SIGMA to demo how its new SIGMAinteract connects departments

At this year’s K Show, SIGMA Engineering GmbH will align its booth concept with the motto “SIGMAinteract – Autonomous Optimization connects departments” and present its new SIGMAinteract.

In a cooperation project, SIGMA shows how to use virtual DoE during the entire development process of the project. With SIGMAinteract, results are displayed interactively and in 3D. Thus, its usage makes knowledge tangible and easy to share between departments. At the SIGMA booth, this immediately becomes visible with a completely new design concept.

Making informed decisions throughout a project requires involvement from partners in various departments. This means project data must be provided to each participant and they will need free and easy access to it. Therefore, SIGMA presents its new SIGMAinteract: Now, users can share SIGMASOFT results interactively and in 3D with colleagues, project partners and customers.

Visitors can experience and use SIGMAinteract live at the booth. There, SIGMA will demonstrate how virtual DoE is used most efficiently and how the SIGMAinteract tool significantly contributes to a good interdisciplinary exchange.

As a demonstration SIGMA uses the project “Pot Cloth”, which was realized as a collaborative project with Momentive Performance Materials GmbH, Germany, EMDE MouldTec GmbH, Germany, Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH, Austria, and Nexus Elastomer Systems GmbH, Austria.

Visitors can observe the production of the “Pot Cloth” virtual and live at SIGMA’s booth. It will be produced on a SmartPower 90/350, control UNILOG B8, from Wittmann Battenfeld. The LSR injection molding tool including the cold runner system was constructed by EMDE MouldTec. The system is completed by a ServoMix X200 dosing system from Nexus Elastomer Systems. Silopren LSR 2640 from Momentive Performance Materials is used as material for the production.

In this project, part design and tool construction were done in parallel. Therefore, it was necessary for all partners to work closely together. Simultaneously, SIGMA conducted a virtual DoE for the validation of the part design and the evaluation of the heating concept.

The SIGMASOFT results showed that the honeycomb structure of the part placed high requirements on the material and the tool. There was also a high possibility for air entrapments at the weldlines of the comb walls and premature curing during filling which would need to be prevented. The hanger was what determined the cycle time. With help from SIGMASOFT, the ideal length and power of the heating cartridges was determined to achieve an even temperature distribution in the cavity area.

Combining the results of these two DoEs, a common ground for all project partners was created and the project board could make fast and well-founded decisions: A venting system was implemented into the tool. Premature curing was prevented via a well-chosen material and the part could also be scaled up. The hanger was redesigned allowing the heating time to be reduced by five seconds.