DEVELOP3D.COM DECEMBER 2009 / JANUARY 2010 45
Vero’s VISI 17: Design
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Vero Software’s VISI product has been significantly reworked over the last few
releases and the areas it covers have also been expanded. In the first of a two-part
look at the system,
Al Dean covers what’s new in VISI 17 for design
This refers to both 2D and 3D geometry and allows users to quickly grab geometry, copy it, paste it and reuse it. In relation to tooling design, either in the form of the tools themselves or plastic components (such as bosses, snap fits and such), the ability to quickly grab geometry, wrangle it into position and continue to work on it is invaluable, but repetitive, so this makes huge sense.
Another generally applicable update is the face selection tools. When selecting a face, the system can now find matching faces by cylindrical or planar relationships. This is great for moving hole features or pocket faces within a complex solid. The face selection can even find tangentially connected faces within a user-defined angular deviation based on seed face or
V
ero is one of a rare breed of 3D technology vendors that focuses on one thing. Getting specific jobs done. Whilst other better known vendors develop generic tools that serve a huge, but highly horizontal slice of the 3D market, companies like Vero master the verticals and then expand outward.Vero’s background is in preparation for manufacturing, whether that’s 3D design and simulation - the focus of this article - or mould and die design and NC programming which we’ll cover in the next edition of DEVELOP3D. The company develops a huge range of tools that support tooling design, machining, progressive die development, 3-axis up to 5-axis machining and all points in between.
In recent years, Vero has redeveloped its range of systems to integrate new technology (such as VISI Flow for injection moulding simulation) and to bring its software up to speed. Today, VISI is a fresh and modern looking system that has some serious power beneath a very shiny exterior. So let’s have a look at what’s new.
USer experIence
VISI’s User Interface (UI) is under a constant state of refinement and many of the commands have been consolidated in recent releases, particularly in the machining arena. For the 17.0 release, the emphasis is now on making the 3D graphics work faster. By working with ATI and Nvidia, Vero has implemented a new technology called Vertex Object Buffers (VBOs), which can help boost real-time 3D performance. VBOs take raw geometry processing away from the CPU and move it onto the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). As all data is loaded up to the GPU, the amount of memory on the graphics card is important. Any professional OpenGL 2.1+
card with 256MB or more should be enough, but check with Vero for advice. If you don’t have enough graphics memory, the performance will slow down considerably.
While we haven’t tested the technology first hand, Vero claims that by implementing VBOs, combined with other graphical developments, it has managed to increase the frames-per-second rate by over 20 times. This should not only make on-screen model rotation smoother but should enable users to work effectively with much more complex geometry sets, which are typical of Vero customers.
pArt DeVelopment
Moving onto the use of the system ‘in anger’, the first development of note is the work on geometry alignment or mating.
» Product: VISI 17 » Supplier: Vero Software Price on application www.vero-software.com
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SOFTWARE REVIEW
●1 Part thickness showing rolling ball results ●2 Part thickness displayed with ray method ●3 Dynamic sectioning of results
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1
3
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DEVELOP3D.COM DECEMBER 2009 / JANUARY 2010 47 edge pick. With VISI’s surface modelling
tools, users can make some pretty serious modifications using direct modelling tools - and it’s been able to do it for years - how about that for synchronous technology?
ASSembly moDellIng
In previous releases, when working on assemblies, users would need to run basic volume calculations and then hand calc the weight. This release gives ready access to much more information about how a part stacks. Alongside auto-calculated volume, users can now define a material from an extensive database, as well as cost, and supplier, for example. This pays dividends when creating Bills of Materials, or running up cost lists. On a design level, centres of gravity can also be accurately identified. This is essential for tooling and positioning the eye-bolt for lifting mould stacks.
thIckneSS AnAlySIS
Another incredibly handy update is the introduction of model thickness analysis, something that’s been spun off and extended from Vero’s VISI Flow product. Basically, this allows users to discover a part’s true thickness, which is essential for ensuring good mould-ability. Any major change in part thickness can cause major moulding issues such internal voids, surface sink marks, unpredictable shrink rates and ultimately, longer cycle times. The system uses two algorithms - a ray-based method that is common in many CAD tools, but also a rolling ball approach.
The shooting ray method fires a ray through the model along the surface normal until it hits a second face. The disadvantage of this approach is that it doesn’t give a true 3D thickness as it is only looking in one direction.
The rolling ball method is based on the largest sphere that can be placed within the model without intersecting any other face.
Whichever method is used, the system presents the results with a customisable range shading, together with sectioning tools, which are handy for finding internal areas which could cause sink marks. The results can then be saved out as HTML files and distributed.
DrAwIng AnD plottIng
Moving onto the heady world of drawing creation, there has been a lot of work for this release, particularly in regards to assisting with the creation of general assembly layouts from a fully complete stack. One major enhancement in this area is the ability to split the VISI file
VISI 17
WorkfloW
EDIT
BlENDS -
TANGENT
fACE
SElECTIoN
VISI has an incredible quantity of
tools for adapting and fixing imported
geometry, for modelling from scratch,
or for making modifications for
pre-manufacturing preparation
SOFTWARE REVIEW
into separate 3D & 2D environments to allow multiple users to work on product detailing. Once completed, the individual files can be brought back together into one file and the links to the original 3D data rebuilt. This is backed up with view creation, which is much more automated, and creates plate layouts, and sub-assembly diagrams of each individual component and then automatically scales to fit the selected paper size. It doesn’t add the annotation, but the system creates the basic page layouts automatically saving users the repetitive work often involved.Plotting is something that seems somewhat trivial to discuss these days, but it’s still incredibly important for many. This release allows users to preview prints and see exactly what they are going to get. Page size is set according to printer and distributed accordingly. For example, A4 prints go to the standard office printer, while the big sheets go to wide format printers.
conclUSIon
In the scope of this review, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what VISI is capable of, and we’ll move onto the more specialised tools next issue when we look at injection moulding simulation, mould design and machining. For now, suffice to say that VISI has an incredible quantity of tools for adapting and fixing imported geometry, for modelling from scratch, or for making modifications for pre-manufacturing preparation. And while these tools have been within VISI for nearly two decades, the developers are doing sterling work to ensure that they are up to date, modern and fresh. I can’t wait to dig into the manufacturing-specific tools in our February 2010 edition, so stay tuned for more.
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1 It is necessary to edit the orange radii around the top of the cavity form●
2 Using tangent face selection, it is only necessary to select one single edge and using tangency deviation the system can detect two selection combinations (either side of the defining edge)
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3 With the faces detected, it is possible to modify the radii value using direct editing with a single operation3
2
1
VISI 17
WorkfloW
INClINE
fACE -
MATCHING
fACE
SElECTIoN
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1 It is necessary to edit the angle of the orange faces from the automotive casting●
2 Using matching face selection, it is only necessary to select a single face and all matching faces will be automatically selected
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3 After defining a rotation point, it is possible to incline the face angle using direct editing3
2
1
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●4 Intelligent mating conditions for solid and wire geometry allow quick and easy geometry reuse, whether 2D profiles or 3D geometry
42 FEBRUARY 2010 DEVELOP3D.COM
Vero VISI 17: Manufacturing
SOFTWARE REVIEW
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Last month Al Dean took a look at the design-related updates to Vero Software’s
VISI product. Now, he tackles the manufacturing updates, including CAM and tool design,
concluding in March with a look at the plastic flow analysis tools for mould design
the operator find where excess material remains for each operation. Additionally, there’s a new automatic boundary creation tool which can find areas of specific stock depth. The results can then be used to limit where subsequent machining operations are restricted to.
Other key machining updates include the added ability to generate passes and links separately. While users would typically want to have both created at the same time, these tasks can now be separated, enabling the toolpath to be fine-tuned. For example, removing specific passes, before linking them together to achieve optimal cutter movement.
The final major update for this release is that the feature recognition technology (referred to as Compass) can now be applied to surfaces as well as solid models. While this might sound
W
hile Vero has a wealth ofdesign and development tools, perhaps one of the areas the company is best known for is machining and support for some of the most complex production methods. Let’s deal with machining and tool-path generation first - because it’s probably the most widely applicable.
As it stands, the system has a very mature set of machining functionality, ranging from standard production 2.5-axis milling and drilling, through 3- and 5-axis machining and now into the realms of more complex machine tool support.
Starting with production machining, the new high-speed pocketing feature can be used to create prismatic type features using high-speed machining techniques. This means speedier cutting and also includes helpful additions that adapt the tool-path to finish the bottoms of pockets with a single pass, removing the need to add an additional step.
Moving onto more complex machining, this release sees the introduction of a new auto-tilt function, which will help those who are new to the world of 5-axis machining. It allows users to take a standard 3-axis tool-path and convert it for use as a 5 axis tool-path, rather than having to rework it from scratch. This is particularly useful for dealing with both short reach cutters and deep pockets.
VISI has always had the ability to carry out this conversion, but the system presented the user with a bewildering array of options, variables and parameters. The new tool strips out all but the key options in a clean, simple dialog, whilst retaining enough control to fine tune the operations. It’s a fantastic step up into the world of 5-axis machining and puts the technology into the hands of
people who’ve never used it before whilst keeping cutting efficiency at a maximum. This is something many machinists will be facing as the costs of multi axis machine tools have lowered and older machinery gets replaced. It even links to the original 3-axis tool-path data, so users can edit it and automatically have the auto-tilt operations applied.
There’s also been work done on how the system uses stock models. Firstly, users can now define a stock model as either a bounding box from an extruded profile sketch or from offset from geometry, which is ideal for castings. Then, once in process, as with most CAM systems, VISI uses an incremental stock model that’s maintained with each operation to ensure material is being cut, rather than fresh air. With VISI 17, the interactive stock model can be inspected and interrogated helping
» Product: Vero VISI Series 17
» Supplier: Vero Software Price on application www.vero-software.com ●1 Interactive stock model displaying residual material ●2 3D bumper mould and hot runner designed using VISI
VISI 17
WorkfloW
●1 The progressive die is constructed only to perform the trimming and piercing operations ●
2 The fingers are designed and validated using a series of quick 2D sketches ●
3 The finger synchronisation table defines the movement and angle sectors for each individual finger station
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DEVELOP3D.COM FEBRUARY 2010 43 counter-intuitive, when machining from
the basis of surfaces, standard features are commonly found within the same part file (such as complex holes), so the reduced programming time allows users to concentrate on the difficult bits.
VISI MoulD
Alongside machining, VISI has built its reputation on mould design tools which are again, a highly mature set of tools. But that’s not to say there’s no room to make things a little more efficient, or in this case, flexible. Catalogue-based mould design tools are excellent for stepping users through the process of building up a mould stack of standard components - but what happens when working on something out of the ordinary, something that requires custom plates, for example? VISI now includes the ability to build fully
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custom mould stacks, featuring either custom plates, hardware or integrating standard parts (such as pillars, ejectors, bushings etc) where needed. Of course, this might form a new series of mould tools, so users have the ability to save work out as a template which can then be reused on subsequent projects.
The other big news for mould design is the integration of the Cadenas library into the system, which provides access to a huge range of additional catalogues and engineering information.
VISI ProgreSS
Progressive die design is another key differentiator for VISI and an area that is incredibly complex. Because of the way a blank progresses through the punch set, each stage needs to be defined individually. Within a software
●4 Cycle simulation is used to verify the synchronisation table, finger timings and check for potential collisions ●
5 Cam construction and the complete cycle diagram are automatically generated for manufacture ●
6 The complete assembly showing the progressive die for trimming operations and the multi-slide tooling for bending
looking at what Vero has to offer for
both design and manufacture it’s clear
there’s huge potential to squeeze new
levels of productivity from many areas
of your organisation
DEVELOP3D.COM FEBRUARY 2010 45 environment, users define the process in
reverse, beginning with the 3D part and unfolding it to achieve a flat blank.
VISI has the ability to take highly complex forms and create a flattened part in one operation, but this release extends these tools to do the same in a step-by-step manner. Using a binder surface, users are able to define the punch form on which to base the unfolding process (this gives the system a fighting chance to work out highly complex geometry transformations).
If a part fails with the automated approach there are new tools to carry out the process manually. Starting with a ‘backbone’ (typically from a section), a series of additional sections can be generated and these can be used to build the sequential steps manually.
Once a set of gradually unfolded models has been built, in order to achieve the part development, this data is then used as the basis on which to build the strip layout and of course, the punches required to generate that form. Alongside the die tool updates, there’s also a new thickness analysis tool. This will graphically show critical areas where material is thinning out as the strip moves through the process, allowing users to identify potential areas of tear (where material is too thin) or wrinkling (where it’s too thick).
One of the most interesting things about VISI is how there are highly specialised design and manufacturing tools. A perfect example is the new analysis tool
for cylindrical drawing. To create the part, users only need to define the cross section, rotation axis, part thickness and finally select a material from the supplied database. The system then creates the stages required to create that form, including any suspension forms or collars. Because the system has materials knowledge and the required information, users are working with real production data, rather than guess work, to achieve the correct stages forms for the strip layout. This can then, of course, be fed into the tool design.
Another good example is the new support for multi-slide tooling, where there are multiple slides, driving multiple punches at the same time. Obviously these need to work in a synchronised manner otherwise there would be a lot of banging and crashing. It’s an incredibly complex and detailed process and something that can truly benefit from the introduction of some clever technology - which Vero has done.
Starting from the unfolding steps, every finger can be designed by using a series of quick 2D sketches. These sketches are used to obtain the number of movements, stroke value and the orientation of each finger. This information is then used as input data to compile a “computation table” where each action and its associated stroke needs to be timed perfectly to cut out any slack in the operation and to achieve the shortest cycle time possible. The final result is
the complete cycle diagram and the construction of each relevant cam as either a 2D profile or a 3D solid.
ConCluSIon
Taking into account last month’s coverage and this month’s manufacturing focussed content, VISI offers a quite bewildering array of technologies that covers a vast range of processes and tasks. These include the excellent 3D modelling tools that allow users to work with geometry either from scratch or with less than ideal imported data, mould and die design and into the realm of machining and toolpath generation. Anyone that takes even the most cursory glance at what Vero has to offer for both design and manufacture should see that there’s huge potential to squeeze new levels of productivity from many areas of your organisation. Next month we’ll finish off our review of the VISI range of products, with a look at VISI flow, which covers plastic flow analysis for injection mould design.
SOFTWARE REVIEW
3
The new auto-tilt function, will help
those who are new to the world of
5-axis machining by taking a standard
3-axis tool-path and converting it for
use as a 5 axis tool-path
●3 Auto-tilting puts 5-axis technology within reach of people who have never used it before
DEVELOP3D.COM MARCH 2010 47
VISI Flow 17
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In the final part of his look at Vero Software’s VISI 17 suite, Al Dean rounds things
off with a review of VISI Flow for injection moulding simulation
tools with which to design and optimise a complete runner system. Part of this is conducted in the design environment, where injection points, runners, gates and sprues/injection cones are built up using a specialist set of tools. The user has complete control over the form of each of these fundamental parts – and this is critical. To fully simulate the injection process and how the material changes as it progresses through the mould, a fully defined set of geometry is required - without this, simulation tasks are essentially guesswork.
Once the simulation process has been started, the system creates centreline vector geometry that represents runners. By stripping back detail and using a much more efficient method of simulation (and inherently quicker solve times), the user can experiment with optimal runner layout and optimise the runner network. Injection timings, pressures and temperatures can all be experimented with and with an extensive materials database of over 8,000+ polymers to back it up, the environment is efficient but also flexible. To illustrate this point, there is a wizard that steps through the process, but at any point the user can jump in and fine-tune the simulation. Similarly, the meshing used in local areas can be adapted to gain more detail where needed on smaller features (typically where problems exist). Projects can be replicated with ease and this copies across all geometries, inputs and variables.
W
hile Vero’s reputation was built on mould and die design, in 2007 the company acknowledged that there was more to the process than cutting tool-steel and acquired the injection moulding simulation program, TMconcept, from Italian software house, Plastic and Computer. Renaming it VISI Flow, Vero then started work on integrating what was a capable, but user-unfriendly system, into its flagship product suite and it soon became a key part of Vero’s offering to the plastic moulding industry.Now with the technology fully integrated into the core suite, Vero is not only offering its users a more consistent workflow but the additional benefit of having the power of VISI’s modelling tool at hand.
The most commonly used portion of VISI Flow is filling analysis. VISI Flow doesn’t use the mid-plane modelling methodology often found in other filling analysis systems (which often requires additional geometry preparation) but rather uses patented hexahedral mesh techniques where a mesh-based model of the part geometry is used. As the system is now integrated into the VISI environment, there’s no data translation required, the user simply switches environments. The first step is to define the parameters of the part, focussing on thickness, material (the system is supplied with a huge material database), gating locations, and the all-important injection parameters such as injection time, melt and mould temperature.
Once the analysis is complete, it’s on to the critical portion of the process - interrogating the results and making informed decisions based on that data. VISI Flow allows the user to extract all manner of information from the analysis, both text-based (in terms of percentage fill, fill times, cycle time, clamp
tonnage and shot size etc) as well as more visual data. The system can be used to create static and animated imagery that displays how the part filling process progresses over time, plus how it cools. Alongside this, it’s here that the user can identify cosmetic issues such as weld lines, air traps and such.
UpDAteS
There have been four key areas for enhancement in this VISI Flow 17 release. The first is greater support for the design and eventual simulation of runners. While many lower-end plastic flow simulation tools centre on the simulation of a single cavity mould, VISI Flow now provides
» Product: VISI Flow 17
» Vero Software Price on application www.vero-software.com
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SOFTWARE REVIEW
●1 A recent project for BK Tooling highlighting how the actual moulding conditions accurately match the VISI Flow filling results ●2 The hot runner (HRFill) application is used to simulate the performance of the hot runner system without the need to simulate the entire mould. The user can then incorporate the optimal hot runner within the tool design2
DEVELOP3D.COM MARCH 2010 49
Mesh manipulation tools allow the operator to adapt the meshing used in local areas to gain more detail where needed, typically on smaller features
Further experimentation is then allowed so users can try out different materials and different insert configurations.
ShApe control
The shape option has been extended and this allows a part to be analysed in order to discover how the various parameters involved in its creation affect the final shape of the parts produced. Rather than just providing shrinkage details, it offers a great deal more information about how the thermal properties of the part affect the shape. These include differential shrinkage, thermal and fibre orientation.
VISI Flow also has the ability to add in non-polymer parts such as inserts, add a preheated temperature for the mould and visualise how those factors influence the part’s form in terms of shrinkage as well as warpage.
thermoSet AnD rUbber
Adding to the simulation toolset this release also includes explicit support for cross linking materials, such as liquid silicone rubber. VISI Flow has the ability to simulate a highly complex process that often occurs at a very chemical and molecular level, such as the amount of chemical curing that occurs within the mould.
hot rUnner SUpport
The last area of enhancement for this release is the addition of support for hot runner design. Vero has already worked
in conjunction with leading hot runner manufacturer Mold-Masters on a separate project for hot runner and hot tip analysis. This platform has been extended, providing a unique analysis tool that can connect to external library providers such as Cadenas and allow users to build up the runner and gate configuration and accurately simulate their use.
The main goal is to investigate exactly what happens in the hot runner system (i.e. pressure drops or resistance time etc) without the need to model and simulate the injected part. This tool gives the user a huge amount of feedback highlighting exactly what’s happening and where.
conclUSIon
VISI Flow is a natural compliment to the existing tools within the VISI product
SOFTWARE REVIEW
range - but it shouldn’t just be considered as a tool for existing VISI users. In fact, the system generated a lot of interest at the recent SolidWorks World event in the US. The fact is that design for injection moulding is an incredibly complex process that many outside of the field may dismiss. It’s not simply a case of designing a core and cavity and shooting it with molten polymers. The mould development itself is complex, not only in terms of geometry, but the process of machine tool set-up.Injection moulding simulation has been around for many years but it hasn’t experienced a huge take off in the industry because it often takes a non-holistic approach, concentrating on the form of the part and not including runners, gates and other factors which have a huge impact on the success of a project. But when combined with first class mould and die design tools, the potential becomes even greater.
In essence, it’s about using digital tools to first design, then simulate, then iterate both the part design and the associated mould stack - the idea being that when you reach that joyous, yet stomach churning, first off tooling moment, it will ensure you have the optimal design, both in terms of the quality of parts and the required production rates. And in today’s global market, that means competitive advantage.
●4 The filling simulation displays the plastic flow front entering the cavity. Aesthetic issues such as weld lines and air traps are reported
●5 The thermal analysis is used to analyse the efficiency of the cooling circuit and the effect on temperature distribution ●
6 Shape analysis allows the operator to visualise and measure both the original and warped geometry
VISI FLOW
WORKFLOW
●1 The runners and gates are designed using an
interactive wizard ●
2 The runner circuit and hot runner can be analysed to provide valuable information such as pressure drop and resistance time
●3 The complete setup of moulding parameters, including cooling circuits are required for an accurate flow prediction