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Plastic injection moulding simulation at Hagleitner

Simulation of plastic injection moulding with sim link connects at Hagleitner Injection Moulding Machines & Software

Hagleitner Hygiene International GmbH from Zell am See produces IoT-enabled hygiene & cleaning products for various industries. By using the ENGEL sim link tool for the first time, good parts were achieved more quickly from the simulation.

Image shows Hagleitner team members together with ENGEL employees in front of an injection moulding machine for simulation of plastic injection moulding

What is sim link?

sim link is a bidirectional interface that enables data exchange between the simulation software and the injection moulding machine. ENGEL thus offers a solution that allows seamless integration into the product development process.

With the tool, the individual profile of every ENGEL machine delivered can be used in the simulation. This brings the plastic injection moulding simulation one step closer to reality. The parameters and profiles of the respective simulation can be transferred to the machine as initial settings using sim link. Likewise, process parameters and profiles from production can be easily fed back into the plastic injection moulding simulation using sim link.

How is sim link used for the simulation of plastic injection moulding at Hagleitner?

sim link is being used for the first time at Hagleitner for the sampling of a cold runner mould with an ENGEL e-victory machine with a clamping force of 5,000 kN.

The procedure is as follows:

  • During production, the machine records all relevant parameters and measurement curves such as temperatures, injection and holding pressure profiles.
  • This data can be fed back into the simulation using sim link to improve the injection moulding process.
  • CADMOULD suggests the initial settings. sim link delivers the results of the machines from the shop floor. The simulation engineer uses this to further optimise the injection moulding parameters.

Start parameters are used for the faster production of high-quality components by plastic injection moulding. These have previously been read out from the simulation with sim link and can now be optimised by comparing them with real production data. Thus, a good part can be achieved more quickly.

We simulate almost every component, because this is the only way to get warpage and shrinkage under control, especially with PP housings.

Image shows simulation and Design specialist at Hagleitner
Martin Hausbacher, Simulation and Design Specialist Hagleitner

What were the results and improvements in practice?

The latest development is the first automatic wet wipe dispenser. Here Hagleitner faced some challenges, especially with the front cover made of PP.

The combination of sim link and CADMOULD worked smoothly for the simulation. The number of shots until the first high-quality good part was low.

This led to:

  • lower scrap, material and energy consumption in plastic injection moulding
  • faster start of series production
  • significantly accelerated sampling
  • a shortened time to market

The wet wipe dispenser is currently already in series production. Much earlier than without the optimised simulation.

Furthermore, how can sim link help in ongoing operations?

Even when a product is already in series production, CADMOULD and sim link remain relevant. Simulation with the actual data enables faster identification of possible causes of defects in plastic injection moulding and facilitates problem solving:

  • It can happen that a component that has been running on the machine for years suddenly has problems. The reasons are manifold, for example insufficient filling or extremely high filling pressure. In such cases, Hagleitner uses sim link to import actual data from production into the simulation. In this way, the cause is quickly found and the problem is solved more quickly.
  • The interaction of simulation and actual production data is also advantageous for future sampling. An example of this: If too much or too little material was accidentally removed during toolmaking, then the process settings from production can be transferred to CADMOULD with sim link. In this way, deviations between geometry and reality can be identified with the help of simulation.

In order to grow and offer customers optimal quality, a high speed of innovation is needed.

Image shows Development Manager at Hagleitner
Dr. Christoph Lind, Head of Development Hagleitner

Has the use of sim link for plastic injection moulding simulation paid off for Hagleitner?

Yes, because sim link shortens the time to the first high-quality good part.

That minimises:

  • Costs
  • Scrap, material and energy consumption
  • Time until the official market launch

These and other success stories continue to spur ENGEL on to look for further solutions for simulation in plastic injection moulding: ENGEL's offering began with Autodesk MoldFlow and was expanded to include CADMOULD in 2023. In the coming year, another significant partnership with a renowned manufacturer of simulation software will follow.

By supporting three simulation products, ENGEL can bring the benefits of machine-software interaction to an even greater number of customers.

Do you still have questions about the ENGEL tool sim link?
We will be happy to help you.

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Markus Lettau
Molding Industry Business Advisor
ENGEL Canada Inc.

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Get in touch

I'd like to hear from you.
Markus Lettau
Molding Industry Business Advisor
ENGEL Canada Inc.
Personal Information
How can we help you?
Submit
Please note the information on data protection at ENGEL at www.engelglobal.com/dataprotection.
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