SIMULATIONS
Modular Mold for PUR foams
The way to introduce new technologies and innovations into a traditionally established industrial process
Moludar Mold
Individual Project
The modular redesign of the mould in collaboration with Ford Almussafes seeks to optimise production through innovative and flexible solutions, adapting manufacturing methods according to production needs and guaranteeing the efficiency and sustainability of the process.
Softwares
SolidWorks
Ansys
KeyShot
Inventor
Spain
Valencia, Almussafes
The process involves designing and manufacturing a modular mold system for polyurethane foam production, taking advantege of advanced manufacturing techniques such as sand 3D printing for low-volume production, or for high-volume production traditional casting. This design optimizes the process making it more flexible, efficient and innovation friendly for automotive manufacturing.
TOP-Fixed
TOP MODULE
BOTTOM MODULE
Thermal Foam
TOP-Ajustable
BOTTOM-Fixed
Thermal Foam
BOTTOM-Ajustable
Fixed
Ajustable
Fixed
Ajustable
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
The design was validated using Workbench Ansys to simulate and analyze the behavior of the structure, materials, and systems under workload conditions.
Equivalen Stress
Temperature
Deformation
The thermal behavior of the mold was evaluated by applying a constant temperature of 60°C to the internal piping, while external surfaces experienced convection with ambient air. The results indicated a temperature variation of 3-4°C across the mold, demonstrating that the design maintains consistent thermal distribution, ensuring uniform foam curing.
The displacements in the mold were found to be within acceptable limits, with a maximum of 0.6 mm. This is considered tolerable given that the overall tolerance requirement for the mold is ±3 mm, indicating that the structural integrity of the mold is preserved under operational conditions.
The stress distribution throughout the mold was examined, revealing that most areas experienced stresses below 0.01 MPa. In critical zones, such as the support legs, stress values peaked at 115 MPa, still within the elastic limit of the cast aluminum, confirming the mold’s durability under load.
Topological Optimization
Aditionaly, topological optimization was use in the design process to optimize material layout within a given design space, improving performance by determining the most efficient distribution of material for structural strength and functionality while minimizing weight or other constraints.
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