Hi.

I'm curious about the techniques you experts use to perform tool splits. I have been trying to use the mold functions a couple of times but don't know if this is the right way to go. In my experience Solidworks provides you with features that looks good on the paper, but fails when it comes to solve "real" problems and therefore you have to combine them with manual work to get the result you want.

When I have tried the mold functions, I stop after the "shut-off surface". I have never succeded with the parting surfaces because in general the parts have to complex parting lines and also lots of complex side cores.

If i do the parting surface manually, and manage to perform the "tooling split", I almost never succeed with the "core" option. Side cores in the part that we work with often contain >500 surfaces and a rather complex geometry. Today I have to do the cores manually which requires a lot of work.

Finally, the biggest problem with the mold function. It assumes that we start with a "final" 3d from the customer. Everything devlopes from this 3d model. In my experience this is never true. Instead we have often a complete die design, with bolster/frame, cylinders for side cores, ejector pins, cores e.tc. ready before the customer finish his part. This means that I perform the split on the first draft of the part and then work with surfaces to add the modifications before start of production. The risk with this procedure is that I can miss out on a small change in the complex part.

So, how do you do it? Perhaps I'm using the functions in a wrong way? Perhaps you have a better solution to work with molds in a top-down environment? (F.Y.I. our company works with Aluminium HPDC mainly for the Automotive Industry.)

Thank you in advance for you time.

BRG/Mikael.