Virtual Thermoplastics - turns material data into a digital twin
Every day, we and you work with simulations that make our work life easier and your tools and processes more transparent. But sometimes, no matter how good our solvers are, the available material dataset limits us to reach our goal completely.
We have addressed this challenge. Since 2018, our polymer professionals, engineers and developers have been working and researching on a remedy for datasets that are actually not practicable.
We have analyzed the old way of creating data sets: Plastics are examined in the laboratory for typical material properties. The result is usually a DIN A4 page of data, which is used as a basis for your simulations.
But what we actually need is exact information about the behavior of your material under production-related conditions. That's why we brought a strong partner on board with the DUFNER.MDT laboratory. Together, four years of research work have gone into the joint project, during which tests, measurements, corrections and repetitions have been carried out.
We have now ensured that the only unknown in our process is your material, and that is exactly what is analyzed. Everything else, from the machine to the test component to the process, is meticulously designed and closely observed and examined during the tests via sensors and CT scans, among other things. At the same time, every effect on pressure, thermal properties, fiber orientation and mold filling, and especially stress and warpage, is closely observed and documented. The result is not a DIN A4 page of data, but millions of data points that are an exact image of the material and its behavior. From this digital twin, we determine an unmistakable virtual fingerprint of your material and make it usable for you. That is our Virtual Thermoplastics Service for you!
Let's start your Virtual Thermoplastics project together and together we will clear the hurdle of the data set and build a foundation for validating your simulation results.
And this is how we start: To ensure a smooth process, first of all, process- and safety-relevant data is requested. They help to assess whether the customer-relevant process can be sampled safely. Then tests are run with the sample of your material in our partner laboratory under process-accurate conditions and the data is collected. After our experts have qualified the data points, you will receive a detailed breakdown of the lab and processing results and a usable virtual fingerprint of your material.
You will learn from our engineers how to use the fingerprint and virtual twin in the best possible way for your projects. The final Virtual Thermoplastics Training, tailored to your material, will make you an expert in simulation optimization.
Each Virtual Thermoplastics investigation also opens the possibility to integrate laboratory and processing data directly into your SIGMASOFT® material database and improve simulation results.
Our experts are just a phone call or email away. Learn even more details about the effort, process and your benefits by talking to our Virtual Thermoplastics experts.
Virtual Molding
For a good prediction of what happens on the machine it is important to take into account not only the part, but also the full mold and process. We call this approach SIGMASOFT® Virtual Molding.