By Suhas Kulkarni, FIMMTECH
The following are questions posed by participants who attended Suhas’s webinar presentation on Reducing Mold Trial Iterations and Improving Molding Efficiency Using the Nautilus Software presented by Suhas Kulkarni on August 24, 2007.
Until we post the video, you can download a copies of the slide presentation and audio by clicking the links below:
- Slide Presentation (pdf / 1mb)
- Audio Recording (mpg / 10mb)
What are the disadvantages of balancing cavities of a hot runner tool by varying zone temperatures
In most cases, you may need to vary the zone temperatures to balance out the mold. There are various reasons but there are two main reasons. One – the flow channels are long and small in diameters so the heater elements cannot accurately and evenly distribute the heat in all the drops. The placement of the thermocouple to sense the temperature then gets critical. Not accurately reading the temperature, leads to false readings. The second reason for a flow imbalance is as soon as the flow starts through one tip, that becomes the path of least resistance and the other cavities are now starved. As long as the temperature difference between tips is not greater than about 15 to 20 degrees F, it is acceptable. Don’t forget that there also can be a rheological imbalance in the mold that can only be solved by using the technology supplied by Beaumont Inc.
What do you mean by P- Runner, S-Runner & T-Runner?
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary runner.
Is there any downfall to hooking a water supply (IN) to a circuit marked (OUT) and visa versa?
Does it matter if you do not match the in and out on the water manifold of the machine?
It is best to keep an IN as and in and an OUT as an out. In some mold, the water can flow only in one direction because of certain elements in the mold. Lines on such molds should never be reversed. If you have to reverse the lines, make sure to study and understand the mold design well. Following a robust mold qualification process and keeping the water lines consistent for all runs is imperative.
What happens when you have more than one material used in a specific mold? How does the database handle that?
One of my customers has currently set them as two different molds. This works well. Version 4.0 should have another provision.
Does it account for intensification ratio on hydraulic versus electric machines?
Yes. The Intensification Ratio is taken into consideration.
What does the software cost and do you need any special windows operating system such as windows 2000 or xp? Single license? Multi user license?
The software can run on any Windows 2000 or higher computer. The cost is $995 (but we will be sending you a coupon to order through our IDES Plastics Store to save 10%) There is a free 90 day trial also available through the store. The cost is per computer. Multiple computer licenses and site license discounts are available.
Is the Software Validated?
This version of the software is not validated. However, the next version will be.
I’m a medical molder. Can I lock the file once development is complete?
There is no ‘Lock’ mechanism. That is a good suggestion and will be considered.
Can the software be installed on multiple computers and the data stored on a server? or is an individual license needed for each computer used?
The software has to be installed on individual computers and the data can be saved on the server. An individual license is required.Multiple computer licenses and site license discounts are available.
When will version 4.0 come out?
Version 4.0 is due out in June of 2008.
About the Author
Suhas Kulkarni FIMMTECH | Suhas Kulkarni is the President of FIMMTECH, a consulting firm that specializes in services related to injection molding. He earned his Masters in Plastics Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and a Bachelors in Polymer Engineering from the University of Poona, India. He has 18 years of experience as a process engineer.His main area of expertise is Scientific Processing for Injection Molding. Based on his experience, he has developed a custom software called Nautilus, that aids the complete process development routine to production release.He also teaches a plastics and molding course at the University of California, San Diego and is a contract faculty at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.The company website is www.fimmtech.com and Suhas can be reached at 760-525-9053.
Check out Suhas’s Free Global Resource for Injection Mold Processing at Injection Molding Online |
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