• VGX™ Mold Base Design

Molds are complex mechanical assemblies, with many components interacting with each other. Historically, these mold assemblies are created using 2D drafting packages, which is labor intensive and creates opportunity for error. The VGX ™ Mold Base software automates the creation of solid assemblies of molds starting with standard or customized mold bases and components, resulting in significant reductions in the time required to design molds. Available standard catalogs include:

• D-M-E
• Futaba
• Hasco
• Strack

Creating and Modifying a Mold Base

Through a set of streamlined commands, you can create a complete mold base assembly, which includes the following components. 3D previews let you size the mold around your mold parts.

• Plates
• Leader pins
• Return pins
• Sprue puller pin
• Sprue bushing
• Locator ring
• Assembly screws
• Tubular dowel pins
• Stop pins

Corresponding holes will have the proper clearance. You can modify your mold automatically, from one standard mold base to another, including A series vs. B series, at any point in the lifetime of a mold base, not just during the initial construction. If the mold size is modified, components (and their clearance holes)are repositioned, and the number of assembly screws is adjusted.Adding Mold ComponentsAdd dimension-driven intelligent mold features to your mold assembly using a unique 3D dynamic drag and drop pre-view capability to adjust size and position.

• Inserts
• Ejector pins and sleeves
• Core pins and sleeves
• Guided ejection pins and bushings
• Support pillars
• Stop pins
• A half, B half, and ejector screws
• An extensive cooling line cutter capability

Grid snap and alignment with neighboring components ensures quick and accurate placement.

Advanced Features

The VGX Mold Base software uses SDRC’s VGX technology. VGX assembly constraints maintain the geometric relationships between the mold base components, allowing you to simulate advanced mechanical processes such as slider mechanisms. As part of the I-DEAS ® software, library check-in/check-out, data archiving, and other capabilities such as associative drawings are available. You can customize the components using the existing I-DEAS capabilities, and the VGX Mold Base software still recognizes them as mold base components. Specialized hide/show and explode capabilities help you visualize and designthe mold in 3D space. When the mold design is complete, you can generate a Bill of Materials to order standard and customized components from the suppliers and add to the drawings.