surfaces or surface mesh, click Add to add components to new or existing volumes.

After selecting the components, click Apply to complete the selection and close the window.

Starting with Solids for Feed and Part

The fifth checkbox in the Moldex3D Wizard is Surface Mesh.

surface_mesh

In the Surface Mesh dialog, you will have to specify minimum and maximum element sizes for both feed and part. Click Mesh to generate a 2D mesh.

Surface Mesh (Starting with Solids for Part only or Starting with Surfaces)

When you start with solids only for part or with surfaces, then the following dialog displays.

surface_mesh_part_only

1.	Specify the minimum and maximum element size for the entire model.

•	If you set the last option No, then surfaces having mesh will not be considered for meshing.

•	If the runner mesh is created using the Runner Meshing Wizard, then capture the surface mesh at the gate from the runner mesh and preserve it.

2.	Select No for the last option.

3.	Click Mesh to generate 2D mesh.

In the Volume Mesh dialog, specify the number of layers and first layer thickness for the boundary layer 3D mesh. Click Mesh to generate solid mesh. If the geometry is not clean or closed, the volume mesh may fail. Each volume mesh is placed in a component collector named flow3d_mesh#n. If the feed system is also solid, then the mesh will be matched accordingly where the feed and the part intersect. Also, every feed solid will be modeled with an inlet and outlet.

volume_mesh