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Mold Tools · Lesson 1: Analyze the molded part

The mold tools process, then draft, thickness and undercut analysis.

Lesson goal

Check that a part can be ejected from the mold and fill correctly before creating any tooling.

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4 videos

✎

1 exercise

Intermediate

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Prerequisite: Sketching learning path, part modeling basics

1. Watch the videos

Dassault Systèmes videos hosted on MySolidWorks: they open in a new tab and a free account is enough. Watch them in order.

Introduction to Mold DesignVideo 1▶Introduction to Mold DesignOverview: scale, parting line, parting and shut-off surfaces, core and cavity.↗ Draft AnalysisVideo 2▶Draft AnalysisEvaluate the draft of a part and read the drafted face classes.↗ Thickness AnalysisVideo 3▶Thickness AnalysisFind the areas that deviate from the target thickness and save a report.↗ Undercut AnalysisVideo 4▶Undercut AnalysisDisplay the trapped areas that do not release in the direction of pull.↗

2. Key takeaways

1

Without enough draft, the part sticks in the mold: the analysis colors faces with positive, negative or insufficient draft.

2

Faces that are both positive and negative are straddle faces: they will need to be split.

3

Thickness Analysis shows areas that are too thick (sink marks, cycle time) or too thin (poor filling).

4

An undercut does not release in the main direction: it requires a side core or a change to the part.

Tip

Run these three analyses before sending the part to the moldmaker: every issue fixed at the design stage costs far less than reworking the tooling.

3. Do the exercise

On a plastic housing from your projects or modeled for the purpose:

  • run Draft Analysis with a minimum draft of 1°
  • run Thickness Analysis with your nominal thickness
  • locate the undercuts in the direction of pull
✓To check: You can list each face without draft, each area out of thickness and each undercut, with a solution for each one.

Stuck on the exercise or on a real part?

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