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Compression Molding
Tutorials
These examples are designed to help you become familiar with some of the major features available in SimForm.
Setting up and running a conventional cooling design
In this tutorial, you will perform a mold cooling analysis for a conventional cooling design.
View results
Display the freeze time and the temperature distribution on the plastic part and mold to locate regions where you can improve the cooling and optimize the cooling time.

Compression Molding
- Compression molding overview
  Use SimForm to perform thermal cooling analyses for your plastic compression 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.
- 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.
  - Setting up and running a conventional cooling design
    In this tutorial, you will perform a mold cooling analysis for a conventional cooling design.
    - Create a project
      Create a project to add and manage jobs for the computer mouse shell mold cooling designs.
    - Create a job
      Create a job and upload the computer mouse shell conventional cooling design.
    - Define the mold
      Categorize your mold components to allow the solver to identify them. You will then define their materials.
    - Define the plastic part
      Categorize the plastic part components to allow the solver to identify them. You will then define their materials.
    - Define the cooling channels
      Define all the cooling channels and identify inlets and outlets for each channel.
    - Run the simulation
      Start the solving process.
    - View results
      Display the freeze time and the temperature distribution on the plastic part and mold to locate regions where you can improve the cooling and optimize the cooling time.
  - Comparing cooling designs
    In this tutorial, you will compare the thermal performance of conformal and conventional mold cooling designs.
  - Running a feasibility analysis
    In this tutorial, you will perform a feasibility analysis for a model of a computer mouse shell plastic part design.
  - Extracting cooling channels
    In this tutorial, you will learn how to extract and define the inlets and outlets of your cooling channels directly from your mold without using physical CAD bodies.
  - Running a basic mold analysis
    In this tutorial, you will learn how to set up, solve, and interpret results of a basic mold analysis.
  - Creating and using recommended regions
    In this tutorial, you will generate recommended regions and export them into a channel assessment job.
  - Learning videos
- Glossary

View results

Display the freeze time and the temperature distribution on the plastic part and mold to locate regions where you can improve the cooling and optimize the cooling time.

Click Results to open the results page.
In the Results panel, from the Type list, select Freeze Time.
The display window shows the global and local freeze time. The freeze time, or safe ejection time, is the duration for the plastic part to develop a thick enough solidified layer, enabling safe ejection while maintaining its integrity. The local freeze time is the time, in seconds, required for 20% of the local part thickness to drop below the safe ejection temperature. The global freeze time is the time, in seconds, required for 99% to 99.5% of the plastic to reach a safe temperature for ejection.
Rotate your model using the model manipulation tools to inspect the freeze time distribution on your plastic part.
In the Results panel, turn on the Channels toggle to display the channel locations.

Notice that the highest freeze time regions are located at the curved sections of the mouse shell, where the cooling channels are relatively distant compared to the other side of the shell, leading to slower heat dissipation in these areas.
Turn off the Channels toggle to hide the channel locations.
From the Type list, select Temperature to display the temperature distribution on the plastic part.
Turn on the Filter toggle, then adjust the range slider around the target cooling temperature. For example, from 100 °C to 105 °C.

The software displays only the areas within the selected temperature range. This helps you identify regions that require longer cooling to reach the target temperature.

By analyzing the freeze time and temperature distribution, you can identify areas with inefficient cooling and adjust the cooling system accordingly. By optimizing cooling channels and ejection time, you can reduce cycle time, improve part quality, and enhance overall mold performance.

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