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Injection Molding
Defining cooling channels
In a channel assessment job, if your model contains cooling channels, you must define the components that represent them so the solver can identify them.
Create cooling channels
Create simple cylindrical cooling channels directly in SimForm to test different cooling layouts without modifying your CAD model.

Injection Molding
- Injection molding overview
  Use SimForm to perform thermal cooling analyses for your plastic injection mold designs. These analyses help you identify hot spots on the plastic part and develop cooling layouts to improve part quality and reduce cycle times.
- Setting up a simulation workflow
  You can set up and run a SimForm project by uploading your CAD file, categorizing components, selecting materials, and running simulations.
- Navigating the app interface
  The SimForm interface allows you to create and access projects and jobs, as well as add and manage users and account credits.
- Using projects and jobs
  Use projects and jobs in SimForm to manage and organize your mold design tests.
- Setting up a simulation
  Use the setup page to categorize and define your model components properties for the solver to identify them.
- Defining mold properties
  Defining mold properties based on your analysis type ensures that the SimForm solver correctly identifies the mold components in your CAD model and considers their material properties in the thermal analysis.
- Defining plastic part properties
  Categorize your plastic part components and define their materials to allow the SimForm app solver to identify them.
- Defining cooling channels
  In a channel assessment job, if your model contains cooling channels, you must define the components that represent them so the solver can identify them.
  - Categorize channels using body selection
    You must categorize the bodies representing the cooling channels in your mold design model to enable the SimForm solver to identify them.
  - Categorize channels using face selection
    You can extract cooling channels, modeled as holes drilled into the mold bodies, by selecting the faces representing them to enable the SimForm solver to identify them.
  - Create cooling channels
    Create simple cylindrical cooling channels directly in SimForm to test different cooling layouts without modifying your CAD model.
  - Add baffles
    Add a baffle to a cooling channel in SimForm to redirect coolant flow and improve cooling efficiency.
  - Channels card options
    The Channels card lets you assign components as channels to allow the SimForm app solver to identify them.
  - Create/Edit Body options
    The Create Body and Edit Body windows let you define or modify a cylindrical cooling channel by specifying its dimensions.
  - Create/Edit Baffle options
    The Create Baffle and Edit Baffle windows let you define or modify a baffle by specifying its dimensions.
- Defining manufacturing constraints
  In a channel recommender job, manufacturing constraints let you specify practical limits for how cooling channels can be manufactured in your mold.
- Running a simulation
  When running a simulation, the solver relies on specific assumptions and automated processes to ensure accurate and efficient results.
- Viewing results
  The results page allows you to view and explore the thermal analysis results of your job after its simulation is completed.
- Tutorials
  These examples are designed to help you become familiar with some of the major features available in SimForm.
- Glossary

Create cooling channels

Create simple cylindrical cooling channels directly in SimForm to test different cooling layouts without modifying your CAD model.

A channel assessment job with an uploaded mold or plastic part design is open in SimForm.

In the display window, right-click the model where you want to place a new channel.
From the drop-down menu, select Add Body to > New Channel or Channel <N>.
In the Create Body window, enter the Diameter and Length values of the cylindrical channel in millimeters.
Click Save to create the channel body.
The new channel appears in the model view with rotation and translation arrows.
Use the arrows to rotate and translate the channel to the desired position in your model.
Click Inlet/Outlet Selection Mode to define the inlet and the outlet of the channel.
Select a face to define the channel inlet, then hold Shift and select a face to define an outlet.
SimForm allows channels with one inlet and multiple outlets.

SimForm updates the channel list with your definitions.

You can create additional channel bodies and add them to an existing channel group. Bodies in the same group can intersect. You can also add baffles to the cooling channel.