New Converse Add-in Closes the Loop for Injection Molding Part Design
Automate material property mapping from process to structural simulation with PART Engineering's Converse nodes
Getting injection molding part design right requires a combination of expert analyses. Process simulation reveals anisotropic material properties due to fibre orientation and warpage, and subsequent structural simulations use these results to validate mechanical performance. While Synera already provides comprehensive automation for both sides through connectors to Moldflow for process simulation and multiple FE solvers including Abaqus, Altair OptiStruct and LS-DYNA, the critical step of mapping results between them has remained manual. To this end, part designers still face long waiting times when getting their designs validated, compromising either development speed or part quality.
This changes now: The release of the new Converse add-in brings material property mapping from injection molding process simulations to structural FE analysis into Synera workflows. You can now build comprehensive, end-to-end injection molding analysis automations including the process simulation, transfer of fiber orientations and the subsequent FE analysis.
The new Converse nodes close a critical gap in design-for-molding automation. Instead of assuming homogeneous material properties or manually transferring data between simulation domains, you can now build fully automated workflows that account for the real-world complexity of injection molded parts throughout the entire design iteration process.
As Andrew Sartorelli, Synera’s Head of Product explains: "The Converse integration represents a major step forward in our vision of end-to-end simulation automation. Engineers can now iterate on part designs, mold configurations, and process parameters while maintaining the connection between molding reality and structural performance – all within a single automated workflow."
Bridging Process and Performance Simulation
The Converse add-in handles the complex task of transferring material properties between different mesh structures. When you're working with fiber-reinforced plastics where orientation significantly impacts strength the automated mapping ensures that your structural analysis reflects the actual fibre orientation created during the molding process.
This capability is particularly powerful during design iterations. As part designers modify geometries – adding ribs to reduce warping or optimizing wall thickness for better mechanical performance – they can use your automated workflow to quickly re-evaluate both the molding process and resulting part performance nearly without manual intervention.
Dr. Wolfgang Korte from PART Engineering notes: "Converse was designed specifically to handle the complexities of mapping between different simulation domains. The integration with Synera means engineers can now set up these sophisticated workflows once and then focus on design optimization rather than data transfer logistics."
Democratizing Complex Simulation Workflows
Beyond automating individual projects, the Converse add-in enables you to build comprehensive simulation workflows that less experienced team members can execute reliably to get results without your continuous attention. Once you’ve set up and validated the workflow, any engineer can run the complete design-for-molding analysis chain with confidence.
This democratization of complex simulation capabilities means that your team can iterate faster and more frequently, leading to better optimized parts and more efficient molding processes. The automation also ensures consistency across projects and reduces the risk of errors that can occur during manual data transfer.
More Integration Possibilities Ahead
The Converse add-in represents another step in Synera's comprehensive approach to injection molding simulation automation. With existing integrations for process simulation, multiple FE solvers, and now seamless property mapping, there are fewer reasons for design-for-molding workflows to remain disconnected, manual processes.
