AD&P; > May 2015 > NOTABLE
18
Better Simulation for
Performance Plastics
ULTRASIM is a software tool for molded parts that
looks at such things as mold flling, anisotropic
characteristics, and material properties as a product is
being developed. The objective is to make a determination
of what part performance is likely to be when the part is
actually produced. Performance in the form of structural
performance for static and impact loads, fatigue and creep,
and vibration and acoustic response.
According to Mark Minnichelli, director of technical
development at BASF ( basf.com ), the company that has
developed ULTRASIM, the software is actually something
"between mold flling software and fnite element
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analysis." It allows a reduction in the number of molds that
need to be produced in order to achieve an end product
with the required and desired characteristics.
The software can not only minimize design and
development costs, but also develop more efcient
designs for products. One example is the development of a
shopping cart design with Bemis Manufacturing ( bemismfg.
com ) to replace the traditional welded metal cart. The cart
that resulted has twice the strength and durability as the
steel cart, is less prone to problems like wheel wobble, and
is 100% recyclable.
Minnichelli says that BASF has been working on software
tools for some 10 years, such as a software package called
"FIBER" that looked at the fber orientation in molded
parts. This work has been carried forward into ULTRASIM
such that they're able to predict with 90 to 95% accuracy
the fow direction orientation of glass fbers in plastic
parts based on the mold design, material, and processing
parameters.
Minnichelli says that ULTRASIM analyses are carried
out by BASF personnel, but that the technology can be
used by customers, as well. And while ULTRASIM works
with commercially available software, such as Abaqus
fnite element analysis ( 3ds.com/products-services/
simulia/products/abaqus ), the module contains materials
characterization beyond the ASTM and ISO classifcation
systems . . . for BASF plastics.—GSV
u This plastic shopping cart, produced with BASF Ultramid
PA6, 33% glass flled, was developed with a software
module, ULTRASIM, that allowed analysis of what the
characteristics of the molded components would be
prior to the manufacture of the molds.