Moldflow announces beta 2 version of Moldflow plastics insight 3.0

MPI 3.0 represents the successful integration of the MPI and C-MOLD 2000 product families into one advanced injection molding software suite for predicting and eliminating potential plastics manufacturing problems before they occur.

MPI 3.0 Highlights Include:

-- New MPI/Synergy User Interface Module: The MPI/Synergy module is used for model preparation, meshing, mesh editing, model validation, job setup, job control, results post-processing and report generation. The new interface supports all thermoplastic and thermoset analysis modules of the MPI and C-MOLD(R) product lines as well as midplane, Fusion, and 3D tetrahedral mesh models.

-- Improved CAD Interfaces and Geometry Representation: The integration of a new NURBS based geometry system to the Moldflow Design Link (MDL) module provides the ability to more accurately import and represent CAD geometry from standard sources such as IGES, STEP, and Parasolid.

-- New Meshing and Mesh Editing Tools: MPI 3.0 provides a complete set of tools to create, edit, and validate meshes form midplane, Fusion or 3D analyses. New mesh diagnostics provide the ability to easily visualize the mesh quality in areas such as aspect ratio, overlapping elements, connectivity, thickness, free edges, and occurrence number. A new tetrahedral mesh generator is also provided. Unique to this feature is the ability to control the number of elements created through the thickness of a part.

-- MPI/Fusion Enhancements: MPI 3.0 offers the ability to display and change the thickness of a Fusion mesh directly within the user interface on either a global or local basis. In addition,fusion technology has been extended to support the MPI/Reactive Molding, MPI/Microchip Encapsulation and MPI/Underfill Encapsulation analysis modules.

-- MPI/3D Enhancements: Flow simulation for MPI/3D has been enhanced to include inertia effects to predict the flow imbalance of symmetrical cavities and to include additional results for clamp force and shear rate for beams. In addition, MPI/3D now works with MPI/Reactive Molding to simulate the injection molding of thermoset materials.

-- New Design of Experiments (DOE) Manager: The Design of Experiments Manager automatically sets up and performs a sequence of DOE analyses, varying user-specified parameters,and also allows quick access to the results data.

-- Expanded Materials Database: MPI 3.0 provides the combined Moldflow and C-MOLD materials database that includes properties for over 7,500 unique grades of plastic resins.

User Quotes:

"The new 3D tetrahedral mesh generator works extremely well and helps save a significant amount of time. MPI/Synergy is the best user interface that Moldflow has ever provided." Andy Calder, Molding Analysis Engineer, Panduit Corporation

"We have been aggressively testing MPI 3.0 and using most of the modules that the product offers. We created a sample part, meshed it, and were very impressed with the performance. MPI 3.0 represents a great combination of C-MOLD and Moldflow functionality in one complete product." Sanjay Patel, CAE Program Manager, GE Plastics

Product Availability:

Moldflow Plastics Insight 3.0 is expected to ship during the fourth quarter of this calendar year. MPI 3.0 Beta 2 is available now for all qualified beta test site customers.