Autodesk Inc.

Autodesk Inc. has introduced the latest release of its Moldflow software suite for plastics injection molding simulation and optimization. Autodesk Moldflow 2010, part of the Autodesk solution for Digital Prototyping, offers enhanced performance, accuracy and interoperability with mainstream computer-aided design (CAD) applications, the company says. The software takes advantage of the processing power of high-performance graphics technology to solve complex computations twice as fast. Customers will benefit from higher accuracy for their plastics simulations through sophisticated improvements to 3D mesh analysis quality for parts and assemblies. Native support for Autodesk Inventor software and a variety of other CAD models improves Moldflow integration with the product design and development process.

“We’re focused on helping manufacturers reduce errors and improve injection mold performance — resulting in higher product quality and faster time to market,” says Samir Hanna, vice president of digital factory and industrial design for the Autodesk Manufacturing Industry Group. “With the second release of Moldflow 2010, we are providing our customers with higher accuracy than ever before. Customers can troubleshoot and optimize plastic parts from the start of the product design cycle all the way to the manufacturing process.”

Designers and engineers can use Autodesk Moldflow software to balance structural integrity and aesthetics when addressing challenges like visual defects or warping, making it particularly useful for consumer products, automotive interiors and high-end building products.

“Moldflow software has a history of increasing analysis speed with every major release,” says Brian Cutler, process simulation engineer, Synventive Molding Solutions. “The new graphics processing unit and 3D Parallel Flow capabilities in Moldflow 2010 will allow us to take maximum advantage of our computing power.”

With the 2010 release, Autodesk simplified the Moldflow product line to bring customers more value at less cost, the company says. Autodesk Moldflow Insight offers in-depth simulation of the industry’s most advanced molding processes using what Moldflow claims is the world’s largest plastics material database. Autodesk Moldflow Adviser simplifies plastics injection molding simulation and guides designers through analysis and results interpretation, helping to avoid manufacturing delays and costly mold rework.

Improvements in the Moldflow 2010 release include:
 • Speed: A single 3D flow analysis taps into hardware advancements by using multiple central processing unit (CPU) cores. Multithreading technology accelerates Autodesk Moldflow software analysis times by a factor of two (depending on the model). To achieve even greater gains, Autodesk Moldflow software also is the first plastics simulation software to leverage cutting-edge GPU technology from NVIDIA Corporation for analysis calculations in combination with the multiple CPU cores.
 • CAD integration: Autodesk has enhanced multi-CAD application support in Insight, and CAD models that are created or modified in Inventor software can be imported directly into both Adviser and Insight. Insight users can import a part or a complete assembly at once. Once the CAD model has been imported, the user has full control over the meshing process and can refine the surface mesh in a specific spot where more detail is required, while leaving another area coarser.
 •Accuracy: Improvements to meshing technology for 3D models enable more accurate predictions of plastics designs and processes. For example, the software provides better mesh quality in areas where the part makes a transition from a thick to thin area, in corners and at the edge of a part.