What are Plastic Injection Mold builders using for mold design. We are using Mechanical Desktop. Using the 3d part for reading customer part files & drawing flat 2d drawings for the actual mold design. The industry push is to draw in 3d, but I haven't seen anybody doing this. Is anyone drawing complete fully dimensioned drawings using a 3d package?
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Injection Mold design 2
- Thread starter lexan
- Start date
Lexan,
I used to do mold design and ONLY did it in 3D. We would then make 2D drawings obviously but the 3D is great for visualization of the parts and how they fit together - the toolmakers loved it since they could easily see how the entire mold would look in solid and how the parts interacted. We used Pro/E for our mold design. It has its stumbling blocks but we were always able to work around them in some manner. Take care.
Best regards,
DHuffy
I used to do mold design and ONLY did it in 3D. We would then make 2D drawings obviously but the 3D is great for visualization of the parts and how they fit together - the toolmakers loved it since they could easily see how the entire mold would look in solid and how the parts interacted. We used Pro/E for our mold design. It has its stumbling blocks but we were always able to work around them in some manner. Take care.
Best regards,
DHuffy
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We have used 3D mold design for close to ten years. There are many shops that do. We primarily use Unigraphics but also have Pro-E. Unigraphics for our company has been a better fit because of its superior CAM package. We can better integrate the entire plant. UG is a high end package so many shops do not buy it. I have heard a lot of shops in my area use SolidWorks. UG and ProE have integrated "mold design" modules that are more powerful than those midrange packages. I have been designing molds since the drafting board and 2D CAD and if I was to find a new job I would never go somewhere where they still do it in 2D. 3D is that good.
Dittos on the above.
Our shop utilizes SolidWorks for all our injection mold design. We’ve archived a library of components that we can plug into the 3D design and found it a great tool to get a “real” look at all the related geometry before we cut metal.
The right CAD choice for you...now that’s the hard part.
Moldguy
Our shop utilizes SolidWorks for all our injection mold design. We’ve archived a library of components that we can plug into the 3D design and found it a great tool to get a “real” look at all the related geometry before we cut metal.
The right CAD choice for you...now that’s the hard part.
Moldguy
We (SCI Enclosures, Denton, TX) use ProE to do full 3D, 100% detailed mold design. It was an investment of time and money, but now we are reaping the benifits. I have 2D drawings of all mold plates, inserts, electrodes pre-defined. I simply open, update, move views, and add dim's. ProE is a great package.
Darren Camp
darren.camp@sci.com
SCI Enclosures Division
2200 Worthington Dr.
Denton, TX 76207
Darren Camp
darren.camp@sci.com
SCI Enclosures Division
2200 Worthington Dr.
Denton, TX 76207
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- #6
I design molds only in 3D using Euclid3 and Catia v5 more than 4 years. Today I do not see any reasons to design molds in 2D especially for complex molds.
For example mold on picture has 612 parts and very complex kinematics (double opening, double ejection, simple slides and slides with rack, angle ejectors, hydraulics, gas injection and etc). In 3D I can check kinematics to find any possible problems. It 2D it is very difficult. During mold design the customer has made some significant changes in a part’s design. They have demanded the big volume of additional work to change of a mold’s design. But it is difficult even to estimate what huge work should be done in 2D.
Best Regards,
Igor Jogla
igor@tiltsintegration.lv
For example mold on picture has 612 parts and very complex kinematics (double opening, double ejection, simple slides and slides with rack, angle ejectors, hydraulics, gas injection and etc). In 3D I can check kinematics to find any possible problems. It 2D it is very difficult. During mold design the customer has made some significant changes in a part’s design. They have demanded the big volume of additional work to change of a mold’s design. But it is difficult even to estimate what huge work should be done in 2D.
Best Regards,
Igor Jogla
igor@tiltsintegration.lv
I have used different CAD systems for 21 years but I find Think3 very versatile for mold design. I can design in 3D and have 2D drawings in a short time but Think3 is great because you have solid and advanced free form surfacing in the same package. The price also is very convenient.
I think the from Designer point of view you do not need 2D drawings when you have alredy 3D but from mold maker point of view you still need 2D drawings they are not moving with the smae step as the design is moving.
I think the from Designer point of view you do not need 2D drawings when you have alredy 3D but from mold maker point of view you still need 2D drawings they are not moving with the smae step as the design is moving.
hementerprise
Mechanical
WE ARE IN PRODUCT AND MOULD DESIGN FIELD SINCE LAST 8 YEARS. WE ARE USINNG INDUSTRY BEST CAD CAM SOFTWARE FOR DESIGNING.
we design mould just in 3D environment.
CAN CONTANCT US AT - hementerprise@rediffmail.com
we design mould just in 3D environment.
CAN CONTANCT US AT - hementerprise@rediffmail.com
We (Moulddesigner Ireland) use I-DEAS for cavity/core splitting and take these into the I-DEAS drafting package which in my view is the best in the market, I can quickly section and dimension any view with relatively little effort. I pull in 2D dxf's of the relative plates from DME, DMS, HASCO or whatever supplier the toolmaker requires me to. Toolmakers will always want 2D prints in my opinion, I honestly can't see how else they can operate?! Do you have a PC at the end of every toolmaker bench for lifting sizes of a 3D model? 2D Layouts showing hole pitches, depths, ground forms etc are the easiest way. We can turnaround mould designs very cheaply and quickly using this system.
Kieran Fegan
Director
kieran@moulddesigner.com
Kieran Fegan
Director
kieran@moulddesigner.com
glassedgas
Industrial
Every one on the floor uses 2d prints its the primary world we work in
X & Y with notes for diameter and depth. In the last ten years though I have not seen a mold maker yet that hasn't taken advantage of a dynamic 3D view and with today's wild Geo.You would have to be a visualization genius with just 2D to see those shutoffs. its a grate tool
X & Y with notes for diameter and depth. In the last ten years though I have not seen a mold maker yet that hasn't taken advantage of a dynamic 3D view and with today's wild Geo.You would have to be a visualization genius with just 2D to see those shutoffs. its a grate tool
timb622
Industrial
- Oct 16, 2002
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I am a moldmaker turned mold designer and have been using Unigraphics for about 5 years. We completely silid model all of our molds and use the UG cam package for all of our cnc machining. Moldwizard saves a lot of time by importing standard components. I found UG to be easy to learn and very user friendly both in cad and cam. As for designing in 3d solids, it's much faster and easier than 2d, plus you still have the option of making 2d prints off of the silid models. Solid modeling is the future of mold design and the sooner you learn the technology, the better off you'll be down the road.
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