COMPUTER-AIDED MOLD COOLING DESIGN FOR PLASTIC PARTS.

Computer-Aided Engineering within the Plastics Industry is becoming a necessity due to the increased part complexity, new engineering grade plastic materials and overall application of plastics in products. Mold cooling, mold filling, part design, structural analysis and overall mold design are a few of the areas where computer simulation programs are being utilized. This note has been prepared to discuss MOLDCOOL, a CAD (computer-assisted design) program. It is readily available to mold designers and plastics processors on their premises. Besides solving the problem of preserving the confidentiality of mold data, the system constitutes a major advance over previously available computerized mold productivity analysis systems because it allows the mold designer to interact with the computer while the mold is being designed at very low costs. The technology can be utilized on a consulting basis, personal computers or CAD/CAM systems. This benefit allows companies to analyze all molds already in the design stage. The program is an advance in the state of the art with respect to its accuracy and comprehensive coverage of the thermal properties of mold materials.