Chapter 45Simulation
Written in cooperation with Karel Kouba, Accuform, Zlin, Czech Repubic, Rupert Gschwendtner, and Hans Lochner, Kiefel GmbH, Freilassing, Germany
Unlike in other fields of polymer processing, such as injection molding, use of computer simulation is rather new and less developed in thermoforming. The thermoformers that use simulation in most cases work with T‐SIM software from the Accuform company in Zlin, Czech Republic.
45.1 T‐SIM COMPUTER SIMULATION OF THERMOFORMING1
T‐SIM is a software package that predicts the final wall thickness distribution based on the specified processing parameters: the pressure level, the speed of tools, the film/sheet temperature distribution, and so on. The simulation can also predict image distortion and pre‐distortion.
Why simulate a thermoforming process?
- To reduce the design time for your products.
- No need to perform expensive trial‐and‐error procedures.
- To select an optimum design from many possible alternatives.
- To get optimum thickness distribution on final product via a temperature setup on the film/sheet.
- To design pre‐distorted images for an in‐mold decoration.
45.2 FEATURES OF SIMULATION SOFTWARE SUCH AS T‐SIM
- WLF temperature dependence
- Simulates positive/negative forming with/without plug assistance
- Time‐dependent deformation is described by viscoelastic K‐BKZ model
- Three different damping functions for a better material data fit (strain hardening)
- Material database containing, for example, PE, PP, PET, PC, ...
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