Basic Xelerate Mold Project Tutorial

CimatronE 9.0

Basic Xelerate Mold Project Tutorial

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Start a New Project Start a new Mold project. Name the main assembly: Basic Xelerate. Check the Create a New Folder box to create a folder to place the main assembly. To load a predefined layout part, click the Open icon. Select the part: Layout-2-Cavmm.elt. Click the Select option.

Note that the Xelerate Mold Design option is the default mold type in the Preferences dialog. (Press the Preferences icon in the lower area of the dialog).

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Select OK. Load Work The main assembly file is loaded. Note the assembly structure. The parting assembly will later include the workparts and parting face parts. This helps organize the spilt work. A mold assembly has been created. There is a structure of fixed side, moveable side, parting, and ejection sub-assemblies.

Note that the layout part holds a coordinate system for every cavity location. In this instance there are two cavity locations. The outer box represents an optional mold base size. This box is a simple sketch that represents a preliminary mold base size. It can be edited to any size to help with the layout until a mold base is built. We'll now load the work parts into the parting assembly which is currently activated. Click the Load Work Parts icon.

Select the Import file icon and load the Modelxl.igs file, located under the \\Tutorial Work Files\ Data To Steel directory. Approve the import operation.

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Select OK.

Place the work files on a layout UCS as shown in the picture below: This operation also creates a coordinate system in the work file, which is a work UCS feature. To create the work UCS on a specific point (UCS), you need to select it through the reference UCS icon in the Work UCS dialog. (You can create the reference UCS in the model). Click the Edit Work UCS button.

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Select Yes to confirm the load operation.

Note that the system displays the bounding box of the geometry and the centering of the part. Select the lower middle point as the new work UCS.

You can edit any of these values or the layout part center at a later stage. This ensures that there are several ways to control the position of the molded part(s). Select OK twice.

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Split Directions New Direction We'll now set the opening directions of the mold, and attach the relevant faces to each split direction. From the Parting option, select New Direction.

Pick the entire model and keep the Ignore Assigned Faces option.

Change the settings to Both Directions, and select OK.

Note that every splitting direction is represented in the parting tree (Split-01 and Split-02). Unassigned faces are also represented in the All Parts-Unassigned branch.

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Assigning/Unassigning Faces – Step 1 Hide the layout part in the assembly tree for a clearer display. Use the slide bar to see how the faces were split.

Assign the unassigned face to the Split-02 direction (pink):

First select the face indicated by the arrow in the picture below, and then move the cursor on top of one of the pink faces. When the face is highlighted, exit with the middle-mouse button (MMB) to attach the face.

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Assign the gray (unassigned) face indicated by the arrow in the picture below to the blue set.

Assign the blue face indicated by the arrow in the picture below to the pink set.

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Assigning/Unassigning Faces – Step 2 Select the optional stage: Draft Angle Analysis.

Notice the undercut faces.

This optional step opens the Draft Angle Analysis function within the feature guide, and enables you to display the Draft Angle Analysis color dialog with the local draft angle when moving the cursor over the faces. Unassign the eight faces indicated by the arrows in the picture below:

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Select the faces and move the cursor to the clear display area. Press the middle-mouse button (MMB).

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Exit the Quick Split function. View the results of the Quick Split feature in the parting tree. (Press the Parting tab to display the parting tree).

Split Face Activate the work part (ModelXL). Select the front face of one of the work parts. Right-click and select the Split option.

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Exit. Select the face indicated by the arrow in the picture below as the splitting face. Select Apply.

Create another split with the other face. Select OK.

Invoke the Quick Split feature and unassign the face indicated in the picture below:

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New Direction of the Slider Create a new Split direction, by clicking the New Direction tab. Click the base of the direction arrow, and select Along X.

Select the face indicated by the arrow in the picture below:

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Press the Auto Selection button (ignore Assign Faces).

Select OK. Move the slider to view the result of the newly created splitting direction. Attach the two blue faces to the slider split direction.

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Assembly Mirror and Copy Assembly Mirror – Step 1 We'll now create a mirror work part. Activate the Parting assembly. Create a Plane - Main Planes - YZ.

Click the Filter UCS icon to select the parting UCS.

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Select OK.

From the Assembly menu, select the Mirror Part option.

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Select the work part and exit.

Assembly Mirror – Step 2 Select the previously created plane.

Select OK. Switch to the Parting tree. Note that the Split direction attributes were copied together with the part.

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Add Slider Add Slider – Step 1 It is recommended to add the sliders before loading a mold base in order to evaluate the required size of the mold base. Activate the main assembly. Add a new sub-assembly, and name it Sliders. Place it on the assembly UCS. Load a slider unit. Select the Angle Pin Slider / Slider Core Mechanism Assembly Z 180.

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Place the assemblies on the two layout UCSs: First copy the layout UCS to the active assembly. From the Datum menu, select the option: UCS > Copy. Copy the two UCS as indicated by the arrow in the picture below (one at a time). Select the XYZ delta option DeltaX = 0, DeltaY=0, DeltaZ=0. (Temporarily, hide the Parting assembly for a clearer display).

Place the Slider assembly on the two copied UCSs as indicated by the arrows in the picture below:

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Select the optional stage: Offset and Rotation. Change the settings to Individual Control, and select the slider indicated by the arrow in the picture below: Offset the slider in DeltaX =-50 mm.

Clear the selection. Select the other slider and set the parameters as follows: DeltaX = 50 Z Axis = 180

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Add Slider – Step 2 Clear the selection. Enter the second required step: Place the Component, and change the settings back to Group Control.

Click the Edit Parameters button. Edit the Slide Z 180 part.

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Select the row: Z180 32XL1X63; b1 = 63, l1 = 100. Select OK.

Select OK. Select OK twice to complete the Add operation.

Load Mold Base Before loading the mold, you can change the layout dimensions according to the slider size. Update the layout dimensions as shown in the picture below:

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Activate the main assembly. Load the New Mold Base from the Hasco mm Catalog:

Select the 9 plates B option, 296X596; Mold Orientation = 90°. Press Next.

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Change the plate's height as follows: P2 = 66, P3 = 36, P4 = 46, R1 = 96. Select Finish.

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Parting Surface Part Main Parting Surface Part (PSP) We'll now add the parting surface parts. This mold is composed of a cavity plate as an active part in the fixed side, and an insert (composed of the model and a mirror model) in the movable side. In multi-cavities it is recommended to create two types of parting surface parts: Main: The parting surface that usually holds the outer boundary of all instances. This parting surface part will be placed on the main assembly UCS of the parting assembly. Local: The parting surface that is common to all or some of the instances (or their mirror parts). This parting surface part will be placed on the UCS of one of the instances. Show only the parting assembly and layout part for a clearer display. From the guide, select the Parting Surface Part option.

Name the parting surface part: Main.

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Place the parting surface part On Assembly UCS.

Notice that the part is created under the parting sub-assembly without needing to activate it first. We won't create the parting surface yet, but we'll first add a local parting face. Local Add another parting surface part. Name it: Local.

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Place the parting surface part on the UCS as indicated by the arrow in the picture below. Select OK.

You can highlight the split direction in the tree through the display area. Select the face indicated below, right-click and select: Highlight Split Direction. The relevant split direction is now highlighted in the tree.

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Right-click the highlighted split direction in the tree. Select the Hide Other option to hide all other split directions (only the blue faces remain).

Extended Planar and Cone Create an extended face in the local parting surface part. First unstitch the active faces. Unstitch the faces: As Group. The Unstitch operation is performed in order for the Extended Planar and Cone feature to be performed later on.

Ensure that the local parting surface part is activated.

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Create a composite curve as shown in the picture below:

Create an Extended Planar and Cone face.

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Using this option, you can pick a set of stitched (and adjacent) planar/cylindrical/conic faces (or NURBs - faces that can be simplified to such types), and extend them to a reference geometry (which is defined by a sketch or 2D wire). Select Adjacent Planar and Cone faces. Select them by box as indicated by the arrow in the picture below and exit.

All the free edges of the selected faces are highlighted.

You are now requested to select a reference closed sketch. Enter the sketcher on the XY plane. Create the following sketch. Show the layout part to ensure that the sketch exceeds the boundaries of the mold.

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Upper/Lower Delta Exit the sketcher and view the preview of this feature.

The faces are extended towards an imaginary sweep face created by the sketch. Change the Upper/Lower Delta value to 0 and select OK.

Note that the internal parting faces were also created. The Upper/Lower Delta value controls the cupping plane or face of the upper and lower bounding boxes of the selected faces.

More information regarding Upper/Lower Delta value: In our example it is obvious that the extension of the vertical face will never reach the imaginary sweep faces. Although it is the required result in our case, in other cases we would sometimes prefer to extend these faces.

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Therefore we'll use the Upper/Lower Delta value. The system internally creates a bounding box of the part using the UCS defined by the sketcher plane. The system then creates imaginary sweep faces that run from the lower plane (parallel to the lower box boundary with the defined delta) to the upper plane (parallel to the upper box boundary with the defined delta). The imaginary sweep faces define where the extension will be stopped. See example below with upper/lower delta = 10:

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Mirror the Local Parting Face Activate the Parting assembly. From the Assembly menu, select the Mirror Part option. Select the Local parting surface part as indicated by the arrow in the picture below:

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Select the mirror plane. Select OK.

Complete the Local Parting Faces for the Core and Slider Show only the pink set.

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Ensure that the local part is active. Create a composite curve as indicated in the picture below:

Create an Extend New Parting face. Select OK.

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Create a drive face. Select the edge indicated by the arrow below as the section. Select the edge of the parting face as the spine, and click Apply.

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Create another drive at the second side. Select OK.

Update the Local Mirror Part Update the local mirror part. Activate the Local Mirror part. Right-click the ImportModel feature. Select the Update & Disassociate option.

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Activate the Local parting surface part. Split the face indicated by the arrow, with the highlighted edge as shown in the picture below:

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Split the face with the other edge.

Update the local mirror part.

Complete the Main PSP Activate the main parting surface part (PSP). Create a sketch on the XY plane. We'll later cut the plates of the mold assembly with a surface that will be created using this sketch. Show the movable side to ensure that the sketch exceeds the plates.

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Create a composite curve - 2D Single Indication as shown in the picture below:

Create a bounded face.

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Attach Attributes Attach Attributes to the Main Parting Face Generally, you do not have to attach attributes to parting surfaces prior to the Export operation. However, it is recommended to do so if the mold contains many components, in order to get a clearer idea of the relations of the parting surfaces. Update the Mirror work part. Show all split direction sets. Attach attributes to the main parting faces. From the guide, select Parting > Parting Attributes. Select the face indicated by the arrow in the picture below:

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Attach the face to the cavity (upper split direction) and to the core split direction.

Attach Attributes to the Local Parting Face Attach the faces of the local parting faces in the mirror side (indicated by the arrow in the picture below) to the cavity and core split directions.

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Attach the upper face indicated by the arrow in the picture below to the cavity and the slider split directions.

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Repeat the same operation on the mirror local part.

Attach the faces indicated by the arrow in the picture below to the core and slider split directions.

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Repeat the same operation on the mirror local part.


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Working on the Fixed Side Export to Part Basically once the QuickSplit is done, you can already start working on the active parts. Display only K20 in the fixed side and the parting assembly.

Select the Export to Part icon from the Guide.

Notice there are three options to export a part: 1.

Pick Target Part This option enables you to export parting faces to an existing part. One or more split directions are created in the target part. Each exported parting face is placed in a newly created split direction, identical to the original split direction of the parting face in terms of relevant attributes.

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Pick Target Split Direction This option enables you to pick the target split direction in the target part. All parting faces are exported to the target part and receive all relevant attributes of the target split direction. Pick an active face or split direction in the target part using the display or the tree, and exit.

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Pick Target Sub-Assembly (Export to New Part) This option enables you to create a new part under a picked sub-assembly. New split directions with the attributes of the input parting faces are created in the new part, and parting faces are assigned to it accordingly. Pick a target sub-assembly to place the new part, using the display or the tree, and exit. When this option is selected, the Target Part parameter is now displayed as Target Assembly (see below), and an additional parameter (New Part Name) is displayed showing the default name of the new part.

Accept the default option. Select K20 as the target part. Exit.

Note that K20 was identified as the target part. The display of the plate turns into wireframe (WF) mode to enable easy selection.

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Select the two groups of active faces (blue faces). Select OK.

Hide the parting assembly.

The split directions with their attributes now appear in the parting tree under K20.

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Export Parting Surface Part – Step 1 Display the parting assembly and the K20 plate in the fixed side. Select the Export Parting Faces icon from the guide.

Show the K20 plate in the fixed side. Select it (K20) as the target part, and exit.

The system temporarily changes the plate mode to WF to enable smooth selection of the parting faces.

We'll now select the parting faces to be exported to the plate.

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You can select the faces using Free Selection.

However, we'll use the Pick Faces by Indicating Split Directions option. Select the split direction as indicated by the arrow in the picture below:

Since the Export operation by default comes with a cut operation of the target part with the stitched parting surfaces, the Open Edges display helps you to detect problematic areas if any exist.

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Export Parting Surface Part – Step 2 Exit to proceed to the next required step. Select the direction of the arrow as shown in the picture below (to indicate the side to be removed).

The default option is to cut the part with the stitched parting surface. However, you may switch this option to Import only without performing the cut. Select OK.

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Core Insert Export to New Part – Step 1 We'll now create a core insert in the movable side. This insert will contain an instance of a work part and its mirror part.

Display only the core (pink) active parts and the K20 plate from the movable side assembly.

Select the Export to Part icon from the guide.

Change the Export option to Pick Target Sub-Assembly (Export to New Part).

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The following options are displayed. You are requested to select the target assembly in which the insert will be created.

Select the movable side, by clicking its leaf in the tree.

Export to New Part – Step 2 Enter a new name for the new part. Click the option marked in the red circle.

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Name the new part: Core Insert Left. Exit to proceed to the next required step.

Select the two split directions (core) as indicated by the arrows in the picture below. Select OK.

Activate the newly created part.

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Core Insert – Step 1 On the XY plane, create a rectangle (using the Sketcher) that is symmetrical to the main UCS and the dimensions shown in the picture below:

Create an Extrude operation.

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Core Insert – Step 2 Create a cut on the insert. Create the sketch on the top face of the insert as shown in the picture below:

Use the sketch to create the Remove - Extrude shown in the picture below: Use the optional stage: Pick Reference Object and select the insert object in order to perform the cut on the insert.

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Create a 5 mm round on the four edges shown in the picture below:

Activate the main assembly. Cut the K20 plate in the movable side with the core insert. Select OK.

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Export Parting Faces Select the Export Parting Faces icon.

Show only the core insert, and the parting faces.

Select the core insert as the target part.


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Select both split directions (core) in order to export their parting faces.

Exit. Ensure that the arrow is pointing upwards. Select OK.

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Hide the parting surface parts.

Cooling Design Creating Cooling Lines Show only the fixed side and activate it. Invoke the parallel plane from the Cooling Guide.

Select the side face of the cavity plate and set a distance of 75. Select OK.

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Invoke the Cooling Sketch from the Cooling Guide.

Create a single line as shown in the picture below. Use the K20 edges as references for the sketch.

Exit the Sketcher. While the cooling part (under the fixed side) is activated, use the Edit > Copy Geometry > Linear function to copy the sketch by XYZ Delta. Delta Y = -146 mm and press OK.

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Creating the Cooling Object Invoke the Cooling Object.

Pick the two previously created lines. Keep the Without Cut setting and define the diameter as 8 mm.

Invoke the Add Cooling Item. Note that the fixed side is automatically activated.

Browse to the Hasco mm Catalog.

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Select the Nipples category, and then select connecting nipple Z 6302.

Select the Place on Cone Face option. Place the nipples on the cooling objects. Press Apply.

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Place two more nipples on the other side of the cooling object. Select OK.

Cooling Cut Invoke the Cooling Cut from the Cooling Guide.

Select the With Items option and pick the two cooling objects.

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The With Items option automatically selects all the cooling items which are connected to the cooling objects. Press the MMB (middle-mouse button) to proceed to the next step. The system automatically selects the K20 plate as the object to be cut. Select OK. You can add objects or unpick objects to be removed. Note that the plate is cut by the cooling objects and the items.

Note: A new cooling set is created inside the cavity plate.

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Creating Cooling Lines in the Core Activate the movable side. Hide all the components except K20, K30 and the core insert.

Invoke the Parallel Plane option from the Cooling Guide. Pick the face of the core insert indicated by the arrow in the picture below:

Set the Delta to 25 mm and select OK.

Invoke the Cooling Sketch from the Cooling Guide.

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Create the sketch shown below.

Select Copy Linear to copy the previously created sketch by XYZ delta: Delta X = -35 mm. Press OK.

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Creating Cooling Objects in the Core Create a YZ plane on the main UCS. Copy-Mirror the two sketches using the YZ plane.

Invoke the Cooling Object. Select the four cooling line sketches. Keep the Without Cut setting and define the diameter as 8 mm. Select OK.

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Adding Cooling Items Invoke the Add Cooling Item. Browse to the Hasco mm Catalog. Select the Nipples category, and then select connecting nipple Z 6302.

Select the Place on Cone Face option.

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Place eight nipples as shown in the picture below and press Apply:

Add Plugs and O Rings Browse to the Hasco mm catalog. Select the Plugs category and Hexagon Z 941.

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Place the plugs as shown in the picture below:

Use the optional stage to sink the plugs 5 mm into the core insert. Press Apply.

Browse to the Hasco mm catalog.

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Select the O-Rings category and O-Rings Z 941.

Select the eight objects as shown in the picture below:

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Select the objects closer to their lower area.


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Enter the first optional stage, and change to the front view.

Move the O-rings -12.2 mm in the Z direction. Select OK.

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Cooling Cut in Movable Side Invoke the Cooling Cut feature from the Cooling Guide. Accept the default With Items option and select the cooling objects.

Exit (click the middle-mouse button) to proceed to the next step. Don't pick any object to be removed. Select OK.

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Ejection Design Adding Ejectors Show only the Movable Side and Ejection System assemblies.

Activate the Ejection System Assembly. Invoke the Add Ejector feature from the Ejection Design Guide.

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Browse to the Hasco mm Catalog. Select the Ejector Pin category and then select Ejector Pin Z42.

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The system automatically invokes the sketcher. Keep the Without Cut option.

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Toggle the Snap Off option from Off to On. Place the ejectors as shown in the picture below:

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Select OK.

Trimming the Ejectors Invoke the Ejector Trim feature from the Ejection Design Guide.

Pick (by box) the ejectors and click the middle-mouse button (MMB).

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Keep the settings: Trim by Movable Side, Shaped Trim, and No Offset.

Select OK.

Ejector Pocket Invoke the Ejector Pocket feature from the Ejection Design guide.

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Pick the ejectors and click the middle-mouse button (MMB). Keep the default settings and press OK.

Hide the ejectors to view the result of the Ejector Pocket feature.

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Runner Design Runner Sketch We'll now create the runner in the Movable side. Invoke the Pattern Sketch feature from the Runner Design guide.

Note: The runner part is created under the main assembly, and it is automatically activated.

Select the plane as indicated in the picture below:

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Create the sketch shown in the picture below: The distance 2 mm is from the outer edge of the insert.

Exit the sketcher.


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Runner Bodies Invoke the Runner Bodies feature from the Runner Design guide.

. Select the previously created sketch and exit (click the middle-mouse button) to proceed to the next step.

Select the circular cross-section and change both A and B values to 6 mm. Select OK.

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Toggle the Revolved End setting to Flat End, and press OK.

Runner Cut Invoke the Cut by Runner feature from the Runner Design guide.

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Pick the Core Insert part and exit (click the middle-mouse button).

Select the runner body as the cutting object and select OK.

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Hide the runner part in order to view the cut result.

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