2.5.2. Special Thicknesses

Purpose

This function allows assigning specific thicknesses to certain areas of the mould that differ from the overall thickness defined in the Mould Features window. It is an essential tool for accurately modeling structural reinforcements, flanges, or variations inherent in cast aluminum moulds.

1. Geometry Identification

To assign a special thickness, the target area must be a delimited surface within the model.

Best Practice: Ideally, the CAD file should already have these surfaces delimited before importing it into SIMOULDING. This ensures the zones are easily identifiable and selectable with the exact shape of the special thickness area.

If the imported geometry lacks a delimited surface for a specific zone, the user can use the SIMOULDING geometry tool to partition the mould faces. This allows creating new surfaces that are identifiable and selectable for assignment.

2. Assigning Data

Within the Special Thicknesses window, follow these steps:

Surface name: Define a descriptive name for the group (e.g., "3mm_Thickness_Zone").
Surface thickness (mm): Enter the actual thickness value for that specific delimited area.
Assign: Click this button, then select the surfaces in the 3D view and press Enter to link them to the value.

The user can create multiple groups for different thickness values. Use the Draw button to visually verify which surfaces have been assigned to each group.

Figure 1: Special Thicknesses configuration window.

Figure 2: Example of assigning delimited surfaces in the 3D model.