Plastic Part Designers using Moldflow Analysis? 1

[CB77]

Does it make any sense for part design engineers (not part manufacturers/molders) to have moldflow software and run analysis? Do any other design engineers that outsource manufacturing to 3rd party vendors/suppliers use moldflow in their design work?

Personally I think moldflow should be performed by the molder. For it to have any value, it seems like you'd need to know specific equipment and process parameters that only the molder will know (not to mention a mold design). Maybe a design engineer could do a basic comparative analysis, but most aren't manufacturing experts to ensure their results can be used with absolute confidence in a certain design or part wall thickness.

Just curious what other peoples' opinions are. At my previous job we always had the molder run the moldflow as they are the experts and they'd be making the part. At my current job they seem to have the opposite opinion and want to get MFA software for the design engineers but I question its ultimate usefulness.

 

[CWB1]

Yes. I have always preferred to run analysis myself for cast and molded parts so I have a good idea of the process limitations for that part, where the troublesome spots (read: defects) in the part are going to be so I can tip off the quality team, and to ensure that my designs need as little tweaking as possible for the process. The supplier will eventually run their own analysis, but my work saves them time and us money. It also helps minimize part variation between suppliers.