We are looking forward to your request!

Personal data

What topic can we help you with?

0 / 350 Characters

* Please fill in the mandadory field

This website is protected by reCAPTCHA. Google's Privacy policy and Terms of use apply.

Optimizing production

Simulate injection molding more efficient by using sim link

Intercable, based in Italy, specializes in technical plastic parts for the automotive and electrical industries. To optimize data exchange between simulation software and production, they use sim link.

January 19, 2023
Reading time 7 minutes
Picture shows Gianluca Capella working with sim link
Author
Eva Wörnhörer
Eva Wörnhörer
Marketing
Tag
  • digital solutions

Why does Intercable need a data interface like sim link for simulating injection molding?

Every injection molder faces the challenge of achieving its production targets. The most important factor in the development of new products is a short time to market. At the same time, the costs for the development and the optimization of the molds must be kept low.

Experimental methods such as filling studies are often not sufficient. Analytical methods lead to better results. That is why software for simulating injection molding is crucial for success. Here, however, the problem often arises of establishing a smooth data exchange between software and production.

With ENGEL sim link, this is exactly what’s possible - it seamlessly combines simulation and real production. sim link enables smooth data exchange between the simulation software and the injection molding machine. This eliminates iterative loops between mold development and production.

These repetitions during pilot sampling were also the decisive point why Intercable chose sim link.

Picture shows toolmaker at Intercable

Simulation on its own does not add value. In contrast, production creates only limited results without the help of simulation. With sim link, we now have the opportunity to close this gap. Product development is now directly linked to production.

Gianluca Cappella, Toolmaking at Intercable

How have the challenges for Intercable been solved by sim link?

Each iteration of the process costs valuable time and a lot of money. Therefore, it is essential to bring the production specialists together with the simulation engineers.

By using sim link, the number of repetitions could be significantly reduced. The quality of the simulation has also improved and become more accurate. Difficulties in the coordination could thus be successfully overcome.

Some successes have been achieved with sim link:

  • potential problems are eliminated before the mold is even built

  • reduced risk of delayed production start-up

  • project costs remain within budget

Picture shows toolmaker at Intercable

sim link helps to reduce the time needed to fine-tune the process parameters. The savings depend on the material type and part geometry and range from 10 to 50%.

Gianluca Cappella, Toolmaking at Intercable

Simulate injection molding: What are the advantages with ENGEL sim link?

Higher quality of the simulation

The individual machine dynamics are taken into account and the simulation can be carried out more realistically. The measured production data can be fed back into the simulation very easily. This improves the quality of the simulation.

Shorter start-up phase

Thanks to effective simulation of injection molding, costly iteration loops in the optimization of new components are reduced. Where mold makers had to find the values manually for the initial sampling of the molds, target values are now automatically transferred from the simulation to the injection molding machine.

Ensured data consistency at every stage

Time-consuming and error-prone manual input of data at the machine is no longer necessary. sim link fulfils this data exchange between simulation software and injection molding machine without errors.

Easy collaboration across different departments

Several experts are involved in the creation of a new product. sim link simplifies cooperation between simulation and production staff.

Has the implementation of sim link for simulating injection molding been worthwhile for Intercable?

Yes, it has from several points of view:

  • The number of iterations during the initial sampling of the tools has been reduced.

  • Coordination between the different departments has been facilitated.

  • Error-prone manual processes were replaced by sim link.

  • The time span from part design to series production has been shortened.

  • The project costs remain within reasonable limits.

Simulating injection molding with simulation software is now smoother and more cost-effective at Intercable.

Picture shows development engineer sim link at ENGEL

By combining injection molding simulation and sim link, the gap between simulation and production was closed simply and efficiently at Intercable. Intercable now uses the knowledge from the detailed process simulation and thus simplifies the cooperation between the different disciplines. The time-to-market of the respective products has thus been considerably shortened.

Alfred Angerer, Development Engineer at ENGEL Austria
Do you still have questions about the sim link data interface?

We will be happy to help you.

More about our products from the article

Related articles

Markus Lettau

Sales

+1 (717) 767 2016

Write us

The ENGEL team is happy to support you with extensive knowledge in the field of injection molding.

The browser you are using is outdated.

Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Please switch to an up-to-date browser to use the website to its full extent.

The browser you are using is outdated.

Internet Explorer is no longer supported. Please switch to an up-to-date browser to use the website to its full extent.