Computer-aided engineering , plastics

Electronic data processing has seen increased use in all industrial fields in recent years. In the plastics industry in particular, quality demands are being raised continuously, while the product cycle and supply times grow shorter and shorter. The required level of flexibility in terms of market demands should be reached by introduction of suitable computer-aided engineering (CAE) concepts. Efficient... 

The term computer-aided engineering (CAE) describes the use of computers for analysis of a particular design. Often the design is a new product, but in the context of plastics it could be a cooling circuit layout for an injection mold or even the mold itself. Frequently, the term CAE is used to embrace both CAM and CAD though, strictly speaking, it refers to the analysis stage only. There are many types of analyses available these days. Typical examples include... 

In general, these analysis tools fall under the domain of computer-aided engineering (CAE). The key word there is aided. Analysis tools in no way replace skill or education in the basics of plastic material properties, mold design, or processing. What analyses do is supplement the knowledge of trained individuals, making them more productive and more accurate in their predictions. 

Plastics have engineering properties with many versatile processing technologies and present modern product design which is not available in other materials. The use of plastic in automotive components is increased due to computer aided engineering and optimization of tools to be used to design plastic components. However, the use of such tools. 

Throne, J. L., and Kmetz, M. Computer-Aided Design in Thermoforming. Plastics Engineering, pp. 35-38, Sept. 1989. 

Compressed air thermoforming is a technique borrowed from sheet steel processing its main use in plastics processing is in plastic cup production. Machines are also coming into use for the production of engineering components, such as computer covers. A flexible-pressure pad is used to press the hot sheet into the mold cavity, with the aid of an air cushion maintained under pressure. Compared with vacuum forming, this... 

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