The molding of thermoset materials involves the injection of the plastic in a liquid state,
typically at room temperature or colder, into a heated mold. The heat from the mold induces a
chemical reaction that create cross-links (permanent connections between molecular chains)
through a process known as "curing." The cured material is very strong, highly resistant to
heat and chemicals, and rigid and durable. These qualities make thermosets popular for a wide
range of applications.
You can simulate injection and curing of a thermoset material using the following
workflow:
- Specify the thermoset material that you want to use.
You can select one of the
materials in the DS-InjectionMolding.3dxml material briefcase, or
you can define your own material. Suitable thermoset materials must have the following
material properties defined:
For more information, see Searching for a Plastic Injection Material
and Defining Your Own Plastic Injection Material.
- From the Process Settings options, choose a Reaction
Control Type, which determines how the app measures the duration of the
Fill/Pack phase. You can base the duration on the conversion percentage of the thermoset
material, or you can base it on time. For more information, see Setting up the Pack Simulation.
- Run the simulation with the Fill, Pack, and Warp simulations included. For more
information, see About the Mold, Fill, and Pack Steps and
About Simulation Configuration.
Note:
The app skips the mold cooling simulation. In contrast to thermoplastic material
injection, where the mold is cooled, thermoset material molds are usually heated to help
accelerate the reaction of the material. The app does not simulate mold heating.
- Plot the results. You can plot contours for the material reactive conversion and the
curing time, both at the end of the Fill simulation and at the post-filling end. For more
information, see Fill Step Results and
Pack Step Results.