Game on! The 2024 SimTech Injection Molding Challenges Have begun!
What Are the Challenges? And How do I Win?
Each month competitors are tasked with molding a defect-free part, within specifications, with the fastest cycle time using Paulson’s online virtual injection molding machine, SimTech™. Learn more here.
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The APRIL SimTech Injection Molding CHALLENGE IS OPEN!
Open: April 19, 2024
Closes: April 26, 2024
Difficulty: Average-Difficulty
Scoring: “Efficiency Scoring”
Below are the details for the APRIL molding challenge.
Scenario
In this month’s challenge you will be molding a Bracket with Acrylic resin, using a 300-ton molding machine equipped with a general-purpose screw. We will again be using the “Efficiency” scoring method. The part is considered to have a “thicker or heavier” nominal wall section and Acrylic is an amorphous material. You can find the part wall thickness within the challenge on the “Setup” tab. Wall thickness will have a great effect on the overall cycle time.
Your job is to correct any machine alarms, correct any part problems, and adjust the machine settings to get the best molding efficiency percentage. The quoted (standard) cycle time for this job is 65.0 seconds.
You will see under the Cycle Results, the “Mold Full at VPT” is 87.67%. This VPT setting is not optimized. You do have to optimize the VPT setting. The VPT should occur when the mold is between 94% – 96% full. The part has a few quality problems. The part has voids and is undersized. Notice the part is not within the part specification of 10.000” (254.0 mm) in length. The part has a “precision” dimensional specification of +/- 0.002 in (0.050 mm). Should Burn Marks or Flash occur during the process optimization exercise, those conditions should be corrected first. Burn Marks and Flash have a high probability of creating tool damage and must be addressed as a priority.
The process was quoted to run a 65.0 second cycle. Our molding experts have achieved a cycle time below the quoted cycle.
Can you beat the Paulson experts? Can you eliminate all problems, machine alarms, and mold at or better than a 65.0 second cycle? The lowest overall cycle producing the highest efficiency score wins!
Additional Conditions
- The minimum Melt Temperature of 409°F (209.4°C) is allowed for Acrylic.
- The minimum Mold Temperature allowed is 140.0°F (60.0°C).
- The standard (quoted) cycle time for this job is 65 seconds.
In order to receive a score, all of the following conditions must be met:
- No part problems or alarms
- Part must be molded with a precision tolerance on the length of +/- 0.002 in (0.050 mm).
“Best Practices” must be met:
- Mold Full at VPT must be 94% – 96%
- Cushion Size must be less than 10% of the Screw Back Distance
- Melt Temperature must be within ± 2°F of the Front Zone Temperature
NOTE: Clicking on the “History” button will give you valuable information on how well you are doing.
Get Started
- Log into your SimTech account at www.paulsonsimtech.com
- Click Login or Register (if 1st time in SimTech)
- Click on “Run Challenges”
- Choose “APRIL Challenge 2024” and click on “Run”
- Click the “Cycle” button to begin to see the results of the present setup. Start to make controls changes, one at a time, and then click “Cycle”.
NOTE: Only make one control change at a time and then click the “Cycle” button to see the effects of that particular control change. This is the best practice to follow when making any control changes whether it be in SimTech or on an actual molding machine.
Good to know: Be sure to check out the SimTech Champions Leaderboard. It’s a separate ranking system where consistent monthly First Place winners are listed as elite molders and new participants have a chance to achieve a top spot on the main leaderboard. If you place FIRST in any of the monthly challenges you automatically get moved to the Champions Leaderboard on your next challenge.
Have fun testing your molding skill using Paulson’s most advanced injection molding simulator SimTech™ The industry’s only plastics simulator with the ability to process over 26 million molding simulated calculations.
Good Luck! May the best molder win!
How Does The Challenge Work?
Each month, Paulson’s molding experts will devise a new molding problem for you to solve. For example, you will be challenged to mold a specific part without any defects and with the fastest cycle time. Once you’re in SimTech™, you will see the virtual control panel where you will be able to view the part, the plastic, and the machine specs in order to “mold” your part effectively. Bonus points are given, BUT if you need to access “hints,” points will be lost. Besides winning, the actual goal here is to learn.
Will I Win aNything?
Yes! Each month you will have a chance to earn a spot on the Paulson SimTech Leaderboard – for bragging rights of course. Additionally, each time you participate and earn a score you will accumulate points. The person with the most points will be crowned the new SimTech ProMolder Champion! And, if there are three or more players from one company, the company team that earns the most points each month will be spotlighted.
What Is SIMTECH?
SimTech™ is Paulson’s most advanced, proprietary, injection molding simulation tool. It’s a powerful online engine built on decades of complex mathematical equations of plastic and process analyses that combine both molding theories and practices. All together, SimTech™ has the outstanding capability to process some 20 million calculations per simulated cycle, and check all possible simulations against possible errors. No other injection molding simulation tool is more powerful!
How Do I ENTER?
In order to participate in the monthly challenges, you MUST register by filling out the form. You will then receive email alerts when each challenge is released. Act now and be ready to take the challenge.